diff --git a/src/core/dbus-unit.c b/src/core/dbus-unit.c
index f01e7c7604..3f083a8174 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-unit.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-unit.c
@@ -2413,7 +2413,7 @@ int bus_unit_set_properties(
 
         r = sd_bus_message_enter_container(message, 'a', "(sv)");
         if (r < 0)
-                return r;
+                goto error;
 
         for (;;) {
                 const char *name;
@@ -2421,7 +2421,7 @@ int bus_unit_set_properties(
 
                 r = sd_bus_message_enter_container(message, 'r', "sv");
                 if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+                        goto error;
                 if (r == 0) {
                         if (for_real || UNIT_WRITE_FLAGS_NOOP(flags))
                                 break;
@@ -2429,7 +2429,7 @@ int bus_unit_set_properties(
                         /* Reached EOF. Let's try again, and this time for realz... */
                         r = sd_bus_message_rewind(message, false);
                         if (r < 0)
-                                return r;
+                                goto error;
 
                         for_real = true;
                         continue;
@@ -2437,11 +2437,11 @@ int bus_unit_set_properties(
 
                 r = sd_bus_message_read(message, "s", &name);
                 if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+                        goto error;
 
                 r = sd_bus_message_enter_container(message, 'v', NULL);
                 if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+                        goto error;
 
                 /* If not for real, then mask out the two target flags */
                 f = for_real ? flags : (flags & ~(UNIT_RUNTIME|UNIT_PERSISTENT));
@@ -2455,7 +2455,7 @@ int bus_unit_set_properties(
                 if (r == 0)
                         r = bus_unit_set_live_property(u, name, message, f, error);
                 if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+                        goto error;
 
                 if (r == 0)
                         return sd_bus_error_setf(error, SD_BUS_ERROR_PROPERTY_READ_ONLY,
@@ -2463,23 +2463,32 @@ int bus_unit_set_properties(
 
                 r = sd_bus_message_exit_container(message);
                 if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+                        goto error;
 
                 r = sd_bus_message_exit_container(message);
                 if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+                        goto error;
 
                 n += for_real;
         }
 
         r = sd_bus_message_exit_container(message);
         if (r < 0)
-                return r;
+                goto error;
 
         if (commit && n > 0 && UNIT_VTABLE(u)->bus_commit_properties)
                 UNIT_VTABLE(u)->bus_commit_properties(u);
 
         return n;
+
+ error:
+        /* Pretty much any of the calls above can fail if the message is not formed properly
+         * or if it has unexpected contents. Fill in a more informative error message here. */
+        if (sd_bus_error_is_set(error))
+                return r;
+        return sd_bus_error_set_errnof(error, r,
+                                       r == -ENXIO ? "Failed to set unit properties: Unexpected message contents"
+                                                   : "Failed to set unit properties: %m");
 }
 
 int bus_unit_validate_load_state(Unit *u, sd_bus_error *error) {