diff --git a/buildkernel b/buildkernel
index c5a89b5..a67157c 100755
--- a/buildkernel
+++ b/buildkernel
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ shopt -s nullglob
 # ********************** variables ********************* 
 PROGNAME="$(basename "${0}")"
 CONFFILE="/etc/${PROGNAME}.conf"
-VERSION="1.0.32"
+VERSION="1.0.33"
 ETCPROFILE="/etc/profile"
 DEFAULTEFIBOOTFILE="bootx64.efi"
 EFIBOOTFILE="${DEFAULTEFIBOOTFILE}"
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ declare -i EFIVARFSREMOUNTEDRW=0
 declare -i USINGMODULES=1
 
 declare -i MOUNTEDONENTRY=0
+declare -i DOUNMOUNT=1
 # program arguments (booleans in this case)
 declare -i ARG_ASK=0 ARG_CLEAN=0 ARG_COPYFROMSTAGING=0 ARG_HELP=0
 declare -i ARG_STAGEONLY=0 ARG_UNMOUNTATEND=0 ARG_VERBOSE=0 ARG_VERSION=0
@@ -356,8 +357,10 @@ umount_and_forget() {
 umount_all_remembered_mountpoints() {
     local M ALLREMEMBEREDMOUNTS="${!ALLMOUNTS[@]}"
     for M in ${ALLREMEMBEREDMOUNTS}; do
-        warning "Unmounting '${M}'"
-        umount_and_forget "${M}"
+        if (( DOUNMOUNT == 1 )) || [[ "${M}" != "${EFIROOTDIR}" ]]; then
+            warning "Unmounting '${M}'"
+            umount_and_forget "${M}"
+        fi
     done
 }
 ensure_efivarfs_rw_if_present() {
@@ -2013,7 +2016,7 @@ finalize_efi_partition_and_unmount_if_desired() {
     show "Syncing filesystem..."
     sync
     echo
-    declare -i DOUNMOUNT=0
+    DOUNMOUNT=0
     
     if ((ARG_UNMOUNTATEND==1)); then
         # this trumps everything else
diff --git a/buildkernel.8 b/buildkernel.8
index 8c61ee4..b638aec 100644
--- a/buildkernel.8
+++ b/buildkernel.8
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH BUILDKERNEL 8 "Version 1.0.32: October 2018"
+.TH BUILDKERNEL 8 "Version 1.0.33: October 2018"
 .SH NAME
 buildkernel \- build secure boot kernel, save to EFI system partition
 .SH SYNOPSIS
diff --git a/buildkernel.conf.5 b/buildkernel.conf.5
index 657fc97..b634371 100644
--- a/buildkernel.conf.5
+++ b/buildkernel.conf.5
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-.TH BUILDKERNEL 5 "Version 1.0.32: October 2018"
+.TH BUILDKERNEL 5 "Version 1.0.33: October 2018"
 .SH NAME
 buildkernel.conf \- a configuration file for \fBbuildkernel\fR(8)
 .SH SYNOPSIS