diff --git a/TODO b/TODO
index 2ef618dda9..a09db24912 100644
--- a/TODO
+++ b/TODO
@@ -1225,10 +1225,6 @@ Features:
 
 * fstab-generator: default to tmpfs-as-root if only usr= is specified on the kernel cmdline
 
-* initrd-parse-etc.service: can we skip daemon-reload if /sysroot/etc/fstab is missing?
-  Note that we start initrd-fs.target and initrd-cleanup.target there, so a straightforward
-  ConditionPathExists= is not enough.
-
 * docs: bring https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/MyServiceCantGetRealtime up to date
 
 * add a job mode that will fail if a transaction would mean stopping
diff --git a/units/initrd-parse-etc.service b/units/initrd-parse-etc.service.in
similarity index 56%
rename from units/initrd-parse-etc.service
rename to units/initrd-parse-etc.service.in
index 38df728355..5ac7a24bb0 100644
--- a/units/initrd-parse-etc.service
+++ b/units/initrd-parse-etc.service.in
@@ -8,17 +8,24 @@
 #  (at your option) any later version.
 
 [Unit]
-Description=Reload Configuration from the Real Root
+Description=Mountpoints Configured in the Real Root
+AssertPathExists=/etc/initrd-release
+
 DefaultDependencies=no
 Requires=initrd-root-fs.target
 After=initrd-root-fs.target
+
 OnFailure=emergency.target
 OnFailureJobMode=replace-irreversibly
-AssertPathExists=/etc/initrd-release
 
 [Service]
 Type=oneshot
-ExecStartPre=-systemctl daemon-reload
-# we have to retrigger initrd-fs.target after daemon-reload
-ExecStart=-systemctl --no-block start initrd-fs.target
+
+ExecStart={{ROOTLIBEXECDIR}}/systemd-sysroot-fstab-check
+
+# We want to enqueue initrd-cleanup.service/start after we finished the part
+# above. It can't be part of the initial transaction, because non-oneshot units
+# use Conflicts=initrd-cleanup.service to be terminated before we switch root.
+# Effectively, initrd-parse-etc.service acts as a synchronization point after
+# which cleanup of the initrd processes starts.
 ExecStart=systemctl --no-block start initrd-cleanup.service
diff --git a/units/meson.build b/units/meson.build
index 40f784ec68..2010a5566f 100644
--- a/units/meson.build
+++ b/units/meson.build
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ units = [
         ['suspend-then-hibernate.target',       'ENABLE_HIBERNATE'],
         ['initrd-cleanup.service',              'ENABLE_INITRD'],
         ['initrd-fs.target',                    'ENABLE_INITRD'],
-        ['initrd-parse-etc.service',            'ENABLE_INITRD'],
         ['initrd-root-device.target',           'ENABLE_INITRD'],
         ['initrd-root-fs.target',               'ENABLE_INITRD'],
         ['initrd-switch-root.service',          'ENABLE_INITRD'],
@@ -179,6 +178,7 @@ in_units = [
         ['emergency.service',                    ''],
         ['getty@.service',                       '',
          'autovt@.service'],
+        ['initrd-parse-etc.service',             'ENABLE_INITRD'],
         ['kmod-static-nodes.service',            'HAVE_KMOD ENABLE_TMPFILES',
          'sysinit.target.wants/'],
         ['quotaon.service',                      'ENABLE_QUOTACHECK'],