diff --git a/examples/snaps/v2-systems.json b/examples/snaps/v2-systems.json
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..666861a5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/snaps/v2-systems.json
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+{
+  "type": "sync",
+  "status-code": 200,
+  "status": "OK",
+  "result": {
+    "systems": [
+      {
+        "current": true,
+        "label": "20240314",
+        "model": {
+          "model": "ubuntu-core-24-amd64-dangerous",
+          "brand-id": "canonical",
+          "display-name": "ubuntu-core-24-amd64-dangerous"
+        },
+        "brand": {
+          "id": "canonical",
+          "username": "canonical",
+          "display-name": "Canonical",
+          "validation": "verified"
+        },
+        "actions": [
+          {
+            "title": "Reinstall",
+            "mode": "install"
+          },
+          {
+            "title": "Recover",
+            "mode": "recover"
+          },
+          {
+            "title": "Factory reset",
+            "mode": "factory-reset"
+          },
+          {
+            "title": "Run normally",
+            "mode": "run"
+          }
+        ],
+        "default-recovery-system": true
+      }
+    ]
+  }
+}
diff --git a/subiquity/server/controllers/filesystem.py b/subiquity/server/controllers/filesystem.py
index 1a58c0c0..84192cad 100644
--- a/subiquity/server/controllers/filesystem.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/controllers/filesystem.py
@@ -337,17 +337,26 @@ class FilesystemController(SubiquityController, FilesystemManipulator):
             self._source_handler = None
 
     async def _get_system(self, variation_name, label):
-        try:
-            await self._mount_systems_dir(variation_name)
-        except NoSnapdSystemsOnSource:
-            return None
-        try:
-            system = await self.app.snapdapi.v2.systems[label].GET()
-        except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as http_err:
-            log.warning("v2/systems/%s returned %s", label, http_err.response.text)
-            raise
-        finally:
-            await self._unmount_systems_dir()
+        systems = await self.app.snapdapi.v2.systems.GET()
+        labels = {system.label for system in systems.systems}
+        if label in labels:
+            try:
+                system = await self.app.snapdapi.v2.systems[label].GET()
+            except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as http_err:
+                log.warning("v2/systems/%s returned %s", label, http_err.response.text)
+                raise
+        else:
+            try:
+                await self._mount_systems_dir(variation_name)
+            except NoSnapdSystemsOnSource:
+                return None
+            try:
+                system = await self.app.snapdapi.v2.systems[label].GET()
+            except requests.exceptions.HTTPError as http_err:
+                log.warning("v2/systems/%s returned %s", label, http_err.response.text)
+                raise
+            finally:
+                await self._unmount_systems_dir()
         log.debug("got system %s", system)
         return system
 
@@ -858,7 +867,10 @@ class FilesystemController(SubiquityController, FilesystemManipulator):
     async def guided_core_boot(self, disk: Disk):
         # Formatting for a core boot classic system relies on some curtin
         # features that are only available with v2 partitioning.
-        await self._mount_systems_dir(self._info.name)
+        systems = await self.app.snapdapi.v2.systems.GET()
+        labels = {system.label for system in systems.systems}
+        if self._info.label not in labels:
+            await self._mount_systems_dir(self._info.name)
         self.model.storage_version = 2
         [volume] = self._info.system.volumes.values()
         self._on_volume = snapdapi.OnVolume.from_volume(volume)
diff --git a/subiquity/server/controllers/tests/test_filesystem.py b/subiquity/server/controllers/tests/test_filesystem.py
index bbad135f..0cc4ede5 100644
--- a/subiquity/server/controllers/tests/test_filesystem.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/controllers/tests/test_filesystem.py
@@ -432,6 +432,18 @@ class TestSubiquityControllerFilesystem(IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
             },
         }
         requests_mocker = requests_mock.Mocker()
+        requests_mocker.get(
+            "http+unix://snapd/v2/systems",
+            json={
+                "type": "sync",
+                "status-code": 200,
+                "status": "OK",
+                "result": {
+                    "systems": [],
+                },
+            },
+            status_code=200,
+        )
         requests_mocker.get(
             "http+unix://snapd/v2/systems/enhanced-secureboot-desktop",
             json=json_body,
@@ -1397,9 +1409,10 @@ class TestCoreBootInstallMethods(IsolatedAsyncioTestCase):
             name="foo",
             label="system",
             system=snapdapi.SystemDetails(
+                label="system",
                 volumes={
                     "pc": snapdapi.Volume(schema="gpt", structure=structures),
-                }
+                },
             ),
         )
 
diff --git a/subiquity/server/snapdapi.py b/subiquity/server/snapdapi.py
index 5ae38382..2231cb61 100644
--- a/subiquity/server/snapdapi.py
+++ b/subiquity/server/snapdapi.py
@@ -203,6 +203,7 @@ class StorageEncryption:
 
 @attr.s(auto_attribs=True)
 class SystemDetails:
+    label: str
     current: bool = False
     volumes: Dict[str, Volume] = attr.Factory(dict)
     storage_encryption: Optional[StorageEncryption] = named_field(
@@ -210,6 +211,11 @@ class SystemDetails:
     )
 
 
+@attr.s(auto_attribs=True)
+class SystemsResponse:
+    systems: List[SystemDetails] = attr.Factory(list)
+
+
 class SystemAction(enum.Enum):
     INSTALL = "install"
 
@@ -258,6 +264,9 @@ class SnapdAPI:
                 ...
 
         class systems:
+            def GET() -> SystemsResponse:
+                ...
+
             @path_parameter
             class label:
                 def GET() -> SystemDetails: