diff --git a/src/shared/parse-helpers.c b/src/shared/parse-helpers.c
index e09797bbf1..22040c9630 100644
--- a/src/shared/parse-helpers.c
+++ b/src/shared/parse-helpers.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ int path_simplify_and_warn(
                                           lvalue, fatal ? "" : ", ignoring", path);
         }
 
-        path_simplify(path);
+        path_simplify_full(path, flag & PATH_KEEP_TRAILING_SLASH ? PATH_SIMPLIFY_KEEP_TRAILING_SLASH : 0);
 
         if (!path_is_valid(path))
                 return log_syntax(unit, LOG_ERR, filename, line, SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
diff --git a/src/shared/parse-helpers.h b/src/shared/parse-helpers.h
index 49da2815fb..3dd38f1e6d 100644
--- a/src/shared/parse-helpers.h
+++ b/src/shared/parse-helpers.h
@@ -4,9 +4,10 @@
 #include <stdint.h>
 
 enum {
-        PATH_CHECK_FATAL    = 1 << 0,  /* If not set, then error message is appended with 'ignoring'. */
-        PATH_CHECK_ABSOLUTE = 1 << 1,
-        PATH_CHECK_RELATIVE = 1 << 2,
+        PATH_CHECK_FATAL    =      1 << 0,  /* If not set, then error message is appended with 'ignoring'. */
+        PATH_CHECK_ABSOLUTE =      1 << 1,
+        PATH_CHECK_RELATIVE =      1 << 2,
+        PATH_KEEP_TRAILING_SLASH = 1 << 3,
 };
 
 int path_simplify_and_warn(