diff --git a/src/core/main.c b/src/core/main.c
index 9e95b6f110..4d113bd1d1 100644
--- a/src/core/main.c
+++ b/src/core/main.c
@@ -1906,28 +1906,15 @@ static int do_queue_default_job(
 
         log_debug("Activating default unit: %s", arg_default_unit);
 
-        r = manager_load_unit(m, arg_default_unit, NULL, &error, &target);
-        if (r < 0)
-                log_error("Failed to load default target: %s", bus_error_message(&error, r));
-        else if (IN_SET(target->load_state, UNIT_ERROR, UNIT_NOT_FOUND))
-                log_error_errno(target->load_error, "Failed to load default target: %m");
-        else if (target->load_state == UNIT_MASKED)
-                log_error("Default target masked.");
+        r = manager_load_startable_unit_or_warn(m, arg_default_unit, NULL, &target);
+        if (r < 0) {
+                log_info("Falling back to rescue target: " SPECIAL_RESCUE_TARGET);
 
-        if (!target || target->load_state != UNIT_LOADED) {
-                log_info("Trying to load rescue target...");
-
-                r = manager_load_unit(m, SPECIAL_RESCUE_TARGET, NULL, &error, &target);
+                r = manager_load_startable_unit_or_warn(m, SPECIAL_RESCUE_TARGET, NULL, &target);
                 if (r < 0) {
-                        *ret_error_message = "Failed to load rescue target";
-                        return log_emergency_errno(r, "Failed to load rescue target: %s", bus_error_message(&error, r));
-                } else if (IN_SET(target->load_state, UNIT_ERROR, UNIT_NOT_FOUND)) {
-                        *ret_error_message = "Failed to load rescue target";
-                        return log_emergency_errno(target->load_error, "Failed to load rescue target: %m");
-                } else if (target->load_state == UNIT_MASKED) {
-                        *ret_error_message = "Rescue target masked";
-                        log_emergency("Rescue target masked.");
-                        return -ERFKILL;
+                        *ret_error_message = r == -ERFKILL ? "Rescue target masked"
+                                                           : "Failed to load rescue target";
+                        return r;
                 }
         }
 
diff --git a/src/core/manager.c b/src/core/manager.c
index e67f7446c7..8fccd3b4e9 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.c
+++ b/src/core/manager.c
@@ -1823,7 +1823,36 @@ int manager_load_unit(
         manager_dispatch_load_queue(m);
 
         *_ret = unit_follow_merge(*_ret);
+        return 0;
+}
 
+int manager_load_startable_unit_or_warn(
+                Manager *m,
+                const char *name,
+                const char *path,
+                Unit **ret) {
+
+        /* Load a unit, make sure it loaded fully and is not masked. */
+
+        _cleanup_(sd_bus_error_free) sd_bus_error error = SD_BUS_ERROR_NULL;
+        Unit *unit;
+        int r;
+
+        r = manager_load_unit(m, name, path, &error, &unit);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to load %s %s: %s",
+                                       name ? "unit" : "file", name ?: path,
+                                       bus_error_message(&error, r));
+        else if (IN_SET(unit->load_state, UNIT_ERROR, UNIT_NOT_FOUND))
+                return log_error_errno(unit->load_error, "Failed to load %s %s: %m",
+                                       name ? "unit" : "file", name ?: path);
+        else if (unit->load_state == UNIT_MASKED) {
+                log_error("%s %s is masked.",
+                          name ? "Unit" : "File", name ?: path);
+                return -ERFKILL;
+        }
+
+        *ret = unit;
         return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/core/manager.h b/src/core/manager.h
index e09e0cdf5e..1a09721f92 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.h
+++ b/src/core/manager.h
@@ -396,6 +396,7 @@ int manager_get_job_from_dbus_path(Manager *m, const char *s, Job **_j);
 
 int manager_load_unit_prepare(Manager *m, const char *name, const char *path, sd_bus_error *e, Unit **_ret);
 int manager_load_unit(Manager *m, const char *name, const char *path, sd_bus_error *e, Unit **_ret);
+int manager_load_startable_unit_or_warn(Manager *m, const char *name, const char *path, Unit **ret);
 int manager_load_unit_from_dbus_path(Manager *m, const char *s, sd_bus_error *e, Unit **_u);
 
 int manager_add_job(Manager *m, JobType type, Unit *unit, JobMode mode, sd_bus_error *e, Job **_ret);