diff --git a/src/shared/util.c b/src/shared/util.c
index c3f1ed244..64680561e 100644
--- a/src/shared/util.c
+++ b/src/shared/util.c
@@ -3204,19 +3204,27 @@ bool on_tty(void) {
         return cached_on_tty;
 }
 
+int files_same(const char *filea, const char *fileb) {
+        struct stat a, b;
+
+        if (stat(filea, &a) < 0)
+                return -errno;
+
+        if (stat(fileb, &b) < 0)
+                return -errno;
+
+        return a.st_dev == b.st_dev &&
+               a.st_ino == b.st_ino;
+}
+
 int running_in_chroot(void) {
-        struct stat a = {}, b = {};
+        int ret;
 
-        /* Only works as root */
-        if (stat("/proc/1/root", &a) < 0)
-                return -errno;
+        ret = files_same("/proc/1/root", "/");
+        if (ret < 0)
+                return ret;
 
-        if (stat("/", &b) < 0)
-                return -errno;
-
-        return
-                a.st_dev != b.st_dev ||
-                a.st_ino != b.st_ino;
+        return ret == 0;
 }
 
 static char *ascii_ellipsize_mem(const char *s, size_t old_length, size_t new_length, unsigned percent) {
diff --git a/src/shared/util.h b/src/shared/util.h
index 38d649401..5d2bbfb44 100644
--- a/src/shared/util.h
+++ b/src/shared/util.h
@@ -445,6 +445,8 @@ static inline const char *ansi_highlight_off(void) {
         return on_tty() ? ANSI_HIGHLIGHT_OFF : "";
 }
 
+int files_same(const char *filea, const char *fileb);
+
 int running_in_chroot(void);
 
 char *ellipsize(const char *s, size_t length, unsigned percent);