diff --git a/src/shared/tpm2-util.c b/src/shared/tpm2-util.c
index 7a20965658..cda3f94ab1 100644
--- a/src/shared/tpm2-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/tpm2-util.c
@@ -7197,13 +7197,17 @@ int tpm2_unseal(Tpm2Context *c,
          *   -ENOLCK          → TPM is in dictionary lockout mode
          *   -EREMCHG         → submitted policy doesn't match NV index stored policy (in case of PolicyAuthorizeNV)
          *   -ENOANO          → none of the PolicyOR branches of a policy matched current state
-         *   -EUCLEAN         → PCR state doesn't match expectations
+         *   -EUCLEAN         → a PCR kept being extended while we were unsealing
          *   -EPERM           → stored policy does not match TPM state
          *   -ENOTRECOVERABLE → all other kinds of TPM errors
          *   -EILSEQ          → bad PIN
          *
-         * Of these all four of EREMCHG, ENOANO, EUCLEAN, EPERM can all mean that PCR state is not matching
-         * expectations. */
+         * Of these EREMCHG, ENOANO and EPERM mean that PCR state is not matching expectations. EUCLEAN on
+         * the other hand says nothing about the correctness of the policy: it means the TPM's global PCR
+         * update counter kept moving while we built the policy or unsealed, i.e. something on this system
+         * extends a PCR continuously (the usual suspect is PCR 10 when IMA is enabled directly, or
+         * indirectly via secure boot). We make at most RETRY_UNSEAL_MAX + 1 attempts before reporting
+         * it. */
 
         TSS2_RC rc;
         int r;
@@ -7361,7 +7365,10 @@ int tpm2_unseal(Tpm2Context *c,
                                         !!pin,
                                         (shard == 1 || !iovec_is_set(pubkey)) ? pcrlock_policy : NULL,
                                         &policy_digest);
-                        if (r == -EUCLEAN && i > 0) {
+                        if (r == -EUCLEAN) {
+                                if (i == 0)
+                                        return log_debug_errno(r, "PCR values kept changing while building the TPM2 policy, giving up after %u unsealing attempts.", RETRY_UNSEAL_MAX + 1);
+
                                 log_debug("A PCR value changed during the TPM2 policy session, restarting HMAC key unsealing (%u tries left).", i);
                                 retry = true;
                                 break;
@@ -7403,7 +7410,11 @@ int tpm2_unseal(Tpm2Context *c,
                                         encryption_session->esys_handle, /* use HMAC session to enable parameter encryption */
                                         ESYS_TR_NONE,
                                         &unsealed);
-                        if (rc == TPM2_RC_PCR_CHANGED && i > 0) {
+                        if (rc == TPM2_RC_PCR_CHANGED) {
+                                if (i == 0)
+                                        return log_debug_errno(SYNTHETIC_ERRNO(EUCLEAN),
+                                                               "PCR values kept changing while unsealing, giving up after %u unsealing attempts.", RETRY_UNSEAL_MAX + 1);
+
                                 log_debug("A PCR value changed during the TPM2 policy session, restarting HMAC key unsealing (%u tries left).", i);
                                 retry = true;
                                 break;
diff --git a/src/shared/tpm2-util.h b/src/shared/tpm2-util.h
index 3723281f42..8c0b136b08 100644
--- a/src/shared/tpm2-util.h
+++ b/src/shared/tpm2-util.h
@@ -51,8 +51,10 @@ static inline bool TPM2_PCR_MASK_VALID(uint32_t pcr_mask) {
 int dlopen_tpm2(int log_level) _dlopen_loader_;
 
 /* tpm2_unseal() returns a bunch of different errors for various flavours of PCR issues, let's group them.
- * Kept outside the HAVE_TPM2 guard as callers switch on these errnos even in builds without TPM2. */
-#define ERRNO_IS_NEG_TPM2_UNSEAL_BAD_PCR(r) IN_SET(r, -EREMCHG, -ENOANO, -EUCLEAN, -EPERM)
+ * Kept outside the HAVE_TPM2 guard as callers switch on these errnos even in builds without TPM2. Note that
+ * -EUCLEAN is not part of this: when returned by tpm2_unseal() it means a PCR was continuously extended
+ * while unsealing, which says nothing about whether the PCR state matches the policy. */
+#define ERRNO_IS_NEG_TPM2_UNSEAL_BAD_PCR(r) IN_SET(r, -EREMCHG, -ENOANO, -EPERM)
 
 /* Errors that mean the tried TPM2 token does not match the boot state, be it due to wrong PCR state, a
  * different PCR signing key/policy, a different TPM, or an unusable NV index. The caller should keep trying