diff --git a/man/systemd.resource-control.xml b/man/systemd.resource-control.xml
index fe875a81c3d..1142ad7758f 100644
--- a/man/systemd.resource-control.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.resource-control.xml
@@ -1101,10 +1101,10 @@ DeviceAllow=/dev/loop-control
           only respect these extended attributes if the unit's cgroup is owned by root.</para>
 
           <para>When calculating candidates to relieve memory pressure, <command>systemd-oomd</command>
-          will only respect these extended attributes if the unit's cgroup owner, and the
-          owner of the monitored ancestor cgroup are the same. For example, if <command>systemd-oomd</command>
-          is calculating candidates for <filename>-.slice</filename>, then extended attributes set
-          on descendants of <filename>/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/</filename>
+          will only respect these extended attributes if the unit's cgroup is owned by root, or if the
+          unit's cgroup owner, and the owner of the monitored ancestor cgroup are the same. For example,
+          if <command>systemd-oomd</command> is calculating candidates for <filename>-.slice</filename>,
+          then extended attributes set on descendants of <filename>/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/</filename>
           will be ignored because the descendants are owned by UID 1000, and <filename>-.slice</filename>
           is owned by UID 0. But, if calculating candidates for
           <filename>/user.slice/user-1000.slice/user@1000.service/</filename>, then extended attributes set
diff --git a/src/oom/oomd-util.c b/src/oom/oomd-util.c
index 70a1dc941e6..7291e044eb1 100644
--- a/src/oom/oomd-util.c
+++ b/src/oom/oomd-util.c
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ bool oomd_swap_free_below(const OomdSystemContext *ctx, int threshold_permyriad)
 }
 
 int oomd_fetch_cgroup_oom_preference(OomdCGroupContext *ctx, const char *prefix) {
-        uid_t uid, prefix_uid;
+        uid_t uid;
         int r;
 
         assert(ctx);
@@ -160,28 +160,34 @@ int oomd_fetch_cgroup_oom_preference(OomdCGroupContext *ctx, const char *prefix)
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get owner/group from %s: %m", ctx->path);
 
-        r = cg_get_owner(SYSTEMD_CGROUP_CONTROLLER, prefix, &prefix_uid);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get owner/group from %s: %m", ctx->path);
+        if (uid != 0) {
+                uid_t prefix_uid;
 
-        if (uid == prefix_uid || uid == 0) {
-                /* Ignore most errors when reading the xattr since it is usually unset and cgroup xattrs are only used
-                 * as an optional feature of systemd-oomd (and the system might not even support them). */
-                r = cg_get_xattr_bool(SYSTEMD_CGROUP_CONTROLLER, ctx->path, "user.oomd_avoid");
-                if (r == -ENOMEM)
-                        return log_oom_debug();
-                if (r < 0 && !ERRNO_IS_XATTR_ABSENT(r))
-                        log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get xattr user.oomd_avoid, ignoring: %m");
-                ctx->preference = r > 0 ? MANAGED_OOM_PREFERENCE_AVOID : ctx->preference;
+                r = cg_get_owner(SYSTEMD_CGROUP_CONTROLLER, prefix, &prefix_uid);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get owner/group from %s: %m", prefix);
 
-                r = cg_get_xattr_bool(SYSTEMD_CGROUP_CONTROLLER, ctx->path, "user.oomd_omit");
-                if (r == -ENOMEM)
-                        return log_oom_debug();
-                if (r < 0 && !ERRNO_IS_XATTR_ABSENT(r))
-                        log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get xattr user.oomd_omit, ignoring: %m");
-                ctx->preference = r > 0 ? MANAGED_OOM_PREFERENCE_OMIT : ctx->preference;
-        } else
-                ctx->preference = MANAGED_OOM_PREFERENCE_NONE;
+                if (uid != prefix_uid) {
+                        ctx->preference = MANAGED_OOM_PREFERENCE_NONE;
+                        return 0;
+                }
+        }
+
+        /* Ignore most errors when reading the xattr since it is usually unset and cgroup xattrs are only used
+         * as an optional feature of systemd-oomd (and the system might not even support them). */
+        r = cg_get_xattr_bool(SYSTEMD_CGROUP_CONTROLLER, ctx->path, "user.oomd_avoid");
+        if (r == -ENOMEM)
+                return log_oom_debug();
+        if (r < 0 && !ERRNO_IS_XATTR_ABSENT(r))
+                log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get xattr user.oomd_avoid, ignoring: %m");
+        ctx->preference = r > 0 ? MANAGED_OOM_PREFERENCE_AVOID : ctx->preference;
+
+        r = cg_get_xattr_bool(SYSTEMD_CGROUP_CONTROLLER, ctx->path, "user.oomd_omit");
+        if (r == -ENOMEM)
+                return log_oom_debug();
+        if (r < 0 && !ERRNO_IS_XATTR_ABSENT(r))
+                log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get xattr user.oomd_omit, ignoring: %m");
+        ctx->preference = r > 0 ? MANAGED_OOM_PREFERENCE_OMIT : ctx->preference;
 
         return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/oom/oomd-util.h b/src/oom/oomd-util.h
index 7fd9e92109a..a758d5589bf 100644
--- a/src/oom/oomd-util.h
+++ b/src/oom/oomd-util.h
@@ -109,9 +109,10 @@ static inline int compare_swap_usage(OomdCGroupContext * const *c1, OomdCGroupCo
  * Returns the number of sorted items; negative on error. */
 int oomd_sort_cgroup_contexts(Hashmap *h, oomd_compare_t compare_func, const char *prefix, OomdCGroupContext ***ret);
 
-/* If the cgroups represented by `ctx` and `prefix` are owned by the same user,
- * then set `ctx->preference` using the `user.oomd_avoid` and `user.oomd_omit`
- * xattrs. Otherwise, set `ctx->preference` to MANAGED_OOM_PREFERENCE_NONE.
+/* If the the cgroup is owned by root, or the cgroups represented by `ctx` and
+ * `prefix` are owned by the same user, then set `ctx->preference` using the
+ * `user.oomd_avoid` and `user.oomd_omit` xattrs. Otherwise, set
+ * `ctx->preference` to MANAGED_OOM_PREFERENCE_NONE.
  *
  * If `prefix` is NULL or the empty string, it is treated as root. If `prefix`
  * does not specify an ancestor cgroup of `ctx`, -EINVAL is returned. Returns