diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index ca01179e82..a29a32a5d2 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -4447,7 +4447,6 @@ SYSINIT_TARGET_WANTS += \
 	systemd-update-utmp.service
 LOCAL_FS_TARGET_WANTS += \
 	systemd-remount-fs.service \
-	systemd-fsck-root.service \
 	tmp.mount
 MULTI_USER_TARGET_WANTS += \
 	getty.target \
diff --git a/man/systemd-fsck@.service.xml b/man/systemd-fsck@.service.xml
index 17bd1c027b..811392b19a 100644
--- a/man/systemd-fsck@.service.xml
+++ b/man/systemd-fsck@.service.xml
@@ -63,7 +63,9 @@
                 check. <filename>systemd-fsck-root.service</filename> is
                 responsible for file system checks on the root
                 file system. The root file system check is performed
-                before the other file systems.</para>
+                before the other file systems. Either service is enabled
+                at boot if passno in <filename>/etc/fstab</filename> for
+                the filesystem is set to a value greater than zero.</para>
 
                 <para><filename>systemd-fsck</filename> will
                 forward file system checking progress to the
diff --git a/src/fstab-generator/fstab-generator.c b/src/fstab-generator/fstab-generator.c
index 77247dee5e..78d7609c6c 100644
--- a/src/fstab-generator/fstab-generator.c
+++ b/src/fstab-generator/fstab-generator.c
@@ -210,17 +210,29 @@ static int add_mount(
                         post);
 
         if (passno > 0) {
-                _cleanup_free_ char *fsck = NULL;
+                if (streq(where, "/")) {
+                        lnk = strjoin(arg_dest, "/", SPECIAL_LOCAL_FS_TARGET, ".wants/", "systemd-fsck-root.service", NULL);
+                        if (!lnk)
+                                return log_oom();
 
-                fsck = unit_name_from_path_instance("systemd-fsck", what, ".service");
-                if (!fsck)
-                        return log_oom();
+                        mkdir_parents_label(lnk, 0755);
+                        if (symlink("systemd-fsck-root.service", lnk) < 0) {
+                                log_error("Failed to create symlink %s: %m", lnk);
+                                return -errno;
+                        }
+                } else {
+                        _cleanup_free_ char *fsck = NULL;
 
-                fprintf(f,
-                        "Requires=%s\n"
-                        "After=%s\n",
-                        fsck,
-                        fsck);
+                        fsck = unit_name_from_path_instance("systemd-fsck", what, ".service");
+                        if (!fsck)
+                                return log_oom();
+
+                        fprintf(f,
+                                "Requires=%s\n"
+                                "After=%s\n",
+                                fsck,
+                                fsck);
+                }
         }
 
 
@@ -248,6 +260,7 @@ static int add_mount(
 
         if (!noauto) {
                 if (post) {
+                        free(lnk);
                         lnk = strjoin(arg_dest, "/", post, nofail || automount ? ".wants/" : ".requires/", name, NULL);
                         if (!lnk)
                                 return log_oom();