diff --git a/src/systemd/src/basic/path-util.c b/src/systemd/src/basic/path-util.c
index b758c34d0c..5877957822 100644
--- a/src/systemd/src/basic/path-util.c
+++ b/src/systemd/src/basic/path-util.c
@@ -337,12 +337,15 @@ char *path_simplify(char *path, bool kill_dots) {
         /* Removes redundant inner and trailing slashes. Also removes unnecessary dots
          * if kill_dots is true. Modifies the passed string in-place.
          *
-         * ///foo//./bar/.   becomes /foo/./bar/.  (if kill_dots is false)
-         * ///foo//./bar/.   becomes /foo/bar      (if kill_dots is true)
-         * .//./foo//./bar/. becomes ./foo/bar     (if kill_dots is false)
-         * .//./foo//./bar/. becomes foo/bar       (if kill_dots is true)
+         * ///foo//./bar/.   becomes /foo/./bar/.      (if kill_dots is false)
+         * ///foo//./bar/.   becomes /foo/bar          (if kill_dots is true)
+         * .//./foo//./bar/. becomes ././foo/./bar/.   (if kill_dots is false)
+         * .//./foo//./bar/. becomes foo/bar           (if kill_dots is true)
          */
 
+        if (isempty(path))
+            return path;
+
         absolute = path_is_absolute(path);
 
         f = path;
@@ -372,9 +375,14 @@ char *path_simplify(char *path, bool kill_dots) {
                 *(t++) = *f;
         }
 
-        /* Special rule, if we are talking of the root directory, a trailing slash is good */
-        if (absolute && t == path)
-                *(t++) = '/';
+        /* Special rule, if we stripped everything, we either need a "/" (for the root directory)
+         * or "." for the current directory */
+        if (t == path) {
+                if (absolute)
+                        *(t++) = '/';
+                else
+                        *(t++) = '.';
+        }
 
         *t = 0;
         return path;
diff --git a/src/tests/test-systemd.c b/src/tests/test-systemd.c
index 4660bd0d17..6015e9df07 100644
--- a/src/tests/test-systemd.c
+++ b/src/tests/test-systemd.c
@@ -201,16 +201,16 @@ test_path_equal (void)
 	} G_STMT_END
 
 	_path_equal_check ("",                  "",                NULL);
-	_path_equal_check (".",                 ".",               "");
+	_path_equal_check (".",                 ".",               NULL);
 	_path_equal_check ("..",                "..",              NULL);
 	_path_equal_check ("/..",               "/..",             NULL);
 	_path_equal_check ("//..",              "/..",             NULL);
 	_path_equal_check ("/.",                "/.",              "/");
-	_path_equal_check ("./",                ".",               "");
-	_path_equal_check ("./.",               "./.",             "");
-	_path_equal_check (".///.",             "./.",             "");
-	_path_equal_check (".///./",            "./.",             "");
-	_path_equal_check (".////",             ".",               "");
+	_path_equal_check ("./",                ".",               ".");
+	_path_equal_check ("./.",               "./.",             ".");
+	_path_equal_check (".///.",             "./.",             ".");
+	_path_equal_check (".///./",            "./.",             ".");
+	_path_equal_check (".////",             ".",               ".");
 	_path_equal_check ("//..//foo/",        "/../foo",         NULL);
 	_path_equal_check ("///foo//./bar/.",   "/foo/./bar/.",    "/foo/bar");
 	_path_equal_check (".//./foo//./bar/.", "././foo/./bar/.", "foo/bar");