diff --git a/src/mounts.js b/src/mounts.js
index 0918eb7f5..8a251f89a 100644
--- a/src/mounts.js
+++ b/src/mounts.js
@@ -1,11 +1,10 @@
 'use strict';
 
 exports = module.exports = {
-    writeMountFile,
+    tryAddMount,
     removeMountFile,
     validateMountOptions,
     getStatus,
-    waitForMount
 };
 
 const assert = require('assert'),
@@ -15,9 +14,9 @@ const assert = require('assert'),
     fs = require('fs'),
     path = require('path'),
     paths = require('./paths.js'),
+    promiseRetry = require('./promise-retry.js'),
     safe = require('safetydance'),
     shell = require('./shell.js');
-const promiseRetry = require('./promise-retry.js');
 
 const ADD_MOUNT_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/addmount.sh');
 const RM_MOUNT_CMD = path.join(__dirname, 'scripts/rmmount.sh');
@@ -57,11 +56,9 @@ function validateMountOptions(type, options) {
     }
 }
 
-async function writeMountFile(volume) {
+function renderMountFile(volume) {
     assert.strictEqual(typeof volume, 'object');
 
-    if (constants.TEST) return;
-
     const {name, hostPath, mountType, mountOptions} = volume;
 
     let options, what, type;
@@ -97,8 +94,7 @@ async function writeMountFile(volume) {
         return;
     }
 
-    const mountFileContents = ejs.render(SYSTEMD_MOUNT_EJS, { name, what, where: hostPath, options, type });
-    await shell.promises.sudo('generateMountFile', [ ADD_MOUNT_CMD, mountFileContents ], {});
+    return ejs.render(SYSTEMD_MOUNT_EJS, { name, what, where: hostPath, options, type });
 }
 
 async function removeMountFile(hostPath) {
@@ -141,16 +137,30 @@ async function getStatus(mountType, hostPath) {
     return { state, message };
 }
 
-async function waitForMount(mountType, hostPath, options) {
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof mountType, 'string');
-    assert.strictEqual(typeof hostPath, 'string');
+async function tryAddMount(volume, oldVolume, options) {
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof volume, 'object');
+    assert.strictEqual(typeof oldVolume, 'object'); // can be null
     assert.strictEqual(typeof options, 'object');
 
-    if (mountType === 'noop' || mountType === 'mountpoint') return;  // noop is from volume provider and mountpoint is from backup provider
+    if (volume.mountType === 'noop' || volume.mountType === 'mountpoint') return;  // noop is from volume provider and mountpoint is from backup provider
 
-    await promiseRetry(options, async function () {
-        const status = await getStatus(mountType, hostPath);
+    if (constants.TEST) return;
+
+    await shell.promises.sudo('addMount', [ ADD_MOUNT_CMD, renderMountFile(volume) ], {});
+
+    const [error] = await safe(promiseRetry(options, async function () {
+        const status = await getStatus(volume.mountType, volume.hostPath);
         if (status.state === 'active') return true;
         throw new BoxError(BoxError.MOUNT_ERROR, `Mount is not active (${status.state}): ${status.message}`);
-    });
+    }));
+
+    if (!error) return; // success
+
+    // revert to old configuration
+    if (oldVolume) {
+        await safe(shell.promises.sudo('revertMount', [ ADD_MOUNT_CMD, renderMountFile(oldVolume) ], {}));
+    } else {
+        await removeMountFile(volume.hostPath);
+    }
+    throw error;
 }
diff --git a/src/scripts/addmount.sh b/src/scripts/addmount.sh
index 82e933c91..529d3d902 100755
--- a/src/scripts/addmount.sh
+++ b/src/scripts/addmount.sh
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ mount_file_contents="$1"
 where=$(echo "${mount_file_contents}" | grep "^Where=" | cut -d'=' -f 2)
 
 mount_filename=$(systemd-escape -p --suffix=mount "$where")
-
-echo "$mount_file_contents" > "/etc/systemd/system/${mount_filename}"
+mount_file="/etc/systemd/system/${mount_filename}"
 
 systemctl stop "${mount_filename}" || true
+
+echo "$mount_file_contents" > "${mount_file}"
+
 systemctl daemon-reload
 systemctl enable --no-block --now "${mount_filename}" || true
diff --git a/src/volumes.js b/src/volumes.js
index 3d8f73363..f63d995e8 100644
--- a/src/volumes.js
+++ b/src/volumes.js
@@ -86,13 +86,7 @@ async function add(volume, auditSource) {
 
     const id = uuid.v4();
 
-    // try mounting and unmount on fail
-    await mounts.writeMountFile(volume);
-    [error] = await safe(mounts.waitForMount(mountType, hostPath, { times: 20, interval: 500 })); // 10 seconds
-    if (error) {
-        await safe(mounts.removeMountFile(hostPath));
-        throw error;
-    }
+    if (volume.mountType !== 'noop') await mounts.tryAddMount(volume, null /* oldVolume */, { times: 20, interval: 500 }); // 10 seconds
 
     try {
         await database.query('INSERT INTO volumes (id, name, hostPath, mountType, mountOptionsJson) VALUES (?, ?, ?, ?, ?)', [ id, name, hostPath, mountType, JSON.stringify(mountOptions) ]);
@@ -123,16 +117,10 @@ async function update(volume, mountType, mountOptions) {
     if (mountType === 'noop') {
         await mounts.removeMountFile(volume.hostPath);
     } else {
-        await mounts.writeMountFile(Object.assign({}, volume, { mountType, mountOptions }));
-
-        [error] = await safe(mounts.waitForMount(mountType, volume.hostPath, { times: 20, interval: 500 })); // 10 seconds
-        if (error) {
-            await safe(mounts.removeMountFile(volume.hostPath));
-            throw error;
-        }
+        await mounts.tryAddMount(Object.assign({}, volume, { mountType, mountOptions }), volume, { times: 20, interval: 500 }); // 10 seconds
     }
 
-    const [, result] = await database.query('UPDATE volumes SET mountType=?, mountOptionsJson=? WHERE id=?', [ mountType, JSON.stringify(mountOptions), volume.id ]);
+    const result = await database.query('UPDATE volumes SET mountOptionsJson=? WHERE id=?', [ JSON.stringify(mountOptions), volume.id ]);
     if (result.affectedRows !== 1) throw new BoxError(BoxError.NOT_FOUND, 'Volume not found');
 }