diff --git a/src/libstore/local-store.cc b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
index 00c1ac6dd..9e1324262 100644
--- a/src/libstore/local-store.cc
+++ b/src/libstore/local-store.cc
@@ -247,7 +247,7 @@ LocalStore::LocalStore(ref<const Config> config)
     else if (curSchema == 0) { /* new store */
         curSchema = nixSchemaVersion;
         openDB(*state, true);
-        writeFileAndSync(schemaPath, fmt("%1%", curSchema), 0666);
+        writeFile(schemaPath, fmt("%1%", curSchema), 0666, FsSync::Yes);
     }
 
     else if (curSchema < nixSchemaVersion) {
@@ -298,7 +298,7 @@ LocalStore::LocalStore(ref<const Config> config)
             txn.commit();
         }
 
-        writeFileAndSync(schemaPath, fmt("%1%", nixSchemaVersion), 0666);
+        writeFile(schemaPath, fmt("%1%", nixSchemaVersion), 0666, FsSync::Yes);
 
         lockFile(globalLock.get(), ltRead, true);
     }
diff --git a/src/libutil/file-content-address.cc b/src/libutil/file-content-address.cc
index 142bc70d5..d95781691 100644
--- a/src/libutil/file-content-address.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/file-content-address.cc
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ void restorePath(
 {
     switch (method) {
     case FileSerialisationMethod::Flat:
-        writeFile(path, source, 0666, startFsync);
+        writeFile(path, source, 0666, startFsync ? FsSync::Yes : FsSync::No);
         break;
     case FileSerialisationMethod::NixArchive:
         restorePath(path, source, startFsync);
diff --git a/src/libutil/file-system.cc b/src/libutil/file-system.cc
index 3fd5ae669..79e6cf354 100644
--- a/src/libutil/file-system.cc
+++ b/src/libutil/file-system.cc
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ void readFile(const Path & path, Sink & sink, bool memory_map)
 }
 
 
-void writeFile(const Path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode)
+void writeFile(const Path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode, FsSync sync)
 {
     AutoCloseFD fd = toDescriptor(open(path.c_str(), O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC | O_CREAT
 // TODO
@@ -315,40 +315,28 @@ void writeFile(const Path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode)
     if (!fd)
         throw SysError("opening file '%1%'", path);
 
-    writeFile(fd, path, s, mode);
+    writeFile(fd, path, s, mode, sync);
 
     /* Close explicitly to propagate the exceptions. */
     fd.close();
 }
 
-void writeFile(AutoCloseFD & fd, const Path & origPath, std::string_view s, mode_t mode)
+void writeFile(AutoCloseFD & fd, const Path & origPath, std::string_view s, mode_t mode, FsSync sync)
 {
     assert(fd);
     try {
         writeFull(fd.get(), s);
+
+        if (sync == FsSync::Yes)
+            fd.fsync();
+
     } catch (Error & e) {
         e.addTrace({}, "writing file '%1%'", origPath);
         throw;
     }
 }
 
-void writeFileAndSync(const Path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode)
-{
-    {
-        AutoCloseFD fd{open(path.c_str(), O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC | O_CREAT | O_CLOEXEC, mode)};
-        if (!fd)
-            throw SysError("opening file '%1%'", path);
-
-        writeFile(fd, path, s, mode);
-        fd.fsync();
-        /* Close explicitly to ensure that exceptions are propagated. */
-        fd.close();
-    }
-
-    syncParent(path);
-}
-
-void writeFile(const Path & path, Source & source, mode_t mode, bool sync)
+void writeFile(const Path & path, Source & source, mode_t mode, FsSync sync)
 {
     AutoCloseFD fd = toDescriptor(open(path.c_str(), O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC | O_CREAT
 // TODO
@@ -372,11 +360,11 @@ void writeFile(const Path & path, Source & source, mode_t mode, bool sync)
         e.addTrace({}, "writing file '%1%'", path);
         throw;
     }
-    if (sync)
+    if (sync == FsSync::Yes)
         fd.fsync();
     // Explicitly close to make sure exceptions are propagated.
     fd.close();
-    if (sync)
+    if (sync == FsSync::Yes)
         syncParent(path);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/file-system.hh b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/file-system.hh
index 5f062412d..c45cb55aa 100644
--- a/src/libutil/include/nix/util/file-system.hh
+++ b/src/libutil/include/nix/util/file-system.hh
@@ -169,29 +169,26 @@ std::string readFile(const Path & path);
 std::string readFile(const std::filesystem::path & path);
 void readFile(const Path & path, Sink & sink, bool memory_map = true);
 
+enum struct FsSync { Yes, No };
+
 /**
  * Write a string to a file.
  */
-void writeFile(const Path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode = 0666);
+void writeFile(const Path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode = 0666, FsSync sync = FsSync::No);
 
-static inline void writeFile(const std::filesystem::path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode = 0666)
+static inline void writeFile(const std::filesystem::path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode = 0666, FsSync sync = FsSync::No)
 {
-    return writeFile(path.string(), s, mode);
+    return writeFile(path.string(), s, mode, sync);
 }
 
-void writeFile(const Path & path, Source & source, mode_t mode = 0666, bool sync = false);
+void writeFile(const Path & path, Source & source, mode_t mode = 0666, FsSync sync = FsSync::No);
 
-static inline void writeFile(const std::filesystem::path & path, Source & source, mode_t mode = 0666, bool sync = false)
+static inline void writeFile(const std::filesystem::path & path, Source & source, mode_t mode = 0666, FsSync sync = FsSync::No)
 {
     return writeFile(path.string(), source, mode, sync);
 }
 
-void writeFile(AutoCloseFD & fd, const Path & origPath, std::string_view s, mode_t mode = 0666);
-
-/**
- * Write a string to a file and flush the file and its parents direcotry to disk.
- */
-void writeFileAndSync(const Path & path, std::string_view s, mode_t mode = 0666);
+void writeFile(AutoCloseFD & fd, const Path & origPath, std::string_view s, mode_t mode = 0666, FsSync sync = FsSync::No);
 
 /**
  * Flush a path's parent directory to disk.