diff --git a/src/shutdown/shutdown.c b/src/shutdown/shutdown.c
index 1d41b9f8e4..c2b700aad1 100644
--- a/src/shutdown/shutdown.c
+++ b/src/shutdown/shutdown.c
@@ -360,7 +360,6 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                 NULL
         };
         _cleanup_free_ char *cgroup = NULL;
-        char *arguments[3];
         int cmd, r;
 
         /* Close random fds we might have get passed, just for paranoia, before we open any new fds, for
@@ -449,11 +448,11 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
         broadcast_signal(SIGKILL, true, false, arg_timeout);
 
         bool need_umount = !in_container, need_swapoff = !in_container, need_loop_detach = !in_container,
-             need_dm_detach = !in_container, need_md_detach = !in_container, can_initrd, last_try = false;
-        can_initrd = !in_container && !in_initrd() && access("/run/initramfs/shutdown", X_OK) == 0;
+             need_dm_detach = !in_container, need_md_detach = !in_container,
+             can_exitrd = !in_container && !in_initrd() && access("/run/initramfs/shutdown", X_OK) >= 0;
 
         /* Unmount all mountpoints, swaps, and loopback devices */
-        for (;;) {
+        for (bool last_try = false;;) {
                 bool changed = false;
 
                 (void) watchdog_ping();
@@ -530,10 +529,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         break;
                 }
 
-                if (!changed && !last_try && !can_initrd) {
+                if (!changed && !last_try && !can_exitrd) {
                         /* There are things we cannot get rid of. Loop one more time in which we will log
                          * with higher priority to inform the user. Note that we don't need to do this if
-                         * there is an initrd to switch to, because that one is likely to get rid of the
+                         * there is an exitrd to switch to, because that one is likely to get rid of the
                          * remaining mounts. If not, it will log about them. */
                         last_try = true;
                         continue;
@@ -562,14 +561,16 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
          * active to guard against any issues during the rest of the shutdown sequence. */
         watchdog_free_device();
 
-        arguments[0] = NULL; /* Filled in by execute_directories(), when needed */
-        arguments[1] = (char*) arg_verb;
-        arguments[2] = NULL;
-        (void) execute_directories(dirs, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_USEC, NULL, NULL, arguments, NULL, EXEC_DIR_PARALLEL | EXEC_DIR_IGNORE_ERRORS);
+        const char *arguments[] = {
+                NULL, /* Filled in by execute_directories(), when needed */
+                arg_verb,
+                NULL,
+        };
+        (void) execute_directories(dirs, DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_USEC, NULL, NULL, (char**) arguments, NULL, EXEC_DIR_PARALLEL | EXEC_DIR_IGNORE_ERRORS);
 
         (void) rlimit_nofile_safe();
 
-        if (can_initrd) {
+        if (can_exitrd) {
                 r = switch_root_initramfs();
                 if (r >= 0) {
                         argv[0] = (char*) "/shutdown";
@@ -578,7 +579,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
                         (void) make_console_stdio();
 
                         log_info("Successfully changed into root pivot.\n"
-                                 "Returning to initrd...");
+                                 "Entering exitrd...");
 
                         execv("/shutdown", argv);
                         log_error_errno(errno, "Failed to execute shutdown binary: %m");