diff --git a/src/switchroot/ostree-prepare-root.c b/src/switchroot/ostree-prepare-root.c
index 586fcfdaf2..0003314875 100644
--- a/src/switchroot/ostree-prepare-root.c
+++ b/src/switchroot/ostree-prepare-root.c
@@ -327,36 +327,6 @@ load_composefs_config (GError **error)
   return g_steal_pointer (&ret);
 }
 
-static gboolean
-find_etc (const char **out_path, GError **error)
-{
-  struct stat stbuf;
-
-  // Look for /etc
-  if (!glnx_fstatat_allow_noent (AT_FDCWD, "etc", &stbuf, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW, error))
-    {
-      *out_path = "etc";
-      return TRUE;
-    }
-  else if (errno != ENOENT)
-    {
-      return glnx_throw_errno_prefix (error, "failed to stat etc");
-    }
-
-  // Look for /usr/etc
-  if (!glnx_fstatat_allow_noent (AT_FDCWD, "usr/etc", &stbuf, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW, error))
-    {
-      *out_path = "usr/etc";
-      return TRUE;
-    }
-  else if (errno != ENOENT)
-    {
-      return glnx_throw_errno_prefix (error, "failed to stat etc");
-    }
-  *out_path = NULL;
-  return FALSE;
-}
-
 int
 main (int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -624,17 +594,17 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
     {
       if (etc_transient)
         {
-          /* Do we have a persistent overlayfs for /usr?  If so, mount it now. */
           g_autofree char *etc_ovldir
               = g_build_filename (OTCORE_RUN_OSTREE_PRIVATE, "etc-transient", NULL);
           if (mkdirat (AT_FDCWD, etc_ovldir, 0700) < 0)
-            err (EXIT_FAILURE, "Failed to create %s", etc_ovldir);
+            err (EXIT_FAILURE, "failed to create %s", etc_ovldir);
           g_autofree char *upper = g_build_filename (etc_ovldir, "upper", NULL);
+          if (mkdirat (AT_FDCWD, upper, 0700) < 0)
+            err (EXIT_FAILURE, "failed to create %s", upper);
           g_autofree char *work = g_build_filename (etc_ovldir, "work", NULL);
-
-          const char *etc_lower = NULL;
-          if (!find_etc (&etc_lower, &error))
-            errx (EXIT_FAILURE, "Failed to find etc: %s", error->message);
+          if (mkdirat (AT_FDCWD, work, 0700) < 0)
+            err (EXIT_FAILURE, "failed to create %s", work);
+          g_autofree char *etc_lower = TMP_SYSROOT "/usr/etc";
 
           g_autofree char *etc_ovl_options
               = g_strdup_printf ("lowerdir=%s,upperdir=%s,workdir=%s", etc_lower, upper, work);
@@ -725,7 +695,7 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
     const guint8 *buf = g_variant_get_data (metadata) ?: (guint8 *)"";
     if (!glnx_file_replace_contents_at (AT_FDCWD, OTCORE_RUN_BOOTED, buf,
                                         g_variant_get_size (metadata), 0, NULL, &error))
-      errx (EXIT_FAILURE, "Writing %s: %s", OTCORE_RUN_BOOTED, error->message);
+      errx (EXIT_FAILURE, "writing %s: %s", OTCORE_RUN_BOOTED, error->message);
   }
 
   if (chdir (TMP_SYSROOT) < 0)