diff --git a/src/repart/repart.c b/src/repart/repart.c
index 133a8e0211..8cfb798339 100644
--- a/src/repart/repart.c
+++ b/src/repart/repart.c
@@ -10964,7 +10964,7 @@ static int find_root(Context *context) {
         } else if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to read symlink /run/systemd/volatile-root: %m");
         else {
-                r = acquire_root_devno(device, NULL, open_flags, &context->node, &context->backing_fd);
+                r = acquire_root_devno(device, /* root= */ NULL, open_flags, &context->node, &context->backing_fd);
                 if (r == -EUCLEAN)
                         return btrfs_log_dev_root(LOG_ERR, r, device);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -11389,7 +11389,9 @@ static int vl_method_run(
                 return r;
 
         if (p.node) {
-                context->node = TAKE_PTR(p.node);
+                r = acquire_root_devno(p.node, NULL, O_CLOEXEC|context_open_mode(context), &context->node, &context->backing_fd);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to open file or determine backing device of %s: %m", p.node);
 
                 r = context_load_partition_table(context);
                 if (r == -EHWPOISON)