diff --git a/src/basic/cgroup-util.c b/src/basic/cgroup-util.c
index f599d0f0f1..7c0ba92110 100644
--- a/src/basic/cgroup-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/cgroup-util.c
@@ -779,13 +779,11 @@ int cg_create(const char *controller, const char *path) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        if (mkdir(fs, 0755) < 0) {
-
-                if (errno == EEXIST)
-                        return 0;
-
-                return -errno;
-        }
+        r = mkdir_errno_wrapper(fs, 0755);
+        if (r == -EEXIST)
+                return 0;
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
 
         r = cg_hybrid_unified();
         if (r < 0)
diff --git a/src/basic/label.c b/src/basic/label.c
index ce81d286ab..5532c5f598 100644
--- a/src/basic/label.c
+++ b/src/basic/label.c
@@ -50,11 +50,8 @@ int mkdir_label(const char *path, mode_t mode) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        if (mkdir(path, mode) < 0)
-                r = -errno;
-
+        r = mkdir_errno_wrapper(path, mode);
         mac_selinux_create_file_clear();
-
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
diff --git a/src/basic/mkdir.c b/src/basic/mkdir.c
index 4386b38c4a..de4746c867 100644
--- a/src/basic/mkdir.c
+++ b/src/basic/mkdir.c
@@ -35,6 +35,8 @@ int mkdir_safe_internal(const char *path, mode_t mode, uid_t uid, gid_t gid, boo
         struct stat st;
         int r;
 
+        assert(_mkdir != mkdir);
+
         if (_mkdir(path, mode) >= 0) {
                 r = chmod_and_chown(path, mode, uid, gid);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -68,8 +70,14 @@ int mkdir_safe_internal(const char *path, mode_t mode, uid_t uid, gid_t gid, boo
         return 0;
 }
 
+int mkdir_errno_wrapper(const char *pathname, mode_t mode) {
+        if (mkdir(pathname, mode) < 0)
+                return -errno;
+        return 0;
+}
+
 int mkdir_safe(const char *path, mode_t mode, uid_t uid, gid_t gid, bool follow_symlink) {
-        return mkdir_safe_internal(path, mode, uid, gid, follow_symlink, mkdir);
+        return mkdir_safe_internal(path, mode, uid, gid, follow_symlink, mkdir_errno_wrapper);
 }
 
 int mkdir_parents_internal(const char *prefix, const char *path, mode_t mode, mkdir_func_t _mkdir) {
@@ -77,6 +85,7 @@ int mkdir_parents_internal(const char *prefix, const char *path, mode_t mode, mk
         int r;
 
         assert(path);
+        assert(_mkdir != mkdir);
 
         if (prefix && !path_startswith(path, prefix))
                 return -ENOTDIR;
@@ -104,8 +113,7 @@ int mkdir_parents_internal(const char *prefix, const char *path, mode_t mode, mk
                 e = p + strcspn(p, "/");
                 p = e + strspn(e, "/");
 
-                /* Is this the last component? If so, then we're
-                 * done */
+                /* Is this the last component? If so, then we're done */
                 if (*p == 0)
                         return 0;
 
@@ -116,13 +124,13 @@ int mkdir_parents_internal(const char *prefix, const char *path, mode_t mode, mk
                         continue;
 
                 r = _mkdir(t, mode);
-                if (r < 0 && errno != EEXIST)
-                        return -errno;
+                if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
+                        return r;
         }
 }
 
 int mkdir_parents(const char *path, mode_t mode) {
-        return mkdir_parents_internal(NULL, path, mode, mkdir);
+        return mkdir_parents_internal(NULL, path, mode, mkdir_errno_wrapper);
 }
 
 int mkdir_p_internal(const char *prefix, const char *path, mode_t mode, mkdir_func_t _mkdir) {
@@ -130,17 +138,19 @@ int mkdir_p_internal(const char *prefix, const char *path, mode_t mode, mkdir_fu
 
         /* Like mkdir -p */
 
+        assert(_mkdir != mkdir);
+
         r = mkdir_parents_internal(prefix, path, mode, _mkdir);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
         r = _mkdir(path, mode);
-        if (r < 0 && (errno != EEXIST || is_dir(path, true) <= 0))
-                return -errno;
+        if (r < 0 && (r != -EEXIST || is_dir(path, true) <= 0))
+                return r;
 
         return 0;
 }
 
 int mkdir_p(const char *path, mode_t mode) {
-        return mkdir_p_internal(NULL, path, mode, mkdir);
+        return mkdir_p_internal(NULL, path, mode, mkdir_errno_wrapper);
 }
diff --git a/src/basic/mkdir.h b/src/basic/mkdir.h
index 04a537f8a8..d6c2d579a3 100644
--- a/src/basic/mkdir.h
+++ b/src/basic/mkdir.h
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 
 #include <sys/types.h>
 
+int mkdir_errno_wrapper(const char *pathname, mode_t mode);
 int mkdir_safe(const char *path, mode_t mode, uid_t uid, gid_t gid, bool follow_symlink);
 int mkdir_parents(const char *path, mode_t mode);
 int mkdir_p(const char *path, mode_t mode);
diff --git a/src/machine/machine-dbus.c b/src/machine/machine-dbus.c
index 3761267b57..2d3d285849 100644
--- a/src/machine/machine-dbus.c
+++ b/src/machine/machine-dbus.c
@@ -931,7 +931,7 @@ int bus_machine_method_bind_mount(sd_bus_message *message, void *userdata, sd_bu
         /* Second, we mount the source file or directory to a directory inside of our MS_SLAVE playground. */
         mount_tmp = strjoina(mount_slave, "/mount");
         if (S_ISDIR(st.st_mode))
-                r = mkdir(mount_tmp, 0700) < 0 ? -errno : 0;
+                r = mkdir_errno_wrapper(mount_tmp, 0700);
         else
                 r = touch(mount_tmp);
         if (r < 0) {
diff --git a/src/nspawn/nspawn-mount.c b/src/nspawn/nspawn-mount.c
index 920e114718..c9236ea3d1 100644
--- a/src/nspawn/nspawn-mount.c
+++ b/src/nspawn/nspawn-mount.c
@@ -474,9 +474,9 @@ static int mkdir_userns(const char *path, mode_t mode, MountSettingsMask mask, u
 
         assert(path);
 
-        r = mkdir(path, mode);
-        if (r < 0 && errno != EEXIST)
-                return -errno;
+        r = mkdir_errno_wrapper(path, mode);
+        if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
+                return r;
 
         if ((mask & MOUNT_USE_USERNS) == 0)
                 return 0;
@@ -484,8 +484,7 @@ static int mkdir_userns(const char *path, mode_t mode, MountSettingsMask mask, u
         if (mask & MOUNT_IN_USERNS)
                 return 0;
 
-        r = lchown(path, uid_shift, uid_shift);
-        if (r < 0)
+        if (lchown(path, uid_shift, uid_shift) < 0)
                 return -errno;
 
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
index 71b14e2302..f646971c30 100644
--- a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
+++ b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
@@ -1313,13 +1313,14 @@ static int userns_lchown(const char *p, uid_t uid, gid_t gid) {
 
 static int userns_mkdir(const char *root, const char *path, mode_t mode, uid_t uid, gid_t gid) {
         const char *q;
+        int r;
 
         q = prefix_roota(root, path);
-        if (mkdir(q, mode) < 0) {
-                if (errno == EEXIST)
-                        return 0;
-                return -errno;
-        }
+        r = mkdir_errno_wrapper(q, mode);
+        if (r == -EEXIST)
+                return 0;
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
 
         return userns_lchown(q, uid, gid);
 }
@@ -1599,8 +1600,10 @@ static int setup_pts(const char *dest) {
 
         /* Mount /dev/pts itself */
         p = prefix_roota(dest, "/dev/pts");
-        if (mkdir(p, 0755) < 0)
-                return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to create /dev/pts: %m");
+        r = mkdir_errno_wrapper(p, 0755);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to create /dev/pts: %m");
+
         r = mount_verbose(LOG_ERR, "devpts", p, "devpts", MS_NOSUID|MS_NOEXEC, options);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
@@ -1846,12 +1849,13 @@ static int setup_journal(const char *directory) {
                 /* don't create parents here — if the host doesn't have
                  * permanent journal set up, don't force it here */
 
-                if (mkdir(p, 0755) < 0 && errno != EEXIST) {
+                r = mkdir_errno_wrapper(p, 0755);
+                if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST) {
                         if (try) {
-                                log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to create %s, skipping journal setup: %m", p);
+                                log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to create %s, skipping journal setup: %m", p);
                                 return 0;
                         } else
-                                return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to create %s: %m", p);
+                                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to create %s: %m", p);
                 }
 
         } else if (access(p, F_OK) < 0)
diff --git a/src/udev/udevd.c b/src/udev/udevd.c
index 1644935ff9..5c757d513f 100644
--- a/src/udev/udevd.c
+++ b/src/udev/udevd.c
@@ -1700,9 +1700,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 goto exit;
         }
 
-        r = mkdir("/run/udev", 0755);
-        if (r < 0 && errno != EEXIST) {
-                r = log_error_errno(errno, "could not create /run/udev: %m");
+        r = mkdir_errno_wrapper("/run/udev", 0755);
+        if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST) {
+                log_error_errno(r, "could not create /run/udev: %m");
                 goto exit;
         }