diff --git a/src/core/main.c b/src/core/main.c
index 23a8ada1ec..09846eaadb 100644
--- a/src/core/main.c
+++ b/src/core/main.c
@@ -1254,7 +1254,7 @@ static int status_welcome(void) {
         _cleanup_free_ char *pretty_name = NULL, *ansi_color = NULL;
         int r;
 
-        if (IN_SET(arg_show_status, SHOW_STATUS_NO, SHOW_STATUS_AUTO))
+        if (!show_status_on(arg_show_status))
                 return 0;
 
         r = parse_os_release(NULL,
diff --git a/src/core/manager.c b/src/core/manager.c
index a5290eba0c..7ccfde1567 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.c
+++ b/src/core/manager.c
@@ -4083,12 +4083,14 @@ void manager_set_show_status(Manager *m, ShowStatus mode) {
         if (!MANAGER_IS_SYSTEM(m))
                 return;
 
-        if (m->show_status != mode)
-                log_debug("%s showing of status.",
-                          mode == SHOW_STATUS_NO ? "Disabling" : "Enabling");
+        bool enabled = show_status_on(mode);
+        if (mode != m->show_status)
+                log_debug("%s showing of status (%s).",
+                          enabled ? "Enabling" : "Disabling",
+                          strna(show_status_to_string(mode)));
         m->show_status = mode;
 
-        if (IN_SET(mode, SHOW_STATUS_TEMPORARY, SHOW_STATUS_YES))
+        if (enabled)
                 (void) touch("/run/systemd/show-status");
         else
                 (void) unlink("/run/systemd/show-status");
@@ -4110,7 +4112,7 @@ static bool manager_get_show_status(Manager *m, StatusType type) {
         if (type != STATUS_TYPE_EMERGENCY && manager_check_ask_password(m) > 0)
                 return false;
 
-        return IN_SET(m->show_status, SHOW_STATUS_TEMPORARY, SHOW_STATUS_YES);
+        return show_status_on(m->show_status);
 }
 
 const char *manager_get_confirm_spawn(Manager *m) {
diff --git a/src/core/show-status.h b/src/core/show-status.h
index 247caec77c..0686b60d74 100644
--- a/src/core/show-status.h
+++ b/src/core/show-status.h
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@
 /* Manager status */
 
 typedef enum ShowStatus {
-        SHOW_STATUS_NO,
-        SHOW_STATUS_AUTO,
-        SHOW_STATUS_TEMPORARY,
-        SHOW_STATUS_YES,
+        SHOW_STATUS_NO,         /* printing of status is disabled */
+        SHOW_STATUS_AUTO,       /* disabled but may flip to _TEMPORARY */
+        SHOW_STATUS_TEMPORARY,  /* enabled temporarily, may flip back to _AUTO */
+        SHOW_STATUS_YES,        /* printing of status is enabled */
         _SHOW_STATUS_MAX,
         _SHOW_STATUS_INVALID = -1,
 } ShowStatus;
@@ -28,6 +28,9 @@ typedef enum StatusUnitFormat {
         _STATUS_UNIT_FORMAT_INVALID = -1,
 } StatusUnitFormat;
 
+static inline bool show_status_on(ShowStatus s) {
+        return IN_SET(s, SHOW_STATUS_TEMPORARY, SHOW_STATUS_YES);
+}
 ShowStatus show_status_from_string(const char *v) _const_;
 const char* show_status_to_string(ShowStatus s) _pure_;
 int parse_show_status(const char *v, ShowStatus *ret);