diff --git a/src/condition.c b/src/condition.c
index 2b51a16..f50df1a 100644
--- a/src/condition.c
+++ b/src/condition.c
@@ -80,14 +80,10 @@ static bool test_kernel_command_line(const char *parameter) {
 
         assert(parameter);
 
-        if (detect_container(NULL) > 0)
+        if ((r = read_cmdline(&line)) < 0)
                 return false;
-
-        r = read_one_line_file("/proc/cmdline", &line);
-        if (r < 0) {
-                log_warning("Failed to read /proc/cmdline, ignoring: %s", strerror(-r));
+        if (!line)
                 return false;
-        }
 
         equal = !!strchr(parameter, '=');
         pl = strlen(parameter);
diff --git a/src/fsck.c b/src/fsck.c
index d3ac83c..f55eb89 100644
--- a/src/fsck.c
+++ b/src/fsck.c
@@ -109,14 +109,11 @@ static int parse_proc_cmdline(void) {
         int r;
         size_t l;
 
-        if (detect_container(NULL) > 0)
+        if ((r = read_cmdline(&line)) < 0)
+                return r;
+        if (!line)
                 return 0;
 
-        if ((r = read_one_line_file("/proc/cmdline", &line)) < 0) {
-                log_warning("Failed to read /proc/cmdline, ignoring: %s", strerror(-r));
-                return 0;
-        }
-
         FOREACH_WORD_QUOTED(w, l, line, state) {
 
                 if (strneq(w, "fsck.mode=auto", l))
diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index ed317b4..8c765bd 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -690,15 +690,10 @@ static int parse_proc_cmdline(void) {
         int r;
         size_t l;
 
-        /* Don't read /proc/cmdline if we are in a container, since
-         * that is only relevant for the host system */
-        if (detect_container(NULL) > 0)
-                return 0;
-
-        if ((r = read_one_line_file("/proc/cmdline", &line)) < 0) {
-                log_warning("Failed to read /proc/cmdline, ignoring: %s", strerror(-r));
+        if ((r = read_cmdline(&line)) < 0)
+                goto finish;
+        if (!line)
                 return 0;
-        }
 
         FOREACH_WORD_QUOTED(w, l, line, state) {
                 char *word;
diff --git a/src/quotacheck.c b/src/quotacheck.c
index b6648b8..4673e3b 100644
--- a/src/quotacheck.c
+++ b/src/quotacheck.c
@@ -36,14 +36,11 @@ static int parse_proc_cmdline(void) {
         int r;
         size_t l;
 
-        if (detect_container(NULL) > 0)
+        if ((r = read_cmdline(&line)) < 0)
+                return r;
+        if (!line)
                 return 0;
 
-        if ((r = read_one_line_file("/proc/cmdline", &line)) < 0) {
-                log_warning("Failed to read /proc/cmdline, ignoring: %s", strerror(-r));
-                return 0;
-        }
-
         FOREACH_WORD_QUOTED(w, l, line, state) {
 
                 if (strneq(w, "quotacheck.mode=auto", l))
diff --git a/src/util.c b/src/util.c
index e9869ea..d6e3d22 100644
--- a/src/util.c
+++ b/src/util.c
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
 #include "label.h"
 #include "exit-status.h"
 #include "hashmap.h"
+#include "virt.h"
 
 int saved_argc = 0;
 char **saved_argv = NULL;
@@ -806,6 +807,30 @@ finish:
         return r;
 }
 
+int read_cmdline(char **line)
+{
+        int r;
+        *line = NULL;
+        /* Don't read /proc/cmdline if we are in a container, since
+         * that is only relevant for the host system */
+        if (detect_container(NULL) > 0) {
+                char *v = getenv("LIBVIRT_LXC_CMDLINE");
+                if (v &&
+                    !(*line = strdup(v))) {
+                        r = -ENOMEM;
+                        goto finish;
+                }
+        } else {
+                if ((r = read_one_line_file("/proc/cmdline", line)) < 0) {
+                        log_warning("Failed to read /proc/cmdline, ignoring: %s", strerror(-r));
+                        r = 0;
+                }
+        }
+        r = 0;
+ finish:
+        return r;
+}
+
 int parse_env_file(
                 const char *fname,
                 const char *separator, ...) {
diff --git a/src/util.h b/src/util.h
index 890a3b5..01ad46a 100644
--- a/src/util.h
+++ b/src/util.h
@@ -210,6 +210,8 @@ int write_one_line_file_atomic(const char *fn, const char *line);
 int read_one_line_file(const char *fn, char **line);
 int read_full_file(const char *fn, char **contents, size_t *size);
 
+int read_cmdline(char **line);
+
 int parse_env_file(const char *fname, const char *separator, ...) _sentinel_;
 int load_env_file(const char *fname, char ***l);
 int write_env_file(const char *fname, char **l);