diff --git a/src/basic/user-util.c b/src/basic/user-util.c
index 47d6763f1c9..5f1bd5f5a20 100644
--- a/src/basic/user-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/user-util.c
@@ -463,7 +463,7 @@ int get_home_dir(char **_h) {
                 if (!h)
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
-                *_h = h;
+                *_h = path_simplify(h, true);
                 return 0;
         }
 
@@ -501,7 +501,7 @@ int get_home_dir(char **_h) {
         if (!h)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
-        *_h = h;
+        *_h = path_simplify(h, true);
         return 0;
 }
 
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ int get_shell(char **_s) {
                 if (!s)
                         return -ENOMEM;
 
-                *_s = s;
+                *_s = path_simplify(s, true);
                 return 0;
         }
 
@@ -558,7 +558,7 @@ int get_shell(char **_s) {
         if (!s)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
-        *_s = s;
+        *_s = path_simplify(s, true);
         return 0;
 }