diff --git a/src/core/load-fragment.c b/src/core/load-fragment.c
index f9c2acc53a9..d292e4489fc 100644
--- a/src/core/load-fragment.c
+++ b/src/core/load-fragment.c
@@ -4365,7 +4365,7 @@ int config_parse_protect_home(
                 void *userdata) {
 
         ExecContext *c = data;
-        int k;
+        ProtectHome h;
 
         assert(filename);
         assert(lvalue);
@@ -4375,23 +4375,14 @@ int config_parse_protect_home(
         /* Our enum shall be a superset of booleans, hence first try
          * to parse as boolean, and then as enum */
 
-        k = parse_boolean(rvalue);
-        if (k > 0)
-                c->protect_home = PROTECT_HOME_YES;
-        else if (k == 0)
-                c->protect_home = PROTECT_HOME_NO;
-        else {
-                ProtectHome h;
-
-                h = protect_home_from_string(rvalue);
-                if (h < 0) {
-                        log_syntax(unit, LOG_ERR, filename, line, 0, "Failed to parse protect home value, ignoring: %s", rvalue);
-                        return 0;
-                }
-
-                c->protect_home = h;
+        h = parse_protect_home_or_bool(rvalue);
+        if (h < 0) {
+                log_syntax(unit, LOG_ERR, filename, line, 0, "Failed to parse protect home value, ignoring: %s", rvalue);
+                return 0;
         }
 
+        c->protect_home = h;
+
         return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/namespace.c b/src/core/namespace.c
index a3262fcc4da..ed02d40e512 100644
--- a/src/core/namespace.c
+++ b/src/core/namespace.c
@@ -1450,6 +1450,18 @@ static const char *const protect_home_table[_PROTECT_HOME_MAX] = {
 
 DEFINE_STRING_TABLE_LOOKUP(protect_home, ProtectHome);
 
+ProtectHome parse_protect_home_or_bool(const char *s) {
+        int r;
+
+        r = parse_boolean(s);
+        if (r > 0)
+                return PROTECT_HOME_YES;
+        if (r == 0)
+                return PROTECT_HOME_NO;
+
+        return protect_home_from_string(s);
+}
+
 static const char *const protect_system_table[_PROTECT_SYSTEM_MAX] = {
         [PROTECT_SYSTEM_NO] = "no",
         [PROTECT_SYSTEM_YES] = "yes",
diff --git a/src/core/namespace.h b/src/core/namespace.h
index f0f198362cb..e497f2b65b8 100644
--- a/src/core/namespace.h
+++ b/src/core/namespace.h
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ int setup_netns(int netns_storage_socket[2]);
 
 const char* protect_home_to_string(ProtectHome p) _const_;
 ProtectHome protect_home_from_string(const char *s) _pure_;
+ProtectHome parse_protect_home_or_bool(const char *s);
 
 const char* protect_system_to_string(ProtectSystem p) _const_;
 ProtectSystem protect_system_from_string(const char *s) _pure_;