diff --git a/src/basic/initrd-util.c b/src/basic/initrd-util.c
index 3624dcca56..03ccfbe483 100644
--- a/src/basic/initrd-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/initrd-util.c
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 #include <unistd.h>
 
 #include "env-util.h"
+#include "errno-util.h"
 #include "initrd-util.h"
 #include "parse-util.h"
 #include "stat-util.h"
@@ -16,14 +17,8 @@ bool in_initrd(void) {
         if (saved_in_initrd >= 0)
                 return saved_in_initrd;
 
-        /* We make two checks here:
-         *
-         * 1. the flag file /etc/initrd-release must exist
-         * 2. the root file system must be a memory file system
-         *
-         * The second check is extra paranoia, since misdetecting an
-         * initrd can have bad consequences due the initrd
-         * emptying when transititioning to the main systemd.
+        /* If /etc/initrd-release exists, we're in an initrd.
+         * This can be overridden by setting SYSTEMD_IN_INITRD=0|1.
          */
 
         r = getenv_bool_secure("SYSTEMD_IN_INITRD");
@@ -32,9 +27,12 @@ bool in_initrd(void) {
 
         if (r >= 0)
                 saved_in_initrd = r > 0;
-        else
-                saved_in_initrd = access("/etc/initrd-release", F_OK) >= 0 &&
-                                  path_is_temporary_fs("/") > 0;
+        else {
+                r = RET_NERRNO(access("/etc/initrd-release", F_OK));
+                if (r < 0 && r != -ENOENT)
+                        log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to check if /etc/initrd-release exists, assuming it does not: %m");
+                saved_in_initrd = r >= 0;
+        }
 
         return saved_in_initrd;
 }
diff --git a/src/shared/switch-root.c b/src/shared/switch-root.c
index 0b93312bbf..8d4c07150e 100644
--- a/src/shared/switch-root.c
+++ b/src/shared/switch-root.c
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ int switch_root(const char *new_root,
 
         _cleanup_free_ char *resolved_old_root_after = NULL;
         _cleanup_close_ int old_root_fd = -1;
-        bool old_root_remove;
         int r;
 
         assert(new_root);
@@ -42,12 +41,16 @@ int switch_root(const char *new_root,
                 return 0;
 
         /* Check if we shall remove the contents of the old root */
-        old_root_remove = in_initrd();
-        if (old_root_remove) {
-                old_root_fd = open("/", O_RDONLY|O_NONBLOCK|O_CLOEXEC|O_NOCTTY|O_DIRECTORY);
-                if (old_root_fd < 0)
-                        return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to open root directory: %m");
-        }
+        old_root_fd = open("/", O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC | O_DIRECTORY);
+        if (old_root_fd < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to open root directory: %m");
+        r = fd_is_temporary_fs(old_root_fd);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to stat root directory: %m");
+        if (r > 0)
+                log_debug("Root directory is on tmpfs, will do cleanup later.");
+        else
+                old_root_fd = safe_close(old_root_fd);
 
         /* Determine where we shall place the old root after the transition */
         r = chase_symlinks(old_root_after, new_root, CHASE_PREFIX_ROOT|CHASE_NONEXISTENT, &resolved_old_root_after, NULL);
@@ -117,9 +120,8 @@ int switch_root(const char *new_root,
                 struct stat rb;
 
                 if (fstat(old_root_fd, &rb) < 0)
-                        log_warning_errno(errno, "Failed to stat old root directory, leaving: %m");
-                else
-                        (void) rm_rf_children(TAKE_FD(old_root_fd), 0, &rb); /* takes possession of the dir fd, even on failure */
+                        return log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to stat old root directory: %m");
+                (void) rm_rf_children(TAKE_FD(old_root_fd), 0, &rb); /* takes possession of the dir fd, even on failure */
         }
 
         return 0;