diff --git a/src/machine/machine-varlink.c b/src/machine/machine-varlink.c
index b2b2f1f2db..5a2f67129e 100644
--- a/src/machine/machine-varlink.c
+++ b/src/machine/machine-varlink.c
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ int vl_method_register(sd_varlink *link, sd_json_variant *parameters, sd_varlink
                 { "leaderProcessId",     SD_JSON_VARIANT_OBJECT,        machine_pidref,           offsetof(Machine, leader),               SD_JSON_STRICT    },
                 { "supervisor",          _SD_JSON_VARIANT_TYPE_INVALID, machine_pidref,           offsetof(Machine, supervisor),           SD_JSON_STRICT    },
                 { "supervisorProcessId", SD_JSON_VARIANT_OBJECT,        machine_pidref,           offsetof(Machine, supervisor),           SD_JSON_STRICT    },
-                { "rootDirectory",       SD_JSON_VARIANT_STRING,        json_dispatch_path,       offsetof(Machine, root_directory),       0                 },
+                { "rootDirectory",       SD_JSON_VARIANT_STRING,        json_dispatch_path,       offsetof(Machine, root_directory),       SD_JSON_STRICT    },
                 { "ifIndices",           SD_JSON_VARIANT_ARRAY,         machine_ifindices,        0,                                       0                 },
                 { "vSockCid",            _SD_JSON_VARIANT_TYPE_INVALID, machine_cid,              offsetof(Machine, vsock_cid),            0                 },
                 { "sshAddress",          SD_JSON_VARIANT_STRING,        sd_json_dispatch_string,  offsetof(Machine, ssh_address),          SD_JSON_STRICT    },