diff --git a/src/login/logind-dbus.c b/src/login/logind-dbus.c
index 049e33e2a..e6371ff04 100644
--- a/src/login/logind-dbus.c
+++ b/src/login/logind-dbus.c
@@ -1774,7 +1774,7 @@ static int nologin_timeout_handler(
 
         log_info("Creating /run/nologin, blocking further logins...");
 
-        r = write_string_file("/run/nologin", "System is going down.", WRITE_STRING_FILE_ATOMIC);
+        r = write_string_file("/run/nologin", "System is going down.", WRITE_STRING_FILE_CREATE|WRITE_STRING_FILE_ATOMIC);
         if (r < 0)
                 log_error_errno(r, "Failed to create /run/nologin: %m");
         else
diff --git a/src/user-sessions/user-sessions.c b/src/user-sessions/user-sessions.c
index ddeb310c3..e80a7771d 100644
--- a/src/user-sessions/user-sessions.c
+++ b/src/user-sessions/user-sessions.c
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ int main(int argc, char*argv[]) {
         } else if (streq(argv[1], "stop")) {
                 int r;
 
-                r = write_string_file("/run/nologin", "System is going down.", WRITE_STRING_FILE_ATOMIC);
+                r = write_string_file("/run/nologin", "System is going down.", WRITE_STRING_FILE_CREATE|WRITE_STRING_FILE_ATOMIC);
                 if (r < 0) {
                         log_error_errno(r, "Failed to create /run/nologin: %m");
                         return EXIT_FAILURE;