diff --git a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
index e23d042b57..e5ae382d5f 100644
--- a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
+++ b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
@@ -3513,6 +3513,7 @@ static int inner_child(
         (void) fdset_close_others(fds);
 
         if (arg_start_mode == START_BOOT) {
+                const char *init;
                 char **a;
                 size_t m;
 
@@ -3523,14 +3524,13 @@ static int inner_child(
                 memcpy_safe(a + 1, arg_parameters, m * sizeof(char*));
                 a[1 + m] = NULL;
 
-                a[0] = (char*) "/usr/lib/systemd/systemd";
-                execve(a[0], a, env_use);
-
-                a[0] = (char*) "/lib/systemd/systemd";
-                execve(a[0], a, env_use);
-
-                a[0] = (char*) "/sbin/init";
-                execve(a[0], a, env_use);
+                FOREACH_STRING(init,
+                               "/usr/lib/systemd/systemd",
+                               "/lib/systemd/systemd",
+                               "/sbin/init") {
+                        a[0] = (char*) init;
+                        execve(a[0], a, env_use);
+                }
 
                 exec_target = "/usr/lib/systemd/systemd, /lib/systemd/systemd, /sbin/init";
         } else if (!strv_isempty(arg_parameters)) {