diff --git a/src/basic/env-util.c b/src/basic/env-util.c
index 9e74ba0f0fc..2bd532caa12 100644
--- a/src/basic/env-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/env-util.c
@@ -941,11 +941,11 @@ int replace_env_argv(
         }
 
         if (ret_unset_variables) {
-                strv_uniq(strv_sort(unset_variables));
+                strv_sort_uniq(unset_variables);
                 *ret_unset_variables = TAKE_PTR(unset_variables);
         }
         if (ret_bad_variables) {
-                strv_uniq(strv_sort(bad_variables));
+                strv_sort_uniq(bad_variables);
                 *ret_bad_variables = TAKE_PTR(bad_variables);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/basic/strv.c b/src/basic/strv.c
index 4709dfaf246..1ca5118eff8 100644
--- a/src/basic/strv.c
+++ b/src/basic/strv.c
@@ -706,6 +706,21 @@ char** strv_sort(char **l) {
         return l;
 }
 
+char** strv_sort_uniq(char **l) {
+        if (strv_isempty(l))
+                return l;
+
+        char **tail = strv_sort(l), *prev = NULL;
+        STRV_FOREACH(i, l)
+                if (streq_ptr(*i, prev))
+                        free(*i);
+                else
+                        *(tail++) = prev = *i;
+
+        *tail = NULL;
+        return l;
+}
+
 int strv_compare(char * const *a, char * const *b) {
         int r;
 
diff --git a/src/basic/strv.h b/src/basic/strv.h
index c828bd612f5..965189d36e8 100644
--- a/src/basic/strv.h
+++ b/src/basic/strv.h
@@ -161,6 +161,7 @@ bool strv_overlap(char * const *a, char * const *b) _pure_;
         _STRV_FOREACH_PAIR(x, y, l, UNIQ_T(i, UNIQ))
 
 char** strv_sort(char **l);
+char** strv_sort_uniq(char **l);
 void strv_print_full(char * const *l, const char *prefix);
 static inline void strv_print(char * const *l) {
         strv_print_full(l, NULL);
diff --git a/src/basic/time-util.c b/src/basic/time-util.c
index b94f37c31c3..cd35e8a73c7 100644
--- a/src/basic/time-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/time-util.c
@@ -1519,8 +1519,7 @@ int get_timezones(char ***ret) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        strv_sort(zones);
-        strv_uniq(zones);
+        strv_sort_uniq(zones);
 
         *ret = TAKE_PTR(zones);
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/boot/measure.c b/src/boot/measure.c
index dca70d74a24..01e1fc7318a 100644
--- a/src/boot/measure.c
+++ b/src/boot/measure.c
@@ -329,8 +329,7 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         return log_oom();
         }
 
-        strv_sort(arg_banks);
-        strv_uniq(arg_banks);
+        strv_sort_uniq(arg_banks);
 
         if (arg_current)
                 for (UnifiedSection us = 0; us < _UNIFIED_SECTION_MAX; us++)
@@ -347,10 +346,8 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                      "enter-initrd:leave-initrd:sysinit",
                                      "enter-initrd:leave-initrd:sysinit:ready") < 0)
                         return log_oom();
-        } else {
-                strv_sort(arg_phase);
-                strv_uniq(arg_phase);
-        }
+        } else
+                strv_sort_uniq(arg_phase);
 
         _cleanup_free_ char *j = NULL;
         j = strv_join(arg_phase, ", ");
diff --git a/src/home/homectl.c b/src/home/homectl.c
index 535422537e9..f2a04d5a0ce 100644
--- a/src/home/homectl.c
+++ b/src/home/homectl.c
@@ -3836,8 +3836,7 @@ static int parse_argv(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                                 if (r < 0)
                                         return log_oom();
 
-                                strv_sort(list);
-                                strv_uniq(list);
+                                strv_sort_uniq(list);
 
                                 mo = sd_json_variant_unref(mo);
                                 r = sd_json_variant_new_array_strv(&mo, list);
diff --git a/src/locale/localectl.c b/src/locale/localectl.c
index 32354027f17..9a2163bcfef 100644
--- a/src/locale/localectl.c
+++ b/src/locale/localectl.c
@@ -374,8 +374,7 @@ static int list_x11_keymaps(int argc, char **argv, void *userdata) {
                 return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENOENT),
                                        "Couldn't find any entries.");
 
-        strv_sort(list);
-        strv_uniq(list);
+        strv_sort_uniq(list);
 
         pager_open(arg_pager_flags);
 
diff --git a/src/shared/journal-util.c b/src/shared/journal-util.c
index ab70f4da0d8..11d5d68478a 100644
--- a/src/shared/journal-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/journal-util.c
@@ -58,8 +58,7 @@ static int access_check_var_log_journal(sd_journal *j, bool want_other_users) {
                 if (r < 0)
                         return log_oom();
 
-                strv_sort(g);
-                strv_uniq(g);
+                strv_sort_uniq(g);
 
                 s = strv_join(g, "', '");
                 if (!s)
diff --git a/src/shared/userdb.c b/src/shared/userdb.c
index caf05302d9c..dca79cc735e 100644
--- a/src/shared/userdb.c
+++ b/src/shared/userdb.c
@@ -1436,8 +1436,7 @@ int membershipdb_by_group_strv(const char *name, UserDBFlags flags, char ***ret)
                         return r;
         }
 
-        strv_sort(members);
-        strv_uniq(members);
+        strv_sort_uniq(members);
 
         *ret = TAKE_PTR(members);
         return 0;
diff --git a/src/ssh-generator/ssh-generator.c b/src/ssh-generator/ssh-generator.c
index c671b417033..842f0b3a940 100644
--- a/src/ssh-generator/ssh-generator.c
+++ b/src/ssh-generator/ssh-generator.c
@@ -453,8 +453,7 @@ static int run(const char *dest, const char *dest_early, const char *dest_late)
 
         (void) parse_credentials();
 
-        strv_sort(arg_listen_extra);
-        strv_uniq(arg_listen_extra);
+        strv_sort_uniq(arg_listen_extra);
 
         if (!arg_auto && strv_isempty(arg_listen_extra)) {
                 log_debug("Disabling SSH generator logic, because as it has been turned off explicitly.");
diff --git a/src/sysusers/sysusers.c b/src/sysusers/sysusers.c
index 52f4a47aa1f..9471c1843e1 100644
--- a/src/sysusers/sysusers.c
+++ b/src/sysusers/sysusers.c
@@ -362,8 +362,7 @@ static int putgrent_with_members(
                 if (added) {
                         struct group t;
 
-                        strv_uniq(l);
-                        strv_sort(l);
+                        strv_sort_uniq(l);
 
                         t = *gr;
                         t.gr_mem = l;
@@ -411,8 +410,7 @@ static int putsgent_with_members(
                 if (added) {
                         struct sgrp t;
 
-                        strv_uniq(l);
-                        strv_sort(l);
+                        strv_sort_uniq(l);
 
                         t = *sg;
                         t.sg_mem = l;
diff --git a/src/test/test-strv.c b/src/test/test-strv.c
index 65afefed3be..f7b6ee2bb2d 100644
--- a/src/test/test-strv.c
+++ b/src/test/test-strv.c
@@ -527,6 +527,81 @@ TEST(strv_sort) {
         ASSERT_STREQ(input_table[4], "durian");
 }
 
+TEST(strv_sort_uniq) {
+        static const char* input_table[] = {
+                "durian",
+                "apple",
+                "citrus",
+                 "CAPITAL LETTERS FIRST",
+                "banana",
+                "durian",
+                "apple",
+                "citrus",
+                 "CAPITAL LETTERS FIRST",
+                "banana",
+                "durian",
+                "apple",
+                "citrus",
+                 "CAPITAL LETTERS FIRST",
+                "banana",
+                NULL
+        };
+
+        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **a = NULL, **b = NULL, **c = NULL;
+
+        ASSERT_NULL(strv_sort_uniq(a));
+
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(a = strv_new(NULL));
+        assert_se(strv_sort_uniq(a) == a);
+        ASSERT_NULL(a[0]);
+        a = strv_free(a);
+
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(a = strv_new("a", "a", "a", "a", "a"));
+        assert_se(strv_sort_uniq(a) == a);
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[0], "a");
+        ASSERT_NULL(a[1]);
+        a = strv_free(a);
+
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(a = strv_new("a", "a", "a", "a", "b"));
+        assert_se(strv_sort_uniq(a) == a);
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[0], "a");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[1], "b");
+        ASSERT_NULL(a[2]);
+        a = strv_free(a);
+
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(a = strv_new("b", "a", "a", "a", "a"));
+        assert_se(strv_sort_uniq(a) == a);
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[0], "a");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[1], "b");
+        ASSERT_NULL(a[2]);
+        a = strv_free(a);
+
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(a = strv_new("a", "a", "b", "a", "b"));
+        assert_se(strv_sort_uniq(a) == a);
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[0], "a");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[1], "b");
+        ASSERT_NULL(a[2]);
+        a = strv_free(a);
+
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(a = strv_copy((char**) input_table));
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(b = strv_copy((char**) input_table));
+        ASSERT_NOT_NULL(c = strv_copy((char**) input_table));
+
+        assert_se(strv_sort_uniq(a) == a);
+        assert_se(strv_sort(strv_uniq(b)) == b);
+        assert_se(strv_uniq(strv_sort(c)) == c);
+
+        assert_se(strv_equal(a, b));
+        assert_se(strv_equal(a, c));
+
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[0], "CAPITAL LETTERS FIRST");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[1], "apple");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[2], "banana");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[3], "citrus");
+        ASSERT_STREQ(a[4], "durian");
+        ASSERT_NULL(a[5]);
+}
+
 TEST(strv_extend_strv_biconcat) {
         _cleanup_strv_free_ char **a = NULL, **b = NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/varlinkctl/varlinkctl.c b/src/varlinkctl/varlinkctl.c
index 8752ee575cc..fe5080dd439 100644
--- a/src/varlinkctl/varlinkctl.c
+++ b/src/varlinkctl/varlinkctl.c
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ static int verb_introspect(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                 if (strv_isempty(auto_interfaces))
                         return log_error_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(ENXIO), "Service doesn't report any implemented interfaces.");
 
-                interfaces = strv_sort(strv_uniq(auto_interfaces));
+                interfaces = strv_sort_uniq(auto_interfaces);
         }
 
         /* Automatically switch on JSON_SEQ if we output multiple JSON objects */
@@ -405,7 +405,7 @@ static int verb_introspect(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
         if (list_methods) {
                 pager_open(arg_pager_flags);
 
-                strv_sort(strv_uniq(methods));
+                strv_sort_uniq(methods);
 
                 if (FLAGS_SET(arg_json_format_flags, SD_JSON_FORMAT_OFF))
                         strv_print(methods);