diff --git a/src/udev/udev-event.c b/src/udev/udev-event.c
index 2e82be6fb39..f4dbcef9598 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev-event.c
+++ b/src/udev/udev-event.c
@@ -1082,3 +1082,34 @@ void udev_event_execute_run(UdevEvent *event, usec_t timeout_usec, int timeout_s
                 }
         }
 }
+
+int udev_event_process_inotify_watch(UdevEvent *event, int inotify_fd) {
+        sd_device *dev;
+        int r;
+
+        assert(event);
+        assert(inotify_fd >= 0);
+
+        dev = event->dev;
+
+        assert(dev);
+
+        if (device_for_action(dev, SD_DEVICE_REMOVE))
+                return 0;
+
+        if (sd_device_get_devname(dev, NULL) < 0)
+                return 0;
+
+        if (!event->inotify_watch) {
+                (void) udev_watch_end(inotify_fd, dev);
+                return 0;
+        }
+
+        (void) udev_watch_begin(inotify_fd, dev);
+
+        r = device_update_db(dev);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_device_debug_errno(dev, r, "Failed to update database under /run/udev/data/: %m");
+
+        return 0;
+}
diff --git a/src/udev/udev-event.h b/src/udev/udev-event.h
index d90cc10a2d8..2067909fde4 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev-event.h
+++ b/src/udev/udev-event.h
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ int udev_event_execute_rules(
                 Hashmap *properties_list,
                 UdevRules *rules);
 void udev_event_execute_run(UdevEvent *event, usec_t timeout_usec, int timeout_signal);
+int udev_event_process_inotify_watch(UdevEvent *event, int inotify_fd);
 
 static inline usec_t udev_warn_timeout(usec_t timeout_usec) {
         return DIV_ROUND_UP(timeout_usec, 3);
diff --git a/src/udev/udevd.c b/src/udev/udevd.c
index 299f89566f5..9689e15b1c4 100644
--- a/src/udev/udevd.c
+++ b/src/udev/udevd.c
@@ -502,14 +502,9 @@ static int worker_process_device(Manager *manager, sd_device *dev) {
                 /* in case rtnl was initialized */
                 manager->rtnl = sd_netlink_ref(udev_event->rtnl);
 
-        /* apply/restore/end inotify watch */
-        if (udev_event->inotify_watch) {
-                (void) udev_watch_begin(manager->inotify_fd, dev);
-                r = device_update_db(dev);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return log_device_debug_errno(dev, r, "Failed to update database under /run/udev/data/: %m");
-        } else
-                (void) udev_watch_end(manager->inotify_fd, dev);
+        r = udev_event_process_inotify_watch(udev_event, manager->inotify_fd);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
 
         log_device_uevent(dev, "Device processed");
         return 0;