diff --git a/src/core/cgroup.c b/src/core/cgroup.c
index b7ed07e..76eafdc 100644
--- a/src/core/cgroup.c
+++ b/src/core/cgroup.c
@@ -1926,7 +1926,7 @@ static int unit_watch_pids_in_path(Unit *u, const char *path) {
                 pid_t pid;
 
                 while ((r = cg_read_pid(f, &pid)) > 0) {
-                        r = unit_watch_pid(u, pid);
+                        r = unit_watch_pid(u, pid, false);
                         if (r < 0 && ret >= 0)
                                 ret = r;
                 }
diff --git a/src/core/dbus-scope.c b/src/core/dbus-scope.c
index 6725f62..0bbf64f 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-scope.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-scope.c
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ static int bus_scope_set_transient_property(
                                 return r;
 
                         if (!UNIT_WRITE_FLAGS_NOOP(flags)) {
-                                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid);
+                                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid, false);
                                 if (r < 0 && r != -EEXIST)
                                         return r;
                         }
diff --git a/src/core/manager.c b/src/core/manager.c
index c83e296..0eae7d4 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.c
+++ b/src/core/manager.c
@@ -2044,6 +2044,16 @@ void manager_clear_jobs(Manager *m) {
                 job_finish_and_invalidate(j, JOB_CANCELED, false, false);
 }
 
+void manager_unwatch_pid(Manager *m, pid_t pid) {
+        assert(m);
+
+        /* First let's drop the unit keyed as "pid". */
+        (void) hashmap_remove(m->watch_pids, PID_TO_PTR(pid));
+
+        /* Then, let's also drop the array keyed by -pid. */
+        free(hashmap_remove(m->watch_pids, PID_TO_PTR(-pid)));
+}
+
 static int manager_dispatch_run_queue(sd_event_source *source, void *userdata) {
         Manager *m = userdata;
         Job *j;
diff --git a/src/core/manager.h b/src/core/manager.h
index c7f4d66..fa47952 100644
--- a/src/core/manager.h
+++ b/src/core/manager.h
@@ -406,6 +406,8 @@ int manager_get_dump_string(Manager *m, char **ret);
 
 void manager_clear_jobs(Manager *m);
 
+void manager_unwatch_pid(Manager *m, pid_t pid);
+
 unsigned manager_dispatch_load_queue(Manager *m);
 
 int manager_environment_add(Manager *m, char **minus, char **plus);
diff --git a/src/core/mount.c b/src/core/mount.c
index 2ac04e3..5878814 100644
--- a/src/core/mount.c
+++ b/src/core/mount.c
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ static int mount_coldplug(Unit *u) {
             pid_is_unwaited(m->control_pid) &&
             MOUNT_STATE_WITH_PROCESS(new_state)) {
 
-                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(m), m->control_pid);
+                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(m), m->control_pid, false);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
 
@@ -781,9 +781,8 @@ static int mount_spawn(Mount *m, ExecCommand *c, pid_t *_pid) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(m), pid);
+        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(m), pid, true);
         if (r < 0)
-                /* FIXME: we need to do something here */
                 return r;
 
         *_pid = pid;
diff --git a/src/core/service.c b/src/core/service.c
index 614ba05..310838a 100644
--- a/src/core/service.c
+++ b/src/core/service.c
@@ -974,7 +974,7 @@ static int service_load_pid_file(Service *s, bool may_warn) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid);
+        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid, false);
         if (r < 0) /* FIXME: we need to do something here */
                 return log_unit_warning_errno(UNIT(s), r, "Failed to watch PID "PID_FMT" for service: %m", pid);
 
@@ -1004,7 +1004,7 @@ static void service_search_main_pid(Service *s) {
         if (service_set_main_pid(s, pid) < 0)
                 return;
 
-        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid);
+        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid, false);
         if (r < 0)
                 /* FIXME: we need to do something here */
                 log_unit_warning_errno(UNIT(s), r, "Failed to watch PID "PID_FMT" from: %m", pid);
@@ -1135,7 +1135,7 @@ static int service_coldplug(Unit *u) {
                     SERVICE_RUNNING, SERVICE_RELOAD,
                     SERVICE_STOP, SERVICE_STOP_SIGABRT, SERVICE_STOP_SIGTERM, SERVICE_STOP_SIGKILL, SERVICE_STOP_POST,
                     SERVICE_FINAL_SIGTERM, SERVICE_FINAL_SIGKILL))) {
-                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), s->main_pid);
+                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), s->main_pid, false);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
@@ -1147,7 +1147,7 @@ static int service_coldplug(Unit *u) {
                    SERVICE_RELOAD,
                    SERVICE_STOP, SERVICE_STOP_SIGABRT, SERVICE_STOP_SIGTERM, SERVICE_STOP_SIGKILL, SERVICE_STOP_POST,
                    SERVICE_FINAL_SIGTERM, SERVICE_FINAL_SIGKILL)) {
-                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), s->control_pid);
+                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), s->control_pid, false);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
         }
@@ -1545,8 +1545,8 @@ static int service_spawn(
         s->exec_fd_event_source = TAKE_PTR(exec_fd_source);
         s->exec_fd_hot = false;
 
-        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid);
-        if (r < 0) /* FIXME: we need to do something here */
+        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid, true);
+        if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
         *_pid = pid;
@@ -3643,7 +3643,7 @@ static void service_notify_message(
                         }
                         if (r > 0) {
                                 service_set_main_pid(s, new_main_pid);
-                                unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), new_main_pid);
+                                unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), new_main_pid, false);
                                 notify_dbus = true;
                         }
                 }
@@ -3858,7 +3858,7 @@ static void service_bus_name_owner_change(
                         log_unit_debug(u, "D-Bus name %s is now owned by process " PID_FMT, name, pid);
 
                         service_set_main_pid(s, pid);
-                        unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid);
+                        unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid, false);
                 }
         }
 }
diff --git a/src/core/socket.c b/src/core/socket.c
index d488c64..b034549 100644
--- a/src/core/socket.c
+++ b/src/core/socket.c
@@ -1816,7 +1816,7 @@ static int socket_coldplug(Unit *u) {
                    SOCKET_FINAL_SIGTERM,
                    SOCKET_FINAL_SIGKILL)) {
 
-                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), s->control_pid);
+                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), s->control_pid, false);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
 
@@ -1902,9 +1902,8 @@ static int socket_spawn(Socket *s, ExecCommand *c, pid_t *_pid) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid);
+        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid, true);
         if (r < 0)
-                /* FIXME: we need to do something here */
                 return r;
 
         *_pid = pid;
@@ -1973,7 +1972,7 @@ static int socket_chown(Socket *s, pid_t *_pid) {
                 _exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
         }
 
-        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid);
+        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid, true);
         if (r < 0)
                 goto fail;
 
diff --git a/src/core/swap.c b/src/core/swap.c
index b644753..e717dbb 100644
--- a/src/core/swap.c
+++ b/src/core/swap.c
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ static int swap_coldplug(Unit *u) {
             pid_is_unwaited(s->control_pid) &&
             SWAP_STATE_WITH_PROCESS(new_state)) {
 
-                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), s->control_pid);
+                r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), s->control_pid, false);
                 if (r < 0)
                         return r;
 
@@ -636,9 +636,8 @@ static int swap_spawn(Swap *s, ExecCommand *c, pid_t *_pid) {
         if (r < 0)
                 goto fail;
 
-        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid);
+        r = unit_watch_pid(UNIT(s), pid, true);
         if (r < 0)
-                /* FIXME: we need to do something here */
                 goto fail;
 
         *_pid = pid;
diff --git a/src/core/unit.c b/src/core/unit.c
index d298afb..b0b1c77 100644
--- a/src/core/unit.c
+++ b/src/core/unit.c
@@ -2500,7 +2500,7 @@ void unit_notify(Unit *u, UnitActiveState os, UnitActiveState ns, UnitNotifyFlag
         unit_add_to_gc_queue(u);
 }
 
-int unit_watch_pid(Unit *u, pid_t pid) {
+int unit_watch_pid(Unit *u, pid_t pid, bool exclusive) {
         int r;
 
         assert(u);
@@ -2508,6 +2508,12 @@ int unit_watch_pid(Unit *u, pid_t pid) {
 
         /* Watch a specific PID */
 
+        /* Caller might be sure that this PID belongs to this unit only. Let's take this
+         * opportunity to remove any stalled references to this PID as they can be created
+         * easily (when watching a process which is not our direct child). */
+        if (exclusive)
+                manager_unwatch_pid(u->manager, pid);
+
         r = set_ensure_allocated(&u->pids, NULL);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
diff --git a/src/core/unit.h b/src/core/unit.h
index e1a60da..68cc186 100644
--- a/src/core/unit.h
+++ b/src/core/unit.h
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ typedef enum UnitNotifyFlags {
 
 void unit_notify(Unit *u, UnitActiveState os, UnitActiveState ns, UnitNotifyFlags flags);
 
-int unit_watch_pid(Unit *u, pid_t pid);
+int unit_watch_pid(Unit *u, pid_t pid, bool exclusive);
 void unit_unwatch_pid(Unit *u, pid_t pid);
 void unit_unwatch_all_pids(Unit *u);
 
diff --git a/src/test/test-watch-pid.c b/src/test/test-watch-pid.c
index cb43b35..8c70175 100644
--- a/src/test/test-watch-pid.c
+++ b/src/test/test-watch-pid.c
@@ -49,25 +49,25 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         assert_se(hashmap_isempty(m->watch_pids));
         assert_se(manager_get_unit_by_pid(m, 4711) == NULL);
 
-        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(a, 4711) >= 0);
+        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(a, 4711, false) >= 0);
         assert_se(manager_get_unit_by_pid(m, 4711) == a);
 
-        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(a, 4711) >= 0);
+        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(a, 4711, false) >= 0);
         assert_se(manager_get_unit_by_pid(m, 4711) == a);
 
-        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(b, 4711) >= 0);
+        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(b, 4711, false) >= 0);
         u = manager_get_unit_by_pid(m, 4711);
         assert_se(u == a || u == b);
 
-        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(b, 4711) >= 0);
+        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(b, 4711, false) >= 0);
         u = manager_get_unit_by_pid(m, 4711);
         assert_se(u == a || u == b);
 
-        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(c, 4711) >= 0);
+        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(c, 4711, false) >= 0);
         u = manager_get_unit_by_pid(m, 4711);
         assert_se(u == a || u == b || u == c);
 
-        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(c, 4711) >= 0);
+        assert_se(unit_watch_pid(c, 4711, false) >= 0);
         u = manager_get_unit_by_pid(m, 4711);
         assert_se(u == a || u == b || u == c);