diff --git a/src/core/service.c b/src/core/service.c
index 5b0bb76af2d..34d40c69508 100644
--- a/src/core/service.c
+++ b/src/core/service.c
@@ -3426,14 +3426,12 @@ static int service_deserialize_item(Unit *u, const char *key, const char *value,
                         return 0;
                 }
 
-                r = service_add_fd_store(s, fd, fdn, do_poll);
+                r = service_add_fd_store(s, TAKE_FD(fd), fdn, do_poll);
                 if (r < 0) {
                         log_unit_debug_errno(u, r,
                                              "Failed to store deserialized fd '%s', ignoring: %m", fdn);
                         return 0;
                 }
-
-                TAKE_FD(fd);
         } else if (streq(key, "extra-fd")) {
                 _cleanup_free_ char *fdv = NULL, *fdn = NULL;
                 _cleanup_close_ int fd = -EBADF;