diff --git a/src/basic/fileio.c b/src/basic/fileio.c
index 6b84d14624..00dce02064 100644
--- a/src/basic/fileio.c
+++ b/src/basic/fileio.c
@@ -202,6 +202,13 @@ static int write_string_file_atomic(
                 goto fail;
         }
 
+        if (FLAGS_SET(flags, WRITE_STRING_FILE_SYNC)) {
+                /* Sync the rename, too */
+                r = fsync_directory_of_file(fileno(f));
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return r;
+        }
+
         return 0;
 
 fail:
diff --git a/src/home/homed-home.c b/src/home/homed-home.c
index be1a710ccc..47ee7d2328 100644
--- a/src/home/homed-home.c
+++ b/src/home/homed-home.c
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ int home_save_record(Home *h) {
 
         fn = strjoina("/var/lib/systemd/home/", h->user_name, ".identity");
 
-        r = write_string_file(fn, text, WRITE_STRING_FILE_ATOMIC|WRITE_STRING_FILE_CREATE|WRITE_STRING_FILE_MODE_0600);
+        r = write_string_file(fn, text, WRITE_STRING_FILE_ATOMIC|WRITE_STRING_FILE_CREATE|WRITE_STRING_FILE_MODE_0600|WRITE_STRING_FILE_SYNC);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -471,6 +471,8 @@ static int convert_worker_errno(Home *h, int e, sd_bus_error *error) {
                 return sd_bus_error_setf(error, BUS_ERROR_HOME_NOT_ACTIVE, "Home %s is currently not active", h->user_name);
         case -ENOSPC:
                 return sd_bus_error_setf(error, BUS_ERROR_NO_DISK_SPACE, "Not enough disk space for home %s", h->user_name);
+        case -EKEYREVOKED:
+                return sd_bus_error_setf(error, BUS_ERROR_HOME_CANT_AUTHENTICATE, "Home %s has no password or other authentication mechanism defined.", h->user_name);
         }
 
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/home/homed-manager.c b/src/home/homed-manager.c
index df0ed2f4f3..7d951bee3b 100644
--- a/src/home/homed-manager.c
+++ b/src/home/homed-manager.c
@@ -329,21 +329,36 @@ static int manager_add_home_by_record(
         _cleanup_(user_record_unrefp) UserRecord *hr = NULL;
         unsigned line, column;
         int r, is_signed;
+        struct stat st;
         Home *h;
 
         assert(m);
         assert(name);
         assert(fname);
 
+        if (fstatat(dir_fd, fname, &st, 0) < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to stat identity record %s: %m", fname);
+
+        if (!S_ISREG(st.st_mode)) {
+                log_debug("Identity record file %s is not a regular file, ignoring.", fname);
+                return 0;
+        }
+
+        if (st.st_size == 0)
+                goto unlink_this_file;
+
         r = json_parse_file_at(NULL, dir_fd, fname, JSON_PARSE_SENSITIVE, &v, &line, &column);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to parse identity record at %s:%u%u: %m", fname, line, column);
 
+        if (json_variant_is_blank_object(v))
+                goto unlink_this_file;
+
         hr = user_record_new();
         if (!hr)
                 return log_oom();
 
-        r = user_record_load(hr, v, USER_RECORD_LOAD_REFUSE_SECRET);
+        r = user_record_load(hr, v, USER_RECORD_LOAD_REFUSE_SECRET|USER_RECORD_LOG);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -394,6 +409,19 @@ static int manager_add_home_by_record(
         h->signed_locally = is_signed == USER_RECORD_SIGNED_EXCLUSIVE;
 
         return 1;
+
+unlink_this_file:
+        /* If this is an empty file, then let's just remove it. An empty file is not useful in any case, and
+         * apparently xfs likes to leave empty files around when not unmounted cleanly (see
+         * https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/15178 for example). Note that we don't delete non-empty
+         * files even if they are invalid, because that's just too risky, we might delete data the user still
+         * needs. But empty files are never useful, hence let's just remove them. */
+
+        if (unlinkat(dir_fd, fname, 0) < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to remove empty user record file %s: %m", fname);
+
+        log_notice("Discovered empty user record file /var/lib/systemd/home/%s, removed automatically.", fname);
+        return 0;
 }
 
 static int manager_enumerate_records(Manager *m) {
@@ -485,7 +513,7 @@ static int search_quota(uid_t uid, const char *exclude_quota_path) {
                         if (ERRNO_IS_NOT_SUPPORTED(r))
                                 log_debug_errno(r, "No UID quota support on %s, ignoring.", where);
                         else
-                                log_warning_errno(r, "Failed to query quota on %s, ignoring.", where);
+                                log_warning_errno(r, "Failed to query quota on %s, ignoring: %m", where);
 
                         continue;
                 }
@@ -1309,7 +1337,7 @@ static int manager_generate_key_pair(Manager *m) {
         if (PEM_write_PUBKEY(fpublic, m->private_key) <= 0)
                 return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EIO), "Failed to write public key.");
 
-        r = fflush_and_check(fpublic);
+        r = fflush_sync_and_check(fpublic);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to write private key: %m");
 
@@ -1323,7 +1351,7 @@ static int manager_generate_key_pair(Manager *m) {
         if (PEM_write_PrivateKey(fprivate, m->private_key, NULL, NULL, 0, NULL, 0) <= 0)
                 return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EIO), "Failed to write private key pair.");
 
-        r = fflush_and_check(fprivate);
+        r = fflush_sync_and_check(fprivate);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to write private key: %m");
 
@@ -1337,10 +1365,14 @@ static int manager_generate_key_pair(Manager *m) {
 
         if (rename(temp_private, "/var/lib/systemd/home/local.private") < 0) {
                 (void) unlink_noerrno("/var/lib/systemd/home/local.public"); /* try to remove the file we already created */
-                return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to move privtate key file into place: %m");
+                return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to move private key file into place: %m");
         }
         temp_private = mfree(temp_private);
 
+        r = fsync_path_at(AT_FDCWD, "/var/lib/systemd/home/");
+        if (r < 0)
+                log_warning_errno(r, "Failed to sync /var/lib/systemd/home/, ignoring: %m");
+
         return 1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/home/homework-luks.c b/src/home/homework-luks.c
index caa4168265..44face3389 100644
--- a/src/home/homework-luks.c
+++ b/src/home/homework-luks.c
@@ -727,9 +727,10 @@ static int luks_validate_home_record(
                 if (!user_record_compatible(h, lhr))
                         return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EREMCHG), "LUKS home record not compatible with host record, refusing.");
 
-                r = user_record_authenticate(lhr, h, pkcs11_decrypted_passwords);
+                r = user_record_authenticate(lhr, h, pkcs11_decrypted_passwords, /* strict_verify= */ true);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
+                assert(r > 0); /* Insist that a password was verified */
 
                 *ret_luks_home_record = TAKE_PTR(lhr);
                 return 0;
diff --git a/src/home/homework.c b/src/home/homework.c
index 76fd79fc2a..316933cf4e 100644
--- a/src/home/homework.c
+++ b/src/home/homework.c
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@
 int user_record_authenticate(
                 UserRecord *h,
                 UserRecord *secret,
-                char ***pkcs11_decrypted_passwords) {
+                char ***pkcs11_decrypted_passwords,
+                bool strict_verify) {
 
         bool need_password = false, need_token = false, need_pin = false, need_protected_authentication_path_permitted = false,
                 pin_locked = false, pin_incorrect = false, pin_incorrect_few_tries_left = false, pin_incorrect_one_try_left = false;
@@ -66,7 +67,7 @@ int user_record_authenticate(
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to validate password of record: %m");
         else {
                 log_info("Provided password unlocks user record.");
-                return 0;
+                return 1;
         }
 
         /* Second, let's see if any of the PKCS#11 security tokens are plugged in and help us */
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ int user_record_authenticate(
                                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to check supplied PKCS#11 password: %m");
                         if (r > 0) {
                                 log_info("Previously acquired PKCS#11 password unlocks user record.");
-                                return 0;
+                                return 1;
                         }
                 }
 
@@ -129,7 +130,7 @@ int user_record_authenticate(
                         if (r < 0)
                                 return log_oom();
 
-                        return 0;
+                        return 1;
                 }
 #else
                 need_token = true;
@@ -156,7 +157,18 @@ int user_record_authenticate(
                 return -ENOKEY;
 
         /* Hmm, this means neither PCKS#11 nor classic hashed passwords were supplied, we cannot authenticate this reasonably */
-        return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EKEYREVOKED), "No hashed passwords and no PKCS#11 tokens defined, cannot authenticate user record.");
+        if (strict_verify)
+                return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EKEYREVOKED),
+                                       "No hashed passwords and no PKCS#11 tokens defined, cannot authenticate user record, refusing.");
+
+        /* If strict verification is off this means we are possibly in the case where we encountered an
+         * unfixated record, i.e. a synthetic one that accordingly lacks any authentication data. In this
+         * case, allow the authentication to pass for now, so that the second (or third) authentication level
+         * (the ones of the user record in the LUKS header or inside the home directory) will then catch
+         * invalid passwords. The second/third authentication always runs in strict verification mode. */
+        log_debug("No hashed passwords and no PKCS#11 tokens defined in record, cannot authenticate user record. "
+                  "Deferring to embedded user record.");
+        return 0;
 }
 
 int home_setup_undo(HomeSetup *setup) {
@@ -402,9 +414,10 @@ int home_load_embedded_identity(
                 return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EREMCHG), "Embedded home record not compatible with host record, refusing.");
 
         /* Insist that credentials the user supplies also unlocks any embedded records. */
-        r = user_record_authenticate(embedded_home, h, pkcs11_decrypted_passwords);
+        r = user_record_authenticate(embedded_home, h, pkcs11_decrypted_passwords, /* strict_verify= */ true);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
+        assert(r > 0); /* Insist that a password was verified */
 
         /* At this point we have three records to deal with:
          *
@@ -615,7 +628,7 @@ static int home_activate(UserRecord *h, UserRecord **ret_home) {
         if (!IN_SET(user_record_storage(h), USER_LUKS, USER_DIRECTORY, USER_SUBVOLUME, USER_FSCRYPT, USER_CIFS))
                 return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOTTY), "Activating home directories of type '%s' currently not supported.", user_storage_to_string(user_record_storage(h)));
 
-        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords);
+        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords, /* strict_verify= */ false);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -1177,9 +1190,10 @@ static int home_update(UserRecord *h, UserRecord **ret) {
         assert(h);
         assert(ret);
 
-        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords);
+        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords, /* strict_verify= */ true);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
+        assert(r > 0); /* Insist that a password was verified */
 
         r = home_validate_update(h, &setup);
         if (r < 0)
@@ -1233,9 +1247,10 @@ static int home_resize(UserRecord *h, UserRecord **ret) {
         if (h->disk_size == UINT64_MAX)
                 return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EINVAL), "No target size specified, refusing.");
 
-        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords);
+        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords, /* strict_verify= */ true);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
+        assert(r > 0); /* Insist that a password was verified */
 
         r = home_validate_update(h, &setup);
         if (r < 0)
@@ -1343,7 +1358,7 @@ static int home_inspect(UserRecord *h, UserRecord **ret_home) {
         assert(h);
         assert(ret_home);
 
-        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords);
+        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords, /* strict_verify= */ false);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -1413,7 +1428,7 @@ static int home_unlock(UserRecord *h) {
         /* Note that we don't check if $HOME is actually mounted, since we want to avoid disk accesses on
          * that mount until we have resumed the device. */
 
-        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords);
+        r = user_record_authenticate(h, h, &pkcs11_decrypted_passwords, /* strict_verify= */ false);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -1489,6 +1504,7 @@ static int run(int argc, char *argv[]) {
          * EBUSY           → file system is currently active
          * ENOEXEC         → file system is currently not active
          * ENOSPC          → not enough disk space for operation
+         * EKEYREVOKED     → user record has not suitable hashed password or pkcs#11 entry, we cannot authenticate
          */
 
         if (streq(argv[1], "activate"))
diff --git a/src/home/homework.h b/src/home/homework.h
index 3bcf3ad9b0..46641172a4 100644
--- a/src/home/homework.h
+++ b/src/home/homework.h
@@ -56,6 +56,6 @@ int home_load_embedded_identity(UserRecord *h, int root_fd, UserRecord *header_h
 int home_store_embedded_identity(UserRecord *h, int root_fd, uid_t uid, UserRecord *old_home);
 int home_extend_embedded_identity(UserRecord *h, UserRecord *used, HomeSetup *setup);
 
-int user_record_authenticate(UserRecord *h, UserRecord *secret, char ***pkcs11_decrypted_passwords);
+int user_record_authenticate(UserRecord *h, UserRecord *secret, char ***pkcs11_decrypted_passwords, bool strict_verify);
 
 int home_sync_and_statfs(int root_fd, struct statfs *ret);
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c
index 174f1228af..28f98cebce 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.c
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ BUS_ERROR_MAP_ELF_REGISTER const sd_bus_error_map bus_common_errors[] = {
         SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_HOME_NOT_LOCKED,              ENOEXEC),
         SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_TOO_MANY_OPERATIONS,          ENOBUFS),
         SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_AUTHENTICATION_LIMIT_HIT,     ETOOMANYREFS),
+        SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP(BUS_ERROR_HOME_CANT_AUTHENTICATE,       EKEYREVOKED),
 
         SD_BUS_ERROR_MAP_END
 };
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h
index dc58f88bbd..68ecbd65dd 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/bus-common-errors.h
@@ -115,5 +115,6 @@
 #define BUS_ERROR_NO_DISK_SPACE "org.freedesktop.home1.NoDiskSpace"
 #define BUS_ERROR_TOO_MANY_OPERATIONS "org.freedesktop.home1.TooManyOperations"
 #define BUS_ERROR_AUTHENTICATION_LIMIT_HIT "org.freedesktop.home1.AuthenticationLimitHit"
+#define BUS_ERROR_HOME_CANT_AUTHENTICATE "org.freedesktop.home1.HomeCantAuthenticate"
 
 BUS_ERROR_MAP_ELF_USE(bus_common_errors);
diff --git a/src/shared/bus-util.c b/src/shared/bus-util.c
index c7611a6e85..379aecf730 100644
--- a/src/shared/bus-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/bus-util.c
@@ -1591,6 +1591,12 @@ int bus_add_implementation(sd_bus *bus, const BusObjectImplementation *impl, voi
                                                impl->path);
         }
 
+        if (impl->manager) {
+                r = sd_bus_add_object_manager(bus, NULL, impl->path);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to add object manager for %s: %m", impl->path);
+        }
+
         for (size_t i = 0; impl->children && impl->children[i]; i++) {
                 r = bus_add_implementation(bus, impl->children[i], userdata);
                 if (r < 0)