diff --git a/src/hostname/hostnamed.c b/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
index 87662e20912..e5679ab9315 100644
--- a/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
+++ b/src/hostname/hostnamed.c
@@ -1365,7 +1365,8 @@ static int method_get_hardware_serial(sd_bus_message *m, void *userdata, sd_bus_
 
         r = get_hardware_serial(&serial);
         if (r < 0)
-                return r;
+                return sd_bus_error_set(error, BUS_ERROR_NO_HARDWARE_SERIAL,
+                                        "Failed to read hardware serial from firmware.");
 
         r = sd_bus_message_new_method_return(m, &reply);
         if (r < 0)
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c
index e44795b1d30..de12ec5e9eb 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c
@@ -105,6 +105,7 @@ BUS_ERROR_MAP_ELF_REGISTER const sd_bus_error_map bus_common_errors[] = {
         SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_TRANSFER_IN_PROGRESS,         EBUSY),
 
         SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_NO_PRODUCT_UUID,              EOPNOTSUPP),
+        SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_NO_HARDWARE_SERIAL,           EOPNOTSUPP),
         SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_FILE_IS_PROTECTED,            EACCES),
         SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_READ_ONLY_FILESYSTEM,         EROFS),
 
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h
index 36f53dbde14..94dc85d3012 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@
 #define BUS_ERROR_TRANSFER_IN_PROGRESS         "org.freedesktop.import1.TransferInProgress"
 
 #define BUS_ERROR_NO_PRODUCT_UUID              "org.freedesktop.hostname1.NoProductUUID"
+#define BUS_ERROR_NO_HARDWARE_SERIAL           "org.freedesktop.hostname1.NoHardwareSerial"
 #define BUS_ERROR_FILE_IS_PROTECTED            "org.freedesktop.hostname1.FileIsProtected"
 #define BUS_ERROR_READ_ONLY_FILESYSTEM         "org.freedesktop.hostname1.ReadOnlyFilesystem"