diff --git a/src/libostree/ostree-bootloader-uboot.c b/src/libostree/ostree-bootloader-uboot.c
index 5a51aae6..81791e1c 100644
--- a/src/libostree/ostree-bootloader-uboot.c
+++ b/src/libostree/ostree-bootloader-uboot.c
@@ -29,12 +29,13 @@
 
 #include <string.h>
 
+static const char uboot_config_path[] = "boot/loader/uEnv.txt";
+
 struct _OstreeBootloaderUboot
 {
   GObject       parent_instance;
 
   OstreeSysroot  *sysroot;
-  GFile          *config_path;
 };
 
 typedef GObjectClass OstreeBootloaderUbootClass;
@@ -50,8 +51,11 @@ _ostree_bootloader_uboot_query (OstreeBootloader *bootloader,
                                 GError          **error) 
 {
   OstreeBootloaderUboot *self = OSTREE_BOOTLOADER_UBOOT (bootloader);
+  struct stat stbuf;
 
-  *out_is_active = g_file_query_file_type (self->config_path, G_FILE_QUERY_INFO_NOFOLLOW_SYMLINKS, NULL) == G_FILE_TYPE_REGULAR;
+  if (!glnx_fstatat_allow_noent (self->sysroot->sysroot_fd, uboot_config_path, &stbuf, AT_SYMLINK_NOFOLLOW, error))
+    return FALSE;
+  *out_is_active = (errno == 0);
   return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -156,36 +160,26 @@ _ostree_bootloader_uboot_write_config (OstreeBootloader          *bootloader,
                                   GError               **error)
 {
   OstreeBootloaderUboot *self = OSTREE_BOOTLOADER_UBOOT (bootloader);
-  g_autoptr(GFile) new_config_path = NULL;
-  g_autofree char *config_contents = NULL;
-  g_autofree char *new_config_contents = NULL;
-  g_autoptr(GPtrArray) new_lines = NULL;
 
   /* This should follow the symbolic link to the current bootversion. */
-  config_contents = glnx_file_get_contents_utf8_at (AT_FDCWD, gs_file_get_path_cached (self->config_path), NULL,
-                                                    cancellable, error);
+  g_autofree char *config_contents =
+    glnx_file_get_contents_utf8_at (self->sysroot->sysroot_fd, uboot_config_path, NULL,
+                                    cancellable, error);
   if (!config_contents)
     return FALSE;
 
-  new_config_path = ot_gfile_resolve_path_printf (self->sysroot->path, "boot/loader.%d/uEnv.txt",
-                                                      bootversion);
-
-  new_lines = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func (g_free);
-
+  g_autoptr(GPtrArray) new_lines = g_ptr_array_new_with_free_func (g_free);
   if (!create_config_from_boot_loader_entries (self, bootversion, new_lines,
                                                cancellable, error))
     return FALSE;
 
-  new_config_contents = _ostree_sysroot_join_lines (new_lines);
-  {
-    g_autoptr(GBytes) new_config_contents_bytes =
-      g_bytes_new_static (new_config_contents,
-                          strlen (new_config_contents));
-
-    if (!ot_gfile_replace_contents_fsync (new_config_path, new_config_contents_bytes,
-                                          cancellable, error))
-      return FALSE;
-  }
+  g_autofree char *new_config_path = g_strdup_printf ("boot/loader.%d/uEnv.txt", bootversion);
+  g_autofree char *new_config_contents = _ostree_sysroot_join_lines (new_lines);
+  if (!glnx_file_replace_contents_at (self->sysroot->sysroot_fd, new_config_path,
+                                      (guint8*)new_config_contents, strlen (new_config_contents),
+                                      GLNX_FILE_REPLACE_DATASYNC_NEW,
+                                      cancellable, error))
+    return FALSE;
 
   return TRUE;
 }
@@ -196,7 +190,6 @@ _ostree_bootloader_uboot_finalize (GObject *object)
   OstreeBootloaderUboot *self = OSTREE_BOOTLOADER_UBOOT (object);
 
   g_clear_object (&self->sysroot);
-  g_clear_object (&self->config_path);
 
   G_OBJECT_CLASS (_ostree_bootloader_uboot_parent_class)->finalize (object);
 }
@@ -227,6 +220,5 @@ _ostree_bootloader_uboot_new (OstreeSysroot *sysroot)
 {
   OstreeBootloaderUboot *self = g_object_new (OSTREE_TYPE_BOOTLOADER_UBOOT, NULL);
   self->sysroot = g_object_ref (sysroot);
-  self->config_path = g_file_resolve_relative_path (self->sysroot->path, "boot/loader/uEnv.txt");
   return self;
 }