diff --git a/libcontainer/configs/config.go b/libcontainer/configs/config.go
index 4b298e1ea..7fd311db4 100644
--- a/libcontainer/configs/config.go
+++ b/libcontainer/configs/config.go
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ type Config struct {
 	// bind mounts are writtable.
 	Readonlyfs bool `json:"readonlyfs"`
 
-	// Privatefs will mount the container's rootfs as private where mount points from the parent will not propogate
-	Privatefs bool `json:"privatefs"`
+	// Specifies the mount propagation flags to be applied to /.
+	RootPropagation int `json:"rootPropagation"`
 
 	// Mounts specify additional source and destination paths that will be mounted inside the container's
 	// rootfs and mount namespace if specified
diff --git a/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go b/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
index f95669759..f8fc90fd1 100644
--- a/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
+++ b/libcontainer/rootfs_linux.go
@@ -422,8 +422,8 @@ func mknodDevice(dest string, node *configs.Device) error {
 
 func prepareRoot(config *configs.Config) error {
 	flag := syscall.MS_SLAVE | syscall.MS_REC
-	if config.Privatefs {
-		flag = syscall.MS_PRIVATE | syscall.MS_REC
+	if config.RootPropagation != 0 {
+		flag = config.RootPropagation
 	}
 	if err := syscall.Mount("", "/", "", uintptr(flag), ""); err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/spec.go b/spec.go
index 8604121bd..90876d7ce 100644
--- a/spec.go
+++ b/spec.go
@@ -329,11 +329,11 @@ func createLibcontainerConfig(cgroupName string, spec *specs.LinuxSpec, rspec *s
 		rootfsPath = filepath.Join(cwd, rootfsPath)
 	}
 	config := &configs.Config{
-		Rootfs:       rootfsPath,
-		Capabilities: spec.Linux.Capabilities,
-		Readonlyfs:   spec.Root.Readonly,
-		Hostname:     spec.Hostname,
-		Privatefs:    true,
+		Rootfs:          rootfsPath,
+		Capabilities:    spec.Linux.Capabilities,
+		Readonlyfs:      spec.Root.Readonly,
+		Hostname:        spec.Hostname,
+		RootPropagation: syscall.MS_PRIVATE | syscall.MS_REC,
 	}
 	for _, ns := range rspec.Linux.Namespaces {
 		t, exists := namespaceMapping[ns.Type]