diff --git a/src/core/main.c b/src/core/main.c
index 28cfca25b3..f067b13fff 100644
--- a/src/core/main.c
+++ b/src/core/main.c
@@ -1840,7 +1840,7 @@ static int do_reexecute(
         if (switch_root_dir) {
                 r = switch_root(/* new_root= */ switch_root_dir,
                                 /* old_root_after= */ NULL,
-                                /* destroy_old_root= */ objective == MANAGER_SWITCH_ROOT);
+                                /* flags= */ objective == MANAGER_SWITCH_ROOT ? SWITCH_ROOT_DESTROY_OLD_ROOT : 0);
                 if (r < 0)
                         log_error_errno(r, "Failed to switch root, trying to continue: %m");
         }
diff --git a/src/shared/switch-root.c b/src/shared/switch-root.c
index 2ea65eafaf..333118f75f 100644
--- a/src/shared/switch-root.c
+++ b/src/shared/switch-root.c
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 
 int switch_root(const char *new_root,
                 const char *old_root_after,   /* path below the new root, where to place the old root after the transition; may be NULL to unmount it */
-                bool destroy_old_root) {
+                SwitchRootFlags flags) {
 
         struct {
                 const char *path;
@@ -66,11 +66,14 @@ int switch_root(const char *new_root,
                 return 0;
         }
 
-        istmp = fd_is_temporary_fs(old_root_fd);
-        if (istmp < 0)
-                return log_error_errno(istmp, "Failed to stat root directory: %m");
-        if (istmp > 0)
-                log_debug("Root directory is on tmpfs, will do cleanup later.");
+        if (FLAGS_SET(flags, SWITCH_ROOT_DESTROY_OLD_ROOT)) {
+                istmp = fd_is_temporary_fs(old_root_fd);
+                if (istmp < 0)
+                        return log_error_errno(istmp, "Failed to stat root directory: %m");
+                if (istmp > 0)
+                        log_debug("Root directory is on tmpfs, will do cleanup later.");
+        } else
+                istmp = -1; /* don't know */
 
         if (old_root_after) {
                 /* Determine where we shall place the old root after the transition */
@@ -160,7 +163,7 @@ int switch_root(const char *new_root,
                         return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to change directory: %m");
         }
 
-        if (istmp && destroy_old_root) {
+        if (istmp > 0) {
                 struct stat rb;
 
                 if (fstat(old_root_fd, &rb) < 0)
diff --git a/src/shared/switch-root.h b/src/shared/switch-root.h
index 9882d2ef91..059b4603ea 100644
--- a/src/shared/switch-root.h
+++ b/src/shared/switch-root.h
@@ -3,4 +3,8 @@
 
 #include <stdbool.h>
 
-int switch_root(const char *new_root, const char *old_root_after, bool destroy_old_root);
+typedef enum SwitchRootFlags {
+        SWITCH_ROOT_DESTROY_OLD_ROOT = 1 << 0, /* rm -rf old root when switching – under the condition that it is backed by non-persistent tmpfs/ramfs/… */
+} SwitchRootFlags;
+
+int switch_root(const char *new_root, const char *old_root_after, SwitchRootFlags flags);
diff --git a/src/shutdown/shutdown.c b/src/shutdown/shutdown.c
index bd6ded5529..be4adb79d5 100644
--- a/src/shutdown/shutdown.c
+++ b/src/shutdown/shutdown.c
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@ static int switch_root_initramfs(void) {
         return switch_root(
                         /* new_root= */ "/run/initramfs",
                         /* old_root_after= */ "/oldroot",
-                        /* destroy_old_root= */ false);
+                        /* flags= */ 0);
 }
 
 /* Read the following fields from /proc/meminfo: