diff --git a/src/core/mount.c b/src/core/mount.c
index a831bac697..c496375a21 100644
--- a/src/core/mount.c
+++ b/src/core/mount.c
@@ -2416,7 +2416,6 @@ char* mount_get_what_escaped(const Mount *m) {
 }
 
 char* mount_get_options_escaped(const Mount *m) {
-        _cleanup_free_ char *escaped = NULL;
         const char *s = NULL;
 
         assert(m);
@@ -2425,14 +2424,10 @@ char* mount_get_options_escaped(const Mount *m) {
                 s = m->parameters_proc_self_mountinfo.options;
         else if (m->from_fragment && m->parameters_fragment.options)
                 s = m->parameters_fragment.options;
+        if (!s)
+                return strdup("");
 
-        if (s) {
-                escaped = utf8_escape_invalid(s);
-                if (!escaped)
-                        return NULL;
-        }
-
-        return escaped ? TAKE_PTR(escaped) : strdup("");
+        return utf8_escape_invalid(s);
 }
 
 const char* mount_get_fstype(const Mount *m) {
diff --git a/src/mount/mount-tool.c b/src/mount/mount-tool.c
index de90f9d983..2c64ccdf30 100644
--- a/src/mount/mount-tool.c
+++ b/src/mount/mount-tool.c
@@ -418,11 +418,11 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
                                                "At least one argument required.");
 
-                if (arg_transport != BUS_TRANSPORT_LOCAL)
+                if (arg_transport != BUS_TRANSPORT_LOCAL || !arg_canonicalize)
                         for (int i = optind; i < argc; i++)
                                 if (!path_is_absolute(argv[i]))
                                         return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL),
-                                                               "Path must be absolute when operating remotely: %s",
+                                                               "Path must be absolute when operating remotely or when canonicalization is turned off: %s",
                                                                argv[i]);
         } else {
                 if (optind >= argc)