diff --git a/src/core/dbus-manager.c b/src/core/dbus-manager.c
index 9e7aba67517..8addce3d102 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-manager.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-manager.c
@@ -2947,7 +2947,7 @@ static int aux_scope_from_message(Manager *m, sd_bus_message *message, Unit **re
                         return r;
 
                 r = unit_watch_pidref(scope, p, /* exclusive= */ false);
-                if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
+                if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/core/dbus-scope.c b/src/core/dbus-scope.c
index 15c3595a42b..f3beee92e70 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-scope.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-scope.c
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ static int bus_scope_set_transient_property(
 
                         if (!UNIT_WRITE_FLAGS_NOOP(flags)) {
                                 r = unit_watch_pidref(u, p, /* exclusive= */ false);
-                                if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
+                                if (r < 0)
                                         return r;
                         }
 
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ static int bus_scope_set_transient_property(
 
                         if (!UNIT_WRITE_FLAGS_NOOP(flags)) {
                                 r = unit_watch_pidref(u, &pidref, /* exclusive= */ false);
-                                if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
+                                if (r < 0)
                                         return r;
                         }
 
diff --git a/src/core/scope.c b/src/core/scope.c
index 9e14b78da27..40fb41e541a 100644
--- a/src/core/scope.c
+++ b/src/core/scope.c
@@ -239,7 +239,7 @@ static int scope_coldplug(Unit *u) {
                 PidRef *pid;
                 SET_FOREACH(pid, u->pids) {
                         r = unit_watch_pidref(u, pid, /* exclusive= */ false);
-                        if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
+                        if (r < 0)
                                 return r;
                 }
         }