diff --git a/src/basic/unit-name.c b/src/basic/unit-name.c
index af873d0ffd7..4226f3014d5 100644
--- a/src/basic/unit-name.c
+++ b/src/basic/unit-name.c
@@ -140,12 +140,10 @@ int unit_name_to_prefix(const char *n, char **ret) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-int unit_name_to_instance(const char *n, char **instance) {
+int unit_name_to_instance(const char *n, char **ret) {
         const char *p, *d;
-        char *i;
 
         assert(n);
-        assert(instance);
 
         if (!unit_name_is_valid(n, UNIT_NAME_ANY))
                 return -EINVAL;
@@ -153,8 +151,9 @@ int unit_name_to_instance(const char *n, char **instance) {
         /* Everything past the first @ and before the last . is the instance */
         p = strchr(n, '@');
         if (!p) {
-                *instance = NULL;
-                return 0;
+                if (ret)
+                        *ret = NULL;
+                return UNIT_NAME_PLAIN;
         }
 
         p++;
@@ -163,12 +162,14 @@ int unit_name_to_instance(const char *n, char **instance) {
         if (!d)
                 return -EINVAL;
 
-        i = strndup(p, d-p);
-        if (!i)
-                return -ENOMEM;
+        if (ret) {
+                char *i = strndup(p, d-p);
+                if (!i)
+                        return -ENOMEM;
 
-        *instance = i;
-        return 1;
+                *ret = i;
+        }
+        return d > p ? UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE : UNIT_NAME_TEMPLATE;
 }
 
 int unit_name_to_prefix_and_instance(const char *n, char **ret) {
diff --git a/src/basic/unit-name.h b/src/basic/unit-name.h
index 2bbf73b42a1..2e060ff3e83 100644
--- a/src/basic/unit-name.h
+++ b/src/basic/unit-name.h
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@
 
 typedef enum UnitNameFlags {
         UNIT_NAME_PLAIN    = 1 << 0, /* Allow foo.service */
-        UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE = 1 << 1, /* Allow foo@bar.service */
-        UNIT_NAME_TEMPLATE = 1 << 2, /* Allow foo@.service */
-        UNIT_NAME_ANY = UNIT_NAME_PLAIN|UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE|UNIT_NAME_TEMPLATE,
+        UNIT_NAME_TEMPLATE = 1 << 1, /* Allow foo@.service */
+        UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE = 1 << 2, /* Allow foo@bar.service */
+        UNIT_NAME_ANY = UNIT_NAME_PLAIN|UNIT_NAME_TEMPLATE|UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE,
 } UnitNameFlags;
 
 bool unit_name_is_valid(const char *n, UnitNameFlags flags) _pure_;
@@ -20,8 +20,11 @@ bool unit_prefix_is_valid(const char *p) _pure_;
 bool unit_instance_is_valid(const char *i) _pure_;
 bool unit_suffix_is_valid(const char *s) _pure_;
 
-int unit_name_to_prefix(const char *n, char **prefix);
-int unit_name_to_instance(const char *n, char **instance);
+int unit_name_to_prefix(const char *n, char **ret);
+int unit_name_to_instance(const char *n, char **ret);
+static inline int unit_name_classify(const char *n) {
+        return unit_name_to_instance(n, NULL);
+}
 int unit_name_to_prefix_and_instance(const char *n, char **ret);
 
 UnitType unit_name_to_type(const char *n) _pure_;
diff --git a/src/test/test-unit-name.c b/src/test/test-unit-name.c
index fd2443e3cbc..7fe732cf2ff 100644
--- a/src/test/test-unit-name.c
+++ b/src/test/test-unit-name.c
@@ -430,29 +430,31 @@ static void test_unit_name_to_instance(void) {
         int r;
 
         r = unit_name_to_instance("foo@bar.service", &instance);
-        assert_se(r >= 0);
+        assert_se(r == UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE);
         assert_se(streq(instance, "bar"));
         free(instance);
 
         r = unit_name_to_instance("foo@.service", &instance);
-        assert_se(r >= 0);
+        assert_se(r == UNIT_NAME_TEMPLATE);
         assert_se(streq(instance, ""));
         free(instance);
 
         r = unit_name_to_instance("fo0-stUff_b@b.service", &instance);
-        assert_se(r >= 0);
+        assert_se(r == UNIT_NAME_INSTANCE);
         assert_se(streq(instance, "b"));
         free(instance);
 
         r = unit_name_to_instance("foo.service", &instance);
-        assert_se(r == 0);
+        assert_se(r == UNIT_NAME_PLAIN);
         assert_se(!instance);
 
         r = unit_name_to_instance("fooj@unk", &instance);
         assert_se(r < 0);
+        assert_se(!instance);
 
         r = unit_name_to_instance("foo@", &instance);
         assert_se(r < 0);
+        assert_se(!instance);
 }
 
 static void test_unit_name_escape(void) {