diff --git a/src/basic/mountpoint-util.c b/src/basic/mountpoint-util.c
index 09fbdcfebec..1136454b7df 100644
--- a/src/basic/mountpoint-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/mountpoint-util.c
@@ -568,7 +568,7 @@ int mount_nofollow(
         return mount_fd(source, fd, filesystemtype, mountflags, data);
 }
 
-const char *mount_propagation_flags_to_string(unsigned long flags) {
+const char *mount_propagation_flag_to_string(unsigned long flags) {
 
         switch (flags & (MS_SHARED|MS_SLAVE|MS_PRIVATE)) {
         case 0:
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ const char *mount_propagation_flags_to_string(unsigned long flags) {
         return NULL;
 }
 
-int mount_propagation_flags_from_string(const char *name, unsigned long *ret) {
+int mount_propagation_flag_from_string(const char *name, unsigned long *ret) {
 
         if (isempty(name))
                 *ret = 0;
@@ -598,3 +598,7 @@ int mount_propagation_flags_from_string(const char *name, unsigned long *ret) {
                 return -EINVAL;
         return 0;
 }
+
+bool mount_propagation_flag_is_valid(unsigned long flag) {
+        return IN_SET(flag, 0, MS_SHARED, MS_PRIVATE, MS_SLAVE);
+}
diff --git a/src/basic/mountpoint-util.h b/src/basic/mountpoint-util.h
index da5d852ff3e..19709195e84 100644
--- a/src/basic/mountpoint-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/mountpoint-util.h
@@ -55,5 +55,6 @@ int dev_is_devtmpfs(void);
 int mount_fd(const char *source, int target_fd, const char *filesystemtype, unsigned long mountflags, const void *data);
 int mount_nofollow(const char *source, const char *target, const char *filesystemtype, unsigned long mountflags, const void *data);
 
-const char *mount_propagation_flags_to_string(unsigned long flags);
-int mount_propagation_flags_from_string(const char *name, unsigned long *ret);
+const char *mount_propagation_flag_to_string(unsigned long flags);
+int mount_propagation_flag_from_string(const char *name, unsigned long *ret);
+bool mount_propagation_flag_is_valid(unsigned long flag);
diff --git a/src/core/dbus-execute.c b/src/core/dbus-execute.c
index c5a51bf5cd8..41eeb1ee941 100644
--- a/src/core/dbus-execute.c
+++ b/src/core/dbus-execute.c
@@ -1599,11 +1599,11 @@ static int parse_personality(const char *s, unsigned long *p) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-static const char* mount_propagation_flags_to_string_with_check(unsigned long n) {
-        if (!IN_SET(n, 0, MS_SHARED, MS_PRIVATE, MS_SLAVE))
+static const char* mount_propagation_flag_to_string_with_check(unsigned long n) {
+        if (!mount_propagation_flag_is_valid(n))
                 return NULL;
 
-        return mount_propagation_flags_to_string(n);
+        return mount_propagation_flag_to_string(n);
 }
 
 static BUS_DEFINE_SET_TRANSIENT(nsec, "t", uint64_t, nsec_t, NSEC_FMT);
@@ -1624,7 +1624,7 @@ static BUS_DEFINE_SET_TRANSIENT_PARSE_PTR(personality, unsigned long, parse_pers
 static BUS_DEFINE_SET_TRANSIENT_TO_STRING_ALLOC(secure_bits, "i", int32_t, int, "%" PRIi32, secure_bits_to_string_alloc_with_check);
 static BUS_DEFINE_SET_TRANSIENT_TO_STRING_ALLOC(capability, "t", uint64_t, uint64_t, "%" PRIu64, capability_set_to_string_alloc);
 static BUS_DEFINE_SET_TRANSIENT_TO_STRING_ALLOC(namespace_flag, "t", uint64_t, unsigned long, "%" PRIu64, namespace_flags_to_string);
-static BUS_DEFINE_SET_TRANSIENT_TO_STRING(mount_flags, "t", uint64_t, unsigned long, "%" PRIu64, mount_propagation_flags_to_string_with_check);
+static BUS_DEFINE_SET_TRANSIENT_TO_STRING(mount_flags, "t", uint64_t, unsigned long, "%" PRIu64, mount_propagation_flag_to_string_with_check);
 
 int bus_exec_context_set_transient_property(
                 Unit *u,
diff --git a/src/core/load-fragment.c b/src/core/load-fragment.c
index 734a5941cc1..ac8c64fe3b9 100644
--- a/src/core/load-fragment.c
+++ b/src/core/load-fragment.c
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_PTR(config_parse_blockio_weight, cg_blkio_weight_parse, uint
 DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_PTR(config_parse_cg_weight, cg_weight_parse, uint64_t, "Invalid weight");
 DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_PTR(config_parse_cg_cpu_weight, cg_cpu_weight_parse, uint64_t, "Invalid CPU weight");
 static DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_PTR(config_parse_cpu_shares_internal, cg_cpu_shares_parse, uint64_t, "Invalid CPU shares");
-DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_PTR(config_parse_exec_mount_flags, mount_propagation_flags_from_string, unsigned long, "Failed to parse mount flag");
+DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_PTR(config_parse_exec_mount_flags, mount_propagation_flag_from_string, unsigned long, "Failed to parse mount flag");
 DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_ENUM_WITH_DEFAULT(config_parse_numa_policy, mpol, int, -1, "Invalid NUMA policy type");
 DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_ENUM(config_parse_status_unit_format, status_unit_format, StatusUnitFormat, "Failed to parse status unit format");
 DEFINE_CONFIG_PARSE_ENUM_FULL(config_parse_socket_timestamping, socket_timestamping_from_string_harder, SocketTimestamping, "Failed to parse timestamping precision");
diff --git a/src/core/namespace.c b/src/core/namespace.c
index af30f40503d..3bac6bb6a3b 100644
--- a/src/core/namespace.c
+++ b/src/core/namespace.c
@@ -2488,7 +2488,7 @@ int setup_namespace(
                 goto finish;
 
         /* MS_MOVE does not work on MS_SHARED so the remount MS_SHARED will be done later */
-        r = mount_switch_root(root, MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_INHERIT);
+        r = mount_switch_root(root, /* mount_propagation_flag = */ 0);
         if (r == -EINVAL && root_directory) {
                 /* If we are using root_directory and we don't have privileges (ie: user manager in a user
                  * namespace) and the root_directory is already a mount point in the parent namespace,
@@ -2498,7 +2498,7 @@ int setup_namespace(
                 r = mount_nofollow_verbose(LOG_DEBUG, root, root, NULL, MS_BIND|MS_REC, NULL);
                 if (r < 0)
                         goto finish;
-                r = mount_switch_root(root, MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_INHERIT);
+                r = mount_switch_root(root, /* mount_propagation_flag = */ 0);
         }
         if (r < 0) {
                 log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to mount root with MS_MOVE: %m");
diff --git a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
index 324cd0e69aa..a1bf5bb1d19 100644
--- a/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
+++ b/src/nspawn/nspawn.c
@@ -3973,7 +3973,7 @@ static int outer_child(
          * directory mount to root later on.
          * https://github.com/systemd/systemd/issues/3847#issuecomment-562735251
          */
-        r = mount_switch_root(directory, MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_SHARED);
+        r = mount_switch_root(directory, MS_SHARED);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to move root directory: %m");
 
diff --git a/src/shared/bus-print-properties.c b/src/shared/bus-print-properties.c
index b0267427fa1..9369866fa1a 100644
--- a/src/shared/bus-print-properties.c
+++ b/src/shared/bus-print-properties.c
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ static int bus_print_property(const char *name, const char *expected_value, sd_b
                 } else if (streq(name, "MountFlags")) {
                         const char *result;
 
-                        result = mount_propagation_flags_to_string(u);
+                        result = mount_propagation_flag_to_string(u);
                         if (!result)
                                 return -EINVAL;
 
diff --git a/src/shared/bus-unit-util.c b/src/shared/bus-unit-util.c
index 6b6383b60b7..7d136df2d92 100644
--- a/src/shared/bus-unit-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/bus-unit-util.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("t", uint64_t, uint64_t, cg_blkio_weight_parse);
 DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("t", uint64_t, uint64_t, cg_cpu_shares_parse);
 DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("t", uint64_t, uint64_t, cg_weight_parse);
 DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("t", uint64_t, uint64_t, cg_cpu_weight_parse);
-DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("t", uint64_t, unsigned long, mount_propagation_flags_from_string);
+DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("t", uint64_t, unsigned long, mount_propagation_flag_from_string);
 DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("t", uint64_t, uint64_t, safe_atou64);
 DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("u", uint32_t, mode_t, parse_mode);
 DEFINE_BUS_APPEND_PARSE_PTR("u", uint32_t, unsigned, safe_atou);
@@ -1035,7 +1035,7 @@ static int bus_append_execute_property(sd_bus_message *m, const char *field, con
                 return bus_append_safe_atou(m, field, eq);
 
         if (streq(field, "MountFlags"))
-                return bus_append_mount_propagation_flags_from_string(m, field, eq);
+                return bus_append_mount_propagation_flag_from_string(m, field, eq);
 
         if (STR_IN_SET(field, "Environment",
                               "UnsetEnvironment",
diff --git a/src/shared/mount-util.c b/src/shared/mount-util.c
index dec12ea3000..8fce74297bd 100644
--- a/src/shared/mount-util.c
+++ b/src/shared/mount-util.c
@@ -430,31 +430,7 @@ int bind_remount_one_with_mountinfo(
         return 0;
 }
 
-static const char *const mount_attr_propagation_type_table[_MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_TYPE_MAX] = {
-        [MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_INHERIT]   = "inherited",
-        [MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_PRIVATE]   = "private",
-        [MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_DEPENDENT] = "dependent",
-        [MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_SHARED]    = "shared",
-};
-
-DEFINE_STRING_TABLE_LOOKUP(mount_attr_propagation_type, MountAttrPropagationType);
-
-unsigned int mount_attr_propagation_type_to_flag(MountAttrPropagationType t) {
-        switch (t) {
-        case MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_INHERIT:
-                return 0;
-        case MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_PRIVATE:
-                return MS_PRIVATE;
-        case MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_DEPENDENT:
-                return MS_SLAVE;
-        case MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_SHARED:
-                return MS_SHARED;
-        default:
-                assert_not_reached();
-        }
-}
-
-static inline int mount_switch_root_pivot(const char *path, int fd_newroot) {
+static int mount_switch_root_pivot(const char *path, int fd_newroot) {
         _cleanup_close_ int fd_oldroot = -EBADF;
 
         fd_oldroot = open("/", O_PATH|O_DIRECTORY|O_CLOEXEC|O_NOFOLLOW);
@@ -484,7 +460,7 @@ static inline int mount_switch_root_pivot(const char *path, int fd_newroot) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-static inline int mount_switch_root_move(const char *path) {
+static int mount_switch_root_move(const char *path) {
         if (mount(path, "/", NULL, MS_MOVE, NULL) < 0)
                 return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to move new rootfs '%s': %m", path);
 
@@ -497,12 +473,12 @@ static inline int mount_switch_root_move(const char *path) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-int mount_switch_root(const char *path, MountAttrPropagationType type) {
-        int r;
+int mount_switch_root(const char *path, unsigned long mount_propagation_flag) {
         _cleanup_close_ int fd_newroot = -EBADF;
-        unsigned int flags;
+        int r;
 
         assert(path);
+        assert(mount_propagation_flag_is_valid(mount_propagation_flag));
 
         fd_newroot = open(path, O_PATH|O_DIRECTORY|O_CLOEXEC|O_NOFOLLOW);
         if (fd_newroot < 0)
@@ -522,11 +498,13 @@ int mount_switch_root(const char *path, MountAttrPropagationType type) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to switch to new rootfs '%s': %m", path);
 
-        /* Finally, let's establish the requested propagation type. */
-        flags = mount_attr_propagation_type_to_flag(type);
-        if ((flags != 0) && mount(NULL, ".", NULL, flags|MS_REC, 0) < 0)
+        /* Finally, let's establish the requested propagation flags. */
+        if (mount_propagation_flag == 0)
+                return 0;
+
+        if (mount(NULL, ".", NULL, mount_propagation_flag | MS_REC, 0) < 0)
                 return log_debug_errno(errno, "Failed to turn new rootfs '%s' into %s mount: %m",
-                                       mount_attr_propagation_type_to_string(type), path);
+                                       mount_propagation_flag_to_string(mount_propagation_flag), path);
 
         return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/shared/mount-util.h b/src/shared/mount-util.h
index f6de42e1a02..7554bf828e1 100644
--- a/src/shared/mount-util.h
+++ b/src/shared/mount-util.h
@@ -11,20 +11,6 @@
 #include "errno-util.h"
 #include "macro.h"
 
-typedef enum MountAttrPropagationType {
-        MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_INHERIT,   /* no special MS_* propagation flags */
-        MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_PRIVATE,   /* MS_PRIVATE */
-        MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_DEPENDENT, /* MS_SLAVE */
-        MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_SHARED,    /* MS_SHARE */
-
-        _MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_TYPE_MAX,
-        _MOUNT_ATTR_PROPAGATION_TYPE_INVALID = -EINVAL,
-} MountAttrPropagationType;
-
-const char* mount_attr_propagation_type_to_string(MountAttrPropagationType t) _const_;
-MountAttrPropagationType mount_attr_propagation_type_from_string(const char *s) _pure_;
-unsigned int mount_attr_propagation_type_to_flag(MountAttrPropagationType t);
-
 int repeat_unmount(const char *path, int flags);
 int umount_recursive(const char *target, int flags);
 
@@ -35,7 +21,7 @@ static inline int bind_remount_recursive(const char *prefix, unsigned long new_f
 
 int bind_remount_one_with_mountinfo(const char *path, unsigned long new_flags, unsigned long flags_mask, FILE *proc_self_mountinfo);
 
-int mount_switch_root(const char *path, MountAttrPropagationType type);
+int mount_switch_root(const char *path, unsigned long mount_propagation_flag);
 
 DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC_FULL(FILE*, endmntent, NULL);
 #define _cleanup_endmntent_ _cleanup_(endmntentp)
diff --git a/src/test/test-mountpoint-util.c b/src/test/test-mountpoint-util.c
index ccf18ecd9c5..c4a87d253e9 100644
--- a/src/test/test-mountpoint-util.c
+++ b/src/test/test-mountpoint-util.c
@@ -17,19 +17,19 @@
 #include "tests.h"
 #include "tmpfile-util.h"
 
-static void test_mount_propagation_flags_one(const char *name, int ret, unsigned long expected) {
+static void test_mount_propagation_flag_one(const char *name, int ret, unsigned long expected) {
         unsigned long flags;
 
         log_info("/* %s(%s) */", __func__, strnull(name));
 
-        assert_se(mount_propagation_flags_from_string(name, &flags) == ret);
+        assert_se(mount_propagation_flag_from_string(name, &flags) == ret);
 
         if (ret >= 0) {
                 const char *c;
 
                 assert_se(flags == expected);
 
-                c = mount_propagation_flags_to_string(flags);
+                c = mount_propagation_flag_to_string(flags);
                 if (isempty(name))
                         assert_se(isempty(c));
                 else
@@ -37,14 +37,14 @@ static void test_mount_propagation_flags_one(const char *name, int ret, unsigned
         }
 }
 
-TEST(mount_propagation_flags) {
-        test_mount_propagation_flags_one("shared", 0, MS_SHARED);
-        test_mount_propagation_flags_one("slave", 0, MS_SLAVE);
-        test_mount_propagation_flags_one("private", 0, MS_PRIVATE);
-        test_mount_propagation_flags_one(NULL, 0, 0);
-        test_mount_propagation_flags_one("", 0, 0);
-        test_mount_propagation_flags_one("xxxx", -EINVAL, 0);
-        test_mount_propagation_flags_one(" ", -EINVAL, 0);
+TEST(mount_propagation_flag) {
+        test_mount_propagation_flag_one("shared", 0, MS_SHARED);
+        test_mount_propagation_flag_one("slave", 0, MS_SLAVE);
+        test_mount_propagation_flag_one("private", 0, MS_PRIVATE);
+        test_mount_propagation_flag_one(NULL, 0, 0);
+        test_mount_propagation_flag_one("", 0, 0);
+        test_mount_propagation_flag_one("xxxx", -EINVAL, 0);
+        test_mount_propagation_flag_one(" ", -EINVAL, 0);
 }
 
 TEST(mnt_id) {