diff --git a/libmultipath/discovery.c b/libmultipath/discovery.c
index e0f46ff2..6ccdfa0b 100644
--- a/libmultipath/discovery.c
+++ b/libmultipath/discovery.c
@@ -1076,18 +1076,16 @@ detect_alua(struct path * pp)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	if (pp->fd == -1 || pp->offline)
+	if (pp->fd == -1 || pp->sysfs_state == PATH_DOWN)
 		return;
 
 	ret = get_target_port_group(pp);
 	if (ret < 0 || get_asymmetric_access_state(pp, ret) < 0) {
-		int state;
-
 		if (ret == -RTPG_INQUIRY_FAILED)
 			return;
 
-		state = path_offline(pp);
-		if (state != PATH_UP)
+		path_sysfs_state(pp);
+		if (pp->sysfs_state != PATH_UP)
 			return;
 
 		pp->tpgs = TPGS_NONE;
@@ -1800,7 +1798,7 @@ common_sysfs_pathinfo (struct path * pp)
 }
 
 int
-path_offline (struct path * pp)
+path_sysfs_state(struct path * pp)
 {
 	struct udev_device * parent;
 	char buff[SCSI_STATE_SIZE];
@@ -1814,7 +1812,8 @@ path_offline (struct path * pp)
 		subsys_type = "nvme";
 	}
 	else {
-		return PATH_UP;
+		pp->sysfs_state = PATH_UP;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	parent = pp->udev;
@@ -1827,16 +1826,18 @@ path_offline (struct path * pp)
 
 	if (!parent) {
 		condlog(1, "%s: failed to get sysfs information", pp->dev);
-		return PATH_REMOVED;
+		pp->sysfs_state = PATH_REMOVED;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 	memset(buff, 0x0, SCSI_STATE_SIZE);
 	err = sysfs_attr_get_value(parent, "state", buff, sizeof(buff));
 	if (!sysfs_attr_value_ok(err, sizeof(buff))) {
 		if (err == -ENXIO)
-			return PATH_REMOVED;
+			pp->sysfs_state = PATH_REMOVED;
 		else
-			return PATH_DOWN;
+			pp->sysfs_state = PATH_DOWN;
+		goto out;
 	}
 
 
@@ -1844,31 +1845,34 @@ path_offline (struct path * pp)
 
 	if (pp->bus == SYSFS_BUS_SCSI) {
 		if (!strncmp(buff, "offline", 7)) {
-			pp->offline = 1;
-			return PATH_DOWN;
+			pp->sysfs_state = PATH_DOWN;
+			goto out;
+		} else if (!strncmp(buff, "blocked", 7) ||
+			   !strncmp(buff, "quiesce", 7)) {
+			pp->sysfs_state = PATH_PENDING;
+			goto out;
+		} else if (!strncmp(buff, "running", 7)) {
+			pp->sysfs_state = PATH_UP;
+			goto out;
 		}
-		pp->offline = 0;
-		if (!strncmp(buff, "blocked", 7) ||
-		    !strncmp(buff, "quiesce", 7))
-			return PATH_PENDING;
-		else if (!strncmp(buff, "running", 7))
-			return PATH_UP;
 
 	}
 	else if (pp->bus == SYSFS_BUS_NVME) {
 		if (!strncmp(buff, "dead", 4)) {
-			pp->offline = 1;
-			return PATH_DOWN;
+			pp->sysfs_state = PATH_DOWN;
+			goto out;
+		} else if (!strncmp(buff, "new", 3) ||
+			   !strncmp(buff, "deleting", 8)) {
+			pp->sysfs_state = PATH_PENDING;
+			goto out;
+		} else if (!strncmp(buff, "live", 4)) {
+			pp->sysfs_state = PATH_UP;
+			goto out;
 		}
-		pp->offline = 0;
-		if (!strncmp(buff, "new", 3) ||
-		    !strncmp(buff, "deleting", 8))
-			return PATH_PENDING;
-		else if (!strncmp(buff, "live", 4))
-			return PATH_UP;
 	}
-
-	return PATH_DOWN;
+	pp->sysfs_state = PATH_DOWN;
+out:
+	return pp->sysfs_state;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -2052,8 +2056,7 @@ get_prio (struct path * pp)
 	old_prio = pp->priority;
 	pp->priority = prio_getprio(p, pp);
 	if (pp->priority < 0) {
-		/* this changes pp->offline, but why not */
-		int state = path_offline(pp);
+		int state = path_sysfs_state(pp);
 
 		if (state == PATH_DOWN || state == PATH_PENDING) {
 			pp->priority = old_prio;
@@ -2424,7 +2427,7 @@ int pathinfo(struct path *pp, struct config *conf, int mask)
 			return PATHINFO_SKIPPED;
 	}
 
-	path_state = path_offline(pp);
+	path_state = path_sysfs_state(pp);
 	if (path_state == PATH_REMOVED)
 		goto blank;
 	else if (mask & DI_NOIO) {
diff --git a/libmultipath/discovery.h b/libmultipath/discovery.h
index f3e0c618..7d42eae5 100644
--- a/libmultipath/discovery.h
+++ b/libmultipath/discovery.h
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ struct config;
 int path_discovery (vector pathvec, int flag);
 int path_get_tpgs(struct path *pp); /* This function never returns TPGS_UNDEF */
 int do_tur (char *);
-int path_offline (struct path *);
+int path_sysfs_state(struct path *);
 int start_checker(struct path * pp, struct config * conf, int daemon,
 		  int state);
 int get_state(struct path * pp);
diff --git a/libmultipath/libmultipath.version b/libmultipath/libmultipath.version
index bb34d9e8..6439d3a7 100644
--- a/libmultipath/libmultipath.version
+++ b/libmultipath/libmultipath.version
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ global:
 	path_discovery;
 	path_get_tpgs;
 	pathinfo;
-	path_offline;
+	path_sysfs_state;
 	print_all_paths;
 	print_foreign_topology;
 	print_multipath_topology__;
diff --git a/libmultipath/print.c b/libmultipath/print.c
index e536c5c0..00c03ace 100644
--- a/libmultipath/print.c
+++ b/libmultipath/print.c
@@ -514,7 +514,7 @@ snprint_offline (struct strbuf *buff, const struct path * pp)
 {
 	if (!pp || !pp->mpp)
 		return append_strbuf_str(buff, "unknown");
-	else if (pp->offline)
+	else if (pp->sysfs_state == PATH_DOWN)
 		return append_strbuf_str(buff, "offline");
 	else
 		return append_strbuf_str(buff, "running");
diff --git a/libmultipath/structs.h b/libmultipath/structs.h
index 074faca6..d8231e95 100644
--- a/libmultipath/structs.h
+++ b/libmultipath/structs.h
@@ -362,7 +362,7 @@ struct path {
 	unsigned int tick;
 	unsigned int pending_ticks;
 	int bus;
-	int offline;
+	int sysfs_state;
 	int state;
 	int dmstate;
 	int chkrstate;
diff --git a/multipathd/main.c b/multipathd/main.c
index 4f752adb..33a57041 100644
--- a/multipathd/main.c
+++ b/multipathd/main.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ void * mpath_pr_event_handler_fn (void * );
 do {								\
 	if (pp->mpp && checker_selected(&pp->checker) &&	\
 	    lvl <= libmp_verbosity) {					\
-		if (pp->offline)				\
+		if (pp->sysfs_state == PATH_DOWN)		\
 			condlog(lvl, "%s: %s - path offline",	\
 				pp->mpp->alias, pp->dev);	\
 		else  {						\
@@ -2320,7 +2320,7 @@ check_path_state(struct path *pp)
 	int newstate;
 	struct config *conf;
 
-	newstate = path_offline(pp);
+	newstate = path_sysfs_state(pp);
 	if (newstate == PATH_UP) {
 		conf = get_multipath_config();
 		pthread_cleanup_push(put_multipath_config, conf);
