diff --git a/src/basic/string-util.c b/src/basic/string-util.c
index 312e83433e..e916000b25 100644
--- a/src/basic/string-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/string-util.c
@@ -734,16 +734,20 @@ char *strip_tab_ansi(char **ibuf, size_t *_isz) {
         return obuf;
 }
 
-char *strextend(char **x, ...) {
-        va_list ap;
-        size_t f, l;
+char *strextend_with_separator(char **x, const char *separator, ...) {
+        bool need_separator;
+        size_t f, l, l_separator;
         char *r, *p;
+        va_list ap;
 
         assert(x);
 
         l = f = strlen_ptr(*x);
 
-        va_start(ap, x);
+        need_separator = !isempty(*x);
+        l_separator = strlen_ptr(separator);
+
+        va_start(ap, separator);
         for (;;) {
                 const char *t;
                 size_t n;
@@ -753,22 +757,29 @@ char *strextend(char **x, ...) {
                         break;
 
                 n = strlen(t);
+
+                if (need_separator)
+                        n += l_separator;
+
                 if (n > ((size_t) -1) - l) {
                         va_end(ap);
                         return NULL;
                 }
 
                 l += n;
+                need_separator = true;
         }
         va_end(ap);
 
+        need_separator = !isempty(*x);
+
         r = realloc(*x, l+1);
         if (!r)
                 return NULL;
 
         p = r + f;
 
-        va_start(ap, x);
+        va_start(ap, separator);
         for (;;) {
                 const char *t;
 
@@ -776,10 +787,17 @@ char *strextend(char **x, ...) {
                 if (!t)
                         break;
 
+                if (need_separator && separator)
+                        p = stpcpy(p, separator);
+
                 p = stpcpy(p, t);
+
+                need_separator = true;
         }
         va_end(ap);
 
+        assert(p == r + l);
+
         *p = 0;
         *x = r;
 
diff --git a/src/basic/string-util.h b/src/basic/string-util.h
index 684af0f3e4..09a737ad37 100644
--- a/src/basic/string-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/string-util.h
@@ -179,7 +179,9 @@ char *strreplace(const char *text, const char *old_string, const char *new_strin
 
 char *strip_tab_ansi(char **p, size_t *l);
 
-char *strextend(char **x, ...) _sentinel_;
+char *strextend_with_separator(char **x, const char *separator, ...) _sentinel_;
+
+#define strextend(x, ...) strextend_with_separator(x, NULL, __VA_ARGS__)
 
 char *strrep(const char *s, unsigned n);
 
diff --git a/src/test/test-string-util.c b/src/test/test-string-util.c
index 7a14b8efd3..07ee98465c 100644
--- a/src/test/test-string-util.c
+++ b/src/test/test-string-util.c
@@ -104,9 +104,37 @@ static void test_strstrip(void) {
 }
 
 static void test_strextend(void) {
-        _cleanup_free_ char *str = strdup("0123");
-        strextend(&str, "456", "78", "9", NULL);
-        assert_se(streq(str, "0123456789"));
+        _cleanup_free_ char *str = NULL;
+
+        assert_se(strextend(&str, NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, ""));
+        assert_se(strextend(&str, "", "0", "", "", "123", NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, "0123"));
+        assert_se(strextend(&str, "456", "78", "9", NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, "0123456789"));
+}
+
+static void test_strextend_with_separator(void) {
+        _cleanup_free_ char *str = NULL;
+
+        assert_se(strextend_with_separator(&str, NULL, NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, ""));
+        str = mfree(str);
+
+        assert_se(strextend_with_separator(&str, "...", NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, ""));
+        assert_se(strextend_with_separator(&str, "...", NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, ""));
+        str = mfree(str);
+
+        assert_se(strextend_with_separator(&str, "xyz", "a", "bb", "ccc", NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, "axyzbbxyzccc"));
+        str = mfree(str);
+
+        assert_se(strextend_with_separator(&str, ",", "start", "", "1", "234", NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, "start,,1,234"));
+        assert_se(strextend_with_separator(&str, ";", "more", "5", "678", NULL));
+        assert_se(streq_ptr(str, "start,,1,234;more;5;678"));
 }
 
 static void test_strrep(void) {
@@ -399,6 +427,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         test_streq_ptr();
         test_strstrip();
         test_strextend();
+        test_strextend_with_separator();
         test_strrep();
         test_strappend();
         test_string_has_cc();