diff --git a/src/install.sh b/src/install.sh
index 5f091cfa..f741ba89 100644
--- a/src/install.sh
+++ b/src/install.sh
@@ -481,7 +481,6 @@ skipInstall() {
 
   local iso="$1"
   local previousBase="$2"
-  local marker="$STORAGE/windows.boot"
   local system
 
   if [ -n "$previousBase" ]; then
@@ -569,7 +568,7 @@ skipInstall() {
     return 0
   fi
 
-  hasData && [ -f "$marker" ] && return 0
+  hasData && hasBootMarker && return 0
 
   return 1
 }
@@ -687,7 +686,6 @@ findFile() {
 
   local fname="$1"
   local dir file base
-  local marker="$STORAGE/windows.boot"
 
   dir=$(find / -maxdepth 1 -type d -iname "$fname" -print -quit) || return 1
 
@@ -696,7 +694,7 @@ findFile() {
   fi
 
   if [ -d "$dir" ]; then
-    if ! hasSystemImage && { ! hasDisk || [ ! -f "$marker" ]; }; then
+    if ! hasSystemImage && { ! hasDisk || ! hasBootMarker; }; then
       error "The bind $dir maps to a file that does not exist!" && return 1
     fi
   fi
@@ -786,6 +784,11 @@ isLegacyBoot() {
   [[ "${mode,,}" == "windows_legacy" ]]
 }
 
+hasBootMarker() {
+
+  [ -f "$STORAGE/windows.boot" ]
+}
+
 hasImage() {
 
   local iso="$1"
@@ -828,7 +831,7 @@ hasInstalledDisk() {
 hasCompletedInstall() {
 
   hasSystemImage && return 0
-  hasData && [ -f "$STORAGE/windows.boot" ]
+  hasData && hasBootMarker
 }
 
 needsExtraction() {
diff --git a/src/power.sh b/src/power.sh
index 9a4e0fbb..027b830c 100644
--- a/src/power.sh
+++ b/src/power.sh
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ ready() {
 
   # The marker means installation completed previously, so shutdown
   # no longer needs to infer guest readiness from firmware output.
-  [ -f "$STORAGE/windows.boot" ] && return 0
+  hasBootMarker && return 0
 
   [ ! -s "$QEMU_PTY" ] && return 1
 
@@ -384,9 +384,7 @@ getBootMarker() {
 
 markWindowsBooted() {
 
-  local file="$STORAGE/windows.boot"
-
-  if [ -f "$file" ] || [ ! -f "$BOOT" ]; then
+  if hasBootMarker || [ ! -f "$BOOT" ]; then
     return 0
   fi
 
@@ -394,14 +392,16 @@ markWindowsBooted() {
   # now booting from the installed disk rather than from setup media.
   ready || return 0
 
-  if ! touch "$file"; then
+  local marker="$STORAGE/windows.boot"
+
+  if ! touch "$marker"; then
     warn "failed to create Windows installation marker!"
     return 0
   fi
 
-  if ! setOwner "$file"; then
-    rm -f "$file"
-    warn "failed to set the owner for \"$file\" !"
+  if ! setOwner "$marker"; then
+    rm -f "$marker"
+    warn "failed to set the owner for \"$marker\" !"
     return 0
   fi
 
@@ -430,7 +430,7 @@ finish() {
 
   forceKillQemu "$reason"
 
-  if [ ! -f "$STORAGE/windows.boot" ]; then
+  if ! hasBootMarker; then
     markWindowsBooted
   fi