diff --git a/src/core/namespace.c b/src/core/namespace.c
index 7752e48fb0..c0d0cc9715 100644
--- a/src/core/namespace.c
+++ b/src/core/namespace.c
@@ -2486,7 +2486,7 @@ int setup_namespace(
                 goto finish;
 
         /* MS_MOVE does not work on MS_SHARED so the remount MS_SHARED will be done later */
-        r = mount_move_root(root);
+        r = mount_pivot_root(root);
         if (r == -EINVAL && root_directory) {
                 /* If we are using root_directory and we don't have privileges (ie: user manager in a user
                  * namespace) and the root_directory is already a mount point in the parent namespace,
@@ -2496,7 +2496,7 @@ int setup_namespace(
                 r = mount_nofollow_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, root, root, NULL, MS_BIND|MS_REC, NULL);
                 if (r < 0)
                         goto finish;
-                r = mount_move_root(root);
+                r = mount_pivot_root(root);
         }
         if (r < 0) {
                 log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to mount root with MS_MOVE: %m");
diff --git a/src/shared/mount-util.c b/src/shared/mount-util.c
index 1f827e2061..681d698800 100644
--- a/src/shared/mount-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/mount-util.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "fs-util.h"
 #include "glyph-util.h"
 #include "hashmap.h"
+#include "initrd-util.h"
 #include "label.h"
 #include "libmount-util.h"
 #include "missing_mount.h"
@@ -489,6 +490,52 @@ int mount_move_root(const char *path) {
         return RET_NERRNO(chdir("/"));
 }
 
+int mount_pivot_root(const char *path) {
+        _cleanup_close_ int fd_oldroot = -EBADF, fd_newroot = -EBADF;
+
+        assert(path);
+
+        /* pivot_root() isn't currently supported in the initramfs. */
+        if (in_initrd())
+                return mount_move_root(path);
+
+        fd_oldroot = open("/", O_PATH|O_DIRECTORY|O_CLOEXEC|O_NOFOLLOW);
+        if (fd_oldroot < 0)
+                return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to open old rootfs");
+
+        fd_newroot = open(path, O_PATH|O_DIRECTORY|O_CLOEXEC|O_NOFOLLOW);
+        if (fd_newroot < 0)
+                return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to open new rootfs '%s': %m", path);
+
+        /* Change into the new rootfs. */
+        if (fchdir(fd_newroot) < 0)
+                return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to change into new rootfs '%s': %m", path);
+
+        /* Let the kernel tuck the new root under the old one. */
+        if (pivot_root(".", ".") < 0)
+                return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to pivot root to new rootfs '%s': %m", path);
+
+
+        /* At this point the new root is tucked under the old root. If we want
+         * to unmount it we cannot be fchdir()ed into it. So escape back to the
+         * old root. */
+        if (fchdir(fd_oldroot) < 0)
+                return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to change back to old rootfs: %m");
+
+        /* Note, usually we should set mount propagation up here but we'll
+         * assume that the caller has already done that. */
+
+        /* Get rid of the old root and reveal our brand new root. */
+        if (umount2(".", MNT_DETACH) < 0)
+                return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to unmount old rootfs: %m");
+
+        if (fchdir(fd_newroot) < 0)
+                return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to switch to new rootfs '%s': %m", path);
+
+        return 0;
+}
+
+
 int repeat_unmount(const char *path, int flags) {
         bool done = false;
 
diff --git a/src/shared/mount-util.h b/src/shared/mount-util.h
index 8b07611ec8..29b9ed02f7 100644
--- a/src/shared/mount-util.h
+++ b/src/shared/mount-util.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ static inline int bind_remount_recursive(const char *prefix, unsigned long new_f
 int bind_remount_one_with_mountinfo(const char *path, unsigned long new_flags, unsigned long flags_mask, FILE *proc_self_mountinfo);
 
 int mount_move_root(const char *path);
+int mount_pivot_root(const char *path);
 
 DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC_FULL(FILE*, endmntent, NULL);
 #define _cleanup_endmntent_ _cleanup_(endmntentp)