diff --git a/include/mount.h b/include/mount.h
index 76a8e2442..6018dd791 100644
--- a/include/mount.h
+++ b/include/mount.h
@@ -117,5 +117,6 @@ extern int fini_mnt_ns(void);
 
 extern char *rst_get_mnt_root(int mnt_id);
 extern int ext_mount_add(char *key, char *val);
+extern int mntns_maybe_create_roots(void);
 
 #endif /* __CR_MOUNT_H__ */
diff --git a/mount.c b/mount.c
index 88a6026ce..16d662ece 100644
--- a/mount.c
+++ b/mount.c
@@ -2529,16 +2529,6 @@ static int read_mnt_ns_img(void)
 		if (nsid->nd != &mnt_ns_desc)
 			continue;
 
-		if (nsid->type != NS_ROOT) {
-			BUG_ON(nsid->type == NS_CRIU);
-			/*
-			 * If we have more than one (root) namespace,
-			 * then we'll need the roots yard.
-			 */
-			if (create_mnt_roots())
-				return -1;
-		}
-
 		if (collect_mnt_from_image(&pms, nsid))
 			return -1;
 	}
@@ -2568,6 +2558,32 @@ char *rst_get_mnt_root(int mnt_id)
 	return path;
 }
 
+int mntns_maybe_create_roots(void)
+{
+	struct ns_id *ns;
+
+	if (!(root_ns_mask & CLONE_NEWNS))
+		return 0;
+
+	for (ns = ns_ids; ns != NULL; ns = ns->next) {
+		if (ns->nd != &mnt_ns_desc)
+			continue;
+
+		if (ns->type != NS_ROOT) {
+			BUG_ON(ns->type == NS_CRIU);
+
+			/*
+			 * If we have more than one (root) namespace,
+			 * then we'll need the roots yard.
+			 */
+			return create_mnt_roots();
+		}
+	}
+
+	/* No "other" mntns found, just go ahead, we don't need roots yard. */
+	return 0;
+}
+
 static int do_restore_task_mnt_ns(struct ns_id *nsid, struct pstree_item *current)
 {
 	char path[PATH_MAX];
diff --git a/namespaces.c b/namespaces.c
index bb38459b3..135230e08 100644
--- a/namespaces.c
+++ b/namespaces.c
@@ -1321,8 +1321,16 @@ int prepare_namespace_before_tasks(void)
 	if (netns_keep_nsfd())
 		goto err_netns;
 
+	if (mntns_maybe_create_roots())
+		goto err_mnt;
+
 	return 0;
 
+err_mnt:
+	/*
+	 * Nothing, netns' descriptor will be closed
+	 * on criu exit
+	 */
 err_netns:
 	stop_usernsd();
 err_unds: