diff --git a/src/shared/bus-util.c b/src/shared/bus-util.c
index fa4f879b7b..ce94597955 100644
--- a/src/shared/bus-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/bus-util.c
@@ -56,9 +56,9 @@ int bus_log_connect_error(int r, BusTransport transport, RuntimeScope scope) {
              hint_addr = transport == BUS_TRANSPORT_LOCAL && ERRNO_IS_PRIVILEGE(r);
 
         return log_error_errno(r,
-                               r == hint_vars ? "Failed to connect to %s scope bus via %s transport: $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS and $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not defined (consider using --machine=<user>@.host --user to connect to bus of other user)" :
-                               r == hint_addr ? "Failed to connect to %s scope bus via %s transport: Operation not permitted (consider using --machine=<user>@.host --user to connect to bus of other user)" :
-                                                "Failed to connect to %s scope bus via %s transport: %m", runtime_scope_to_string(scope), bus_transport_to_string(transport));
+                               hint_vars ? "Failed to connect to %s scope bus via %s transport: $DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS and $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR not defined (consider using --machine=<user>@.host --user to connect to bus of other user)" :
+                               hint_addr ? "Failed to connect to %s scope bus via %s transport: Operation not permitted (consider using --machine=<user>@.host --user to connect to bus of other user)" :
+                                           "Failed to connect to %s scope bus via %s transport: %m", runtime_scope_to_string(scope), bus_transport_to_string(transport));
 }
 
 int bus_async_unregister_and_exit(sd_event *e, sd_bus *bus, const char *name) {