diff --git a/disk-utils/mkswap.8 b/disk-utils/mkswap.8
index ad9b4b99e..219c49f74 100644
--- a/disk-utils/mkswap.8
+++ b/disk-utils/mkswap.8
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ like many others mkfs-like utils,
 However,
 .B mkswap
 refuses to erase the first block on a device with a disk
-label (SUN, BSD, ...) and on a whole disk (e.g. /dev/sda).
+label (SUN, BSD, ...).
 
 .SH OPTIONS
 .TP
@@ -70,8 +70,7 @@ or partition it resides on.
 
 Also, without this option,
 .B mkswap
-will refuse to erase the first block on a device with a partition table and on
-a whole disk (e.g. /dev/sda).
+will refuse to erase the first block on a device with a partition table.
 .TP
 .BR \-L , " \-\-label " \fIlabel\fR
 Specify a \fIlabel\fR for the device, to allow
diff --git a/disk-utils/mkswap.c b/disk-utils/mkswap.c
index 34fe687d1..0144921e7 100644
--- a/disk-utils/mkswap.c
+++ b/disk-utils/mkswap.c
@@ -363,10 +363,9 @@ new_prober(int fd)
 #endif
 
 static void
-wipe_device(int fd, const char *devname, int force, int is_blkdevice)
+wipe_device(int fd, const char *devname, int force)
 {
 	char *type = NULL;
-	int whole = 0;
 	int zap = 1;
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBBLKID
 	blkid_probe pr = NULL;
@@ -375,29 +374,21 @@ wipe_device(int fd, const char *devname, int force, int is_blkdevice)
 		if (lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET) != 0)
 			errx(EXIT_FAILURE, _("unable to rewind swap-device"));
 
-		if (is_blkdevice && is_whole_disk_fd(fd, devname)) {
-			/* don't zap bootbits on whole disk -- we know nothing
-			 * about bootloaders on the device */
-			whole = 1;
-			zap = 0;
-		} else {
 #ifdef HAVE_LIBBLKID
-			pr = new_prober(fd);
-			blkid_probe_enable_partitions(pr, 1);
-			blkid_probe_enable_superblocks(pr, 0);
+		pr = new_prober(fd);
+		blkid_probe_enable_partitions(pr, 1);
+		blkid_probe_enable_superblocks(pr, 0);
 
-			if (blkid_do_fullprobe(pr) == 0 &&
-			    blkid_probe_lookup_value(pr, "PTTYPE",
-					(const char **) &type, NULL) == 0 &&
-			    type) {
-				type = xstrdup(type);
-				zap = 0;
-			}
-#else
-			/* don't zap if compiled without libblkid */
+		if (blkid_do_fullprobe(pr) == 0 &&
+		    blkid_probe_lookup_value(pr, "PTTYPE",
+				(const char **) &type, NULL) == 0 && type) {
+			type = xstrdup(type);
 			zap = 0;
-#endif
 		}
+#else
+		/* don't zap if compiled without libblkid */
+		zap = 0;
+#endif
 	}
 
 	if (zap) {
@@ -405,6 +396,7 @@ wipe_device(int fd, const char *devname, int force, int is_blkdevice)
 		 * Wipe boodbits
 		 */
 		char buf[1024];
+		const char *data = NULL;
 
 		if (lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET) != 0)
 			errx(EXIT_FAILURE, _("unable to rewind swap-device"));
@@ -421,18 +413,19 @@ wipe_device(int fd, const char *devname, int force, int is_blkdevice)
 
 		blkid_probe_enable_superblocks(pr, 1);
 		blkid_probe_enable_partitions(pr, 0);
-		blkid_probe_set_superblocks_flags(pr, BLKID_SUBLKS_MAGIC);
+		blkid_probe_set_superblocks_flags(pr, BLKID_SUBLKS_MAGIC|BLKID_SUBLKS_TYPE);
 
-		while (blkid_do_probe(pr) == 0)
+		while (blkid_do_probe(pr) == 0) {
+			if (blkid_probe_lookup_value(pr, "TYPE", &data, NULL) == 0 && data)
+				warnx(_("%s: warning: wiping old %s signature."), devname, data);
 			blkid_do_wipe(pr, 0);
+		}
 #endif
 	} else {
 		warnx(_("%s: warning: don't erase bootbits sectors"),
 			devname);
 		if (type)
 			fprintf(stderr, _("        (%s partition table detected). "), type);
-		else if (whole)
-			fprintf(stderr, _("        on whole disk. "));
 		else
 			fprintf(stderr, _("        (compiled without libblkid). "));
 		fprintf(stderr, "Use -f to force.\n");
@@ -603,7 +596,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv) {
 	if (check)
 		check_blocks();
 
-	wipe_device(DEV, device_name, force, S_ISBLK(statbuf.st_mode));
+	wipe_device(DEV, device_name, force);
 
 	hdr = (struct swap_header_v1_2 *) signature_page;
 	hdr->version = 1;