diff --git a/src/core/dbus-manager.c b/src/core/dbus-manager.c
index 73f739b12dcf6..20156c58f59fe 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-manager.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-manager.c
@@ -957,7 +957,7 @@ static int transient_unit_from_message(
 
         if (!unit_is_pristine(u))
                 return sd_bus_error_setf(error, BUS_ERROR_UNIT_EXISTS,
-                                         "Unit %s already exists.", name);
+                                         "Unit %s was already loaded or has a fragment file.", name);
 
         /* OK, the unit failed to load and is unreferenced, now let's
          * fill in the transient data instead */
diff --git a/src/core/unit.c b/src/core/unit.c
index 5016114cb470b..ccdb61d34dd50 100644
--- a/src/core/unit.c
+++ b/src/core/unit.c
@@ -4853,7 +4853,6 @@ bool unit_is_pristine(Unit *u) {
         return IN_SET(u->load_state, UNIT_NOT_FOUND, UNIT_LOADED) &&
                !u->fragment_path &&
                !u->source_path &&
-               strv_isempty(u->dropin_paths) &&
                !u->job &&
                !u->merged_into;
 }