diff --git a/src/core/cgroup.c b/src/core/cgroup.c
index 21b2055ca5d..2fcfb27093b 100644
--- a/src/core/cgroup.c
+++ b/src/core/cgroup.c
@@ -2164,19 +2164,23 @@ int unit_attach_pids_to_cgroup(Unit *u, Set *pids, const char *suffix_path) {
                 /* First, attach the PID to the main cgroup hierarchy */
                 q = cg_attach(SYSTEMD_CGROUP_CONTROLLER, p, pid);
                 if (q < 0) {
-                        log_unit_debug_errno(u, q, "Couldn't move process " PID_FMT " to requested cgroup '%s': %m", pid, p);
+                        bool again = MANAGER_IS_USER(u->manager) && ERRNO_IS_PRIVILEGE(q);
 
-                        if (MANAGER_IS_USER(u->manager) && ERRNO_IS_PRIVILEGE(q)) {
+                        log_unit_full_errno(u, again ? LOG_DEBUG : LOG_INFO,  q,
+                                            "Couldn't move process "PID_FMT" to%s requested cgroup '%s': %m",
+                                            pid, again ? " directly" : "", p);
+
+                        if (again) {
                                 int z;
 
-                                /* If we are in a user instance, and we can't move the process ourselves due to
-                                 * permission problems, let's ask the system instance about it instead. Since it's more
-                                 * privileged it might be able to move the process across the leaves of a subtree who's
-                                 * top node is not owned by us. */
+                                /* If we are in a user instance, and we can't move the process ourselves due
+                                 * to permission problems, let's ask the system instance about it instead.
+                                 * Since it's more privileged it might be able to move the process across the
+                                 * leaves of a subtree whose top node is not owned by us. */
 
                                 z = unit_attach_pid_to_cgroup_via_bus(u, pid, suffix_path);
                                 if (z < 0)
-                                        log_unit_debug_errno(u, z, "Couldn't move process " PID_FMT " to requested cgroup '%s' via the system bus either: %m", pid, p);
+                                        log_unit_info_errno(u, z, "Couldn't move process "PID_FMT" to requested cgroup '%s' (directly or via the system bus): %m", pid, p);
                                 else
                                         continue; /* When the bus thing worked via the bus we are fully done for this PID. */
                         }