diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
index ba8d5e60fb4..a3165fb4f74 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-bus/sd-bus.c
@@ -325,7 +325,6 @@ _public_ int sd_bus_set_trusted(sd_bus *bus, int b) {
 
 _public_ int sd_bus_set_description(sd_bus *bus, const char *description) {
         assert_return(bus, -EINVAL);
-        assert_return(description, -EINVAL);
         assert_return(bus->state == BUS_UNSET, -EPERM);
         assert_return(!bus_pid_changed(bus), -ECHILD);
 
@@ -3316,6 +3315,7 @@ _public_ int sd_bus_try_close(sd_bus *bus) {
 _public_ int sd_bus_get_description(sd_bus *bus, const char **description) {
         assert_return(bus, -EINVAL);
         assert_return(description, -EINVAL);
+        assert_return(bus->description, -ENXIO);
         assert_return(!bus_pid_changed(bus), -ECHILD);
 
         *description = bus->description;
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c
index e856d682514..fb436adc13a 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-event/sd-event.c
@@ -1258,6 +1258,7 @@ _public_ sd_event_source* sd_event_source_unref(sd_event_source *s) {
 
 _public_ int sd_event_source_set_description(sd_event_source *s, const char *description) {
         assert_return(s, -EINVAL);
+        assert_return(!event_pid_changed(s->event), -ECHILD);
 
         return free_and_strdup(&s->description, description);
 }
@@ -1265,6 +1266,8 @@ _public_ int sd_event_source_set_description(sd_event_source *s, const char *des
 _public_ int sd_event_source_get_description(sd_event_source *s, const char **description) {
         assert_return(s, -EINVAL);
         assert_return(description, -EINVAL);
+        assert_return(s->description, -ENXIO);
+        assert_return(!event_pid_changed(s->event), -ECHILD);
 
         *description = s->description;
         return 0;