diff --git a/stage1/init/init.go b/stage1/init/init.go
index 4038172..caf3c90 100644
--- a/stage1/init/init.go
+++ b/stage1/init/init.go
@@ -218,23 +218,23 @@ func getArgsEnv(p *Pod, flavor, systemdVersion string, debug bool) ([]string, []
 		} else {
 			args = append(args, fmt.Sprintf("--register=false"))
 		}
-
-		if util.IsRunningSystemd() {
-			// we write /etc/machine-id here because systemd-nspawn needs it to link
-			// the container's journal to the host
-			mPath := filepath.Join(common.Stage1RootfsPath(p.Root), "etc", "machine-id")
-			mId := strings.Replace(p.UUID.String(), "-", "", -1)
-
-			if err := ioutil.WriteFile(mPath, []byte(mId), 0644); err != nil {
-				log.Fatalf("error writing /etc/machine-id: %v\n", err)
-			}
-
-			args = append(args, "--link-journal=try-host")
-		}
 	default:
 		return nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("unrecognized stage1 flavor: %q", flavor)
 	}
 
+	if util.IsRunningSystemd() {
+		// we write /etc/machine-id here because systemd-nspawn needs it to link
+		// the container's journal to the host
+		mPath := filepath.Join(common.Stage1RootfsPath(p.Root), "etc", "machine-id")
+		mId := strings.Replace(p.UUID.String(), "-", "", -1)
+
+		if err := ioutil.WriteFile(mPath, []byte(mId), 0644); err != nil {
+			log.Fatalf("error writing /etc/machine-id: %v\n", err)
+		}
+
+		args = append(args, "--link-journal=host")
+	}
+
 	if !debug {
 		args = append(args, "--quiet") // silence most nspawn output (log_warning is currently not covered by this)
 	}