diff --git a/image-desc.c b/image-desc.c
index fc42df760..773f2fa91 100644
--- a/image-desc.c
+++ b/image-desc.c
@@ -94,11 +94,13 @@ struct cr_fd_desc_tmpl imgset_template[CR_FD_MAX] = {
 	[CR_FD_STATS] = {
 		.fmt	= "stats-%s",
 		.magic	= STATS_MAGIC,
+		.oflags = O_SERVICE,
 	},
 
 	[CR_FD_IRMAP_CACHE] = {
 		.fmt	= "irmap-cache",
 		.magic	= IRMAP_CACHE_MAGIC,
+		.oflags = O_SERVICE,
 	},
 
 	[CR_FD_FILE_LOCKS_PID] = {
diff --git a/image.c b/image.c
index 1f6f15bf3..676a40ebb 100644
--- a/image.c
+++ b/image.c
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 
 bool fdinfo_per_id = false;
 bool ns_per_id = false;
+bool img_common_magic = false;
 TaskKobjIdsEntry *root_ids;
 u32 root_cg_set;
 
@@ -50,10 +51,19 @@ int check_img_inventory(void)
 		root_cg_set = he->root_cg_set;
 	}
 
-	if (he->img_version != CRTOOLS_IMAGES_V1) {
+	switch (he->img_version) {
+	case CRTOOLS_IMAGES_V1:
+		/* good old images. OK */
+		break;
+	case CRTOOLS_IMAGES_V1_1:
+		/* newer images with extra magic in the head */
+		img_common_magic = true;
+		break;
+	default:
 		pr_err("Not supported images version %u\n", he->img_version);
 		goto out_err;
 	}
+
 	ret = 0;
 
 out_err:
@@ -78,7 +88,8 @@ int write_img_inventory(void)
 	if (!img)
 		return -1;
 
-	he.img_version = CRTOOLS_IMAGES_V1;
+	img_common_magic = true;
+	he.img_version = CRTOOLS_IMAGES_V1_1;
 	he.fdinfo_per_id = true;
 	he.has_fdinfo_per_id = true;
 	he.ns_per_id = true;
@@ -238,6 +249,11 @@ struct cr_img *open_image_at(int dfd, int type, unsigned long flags, ...)
 	return do_open_image(img, dfd, type, oflags, path);
 }
 
+static inline u32 head_magic(int oflags)
+{
+	return oflags & O_SERVICE ? IMG_SERVICE_MAGIC : IMG_COMMON_MAGIC;
+}
+
 static int img_check_magic(struct cr_img *img, int oflags, int type, char *path)
 {
 	u32 magic;
@@ -245,6 +261,16 @@ static int img_check_magic(struct cr_img *img, int oflags, int type, char *path)
 	if (read_img(img, &magic) < 0)
 		return -1;
 
+	if (img_common_magic && (type != CR_FD_INVENTORY)) {
+		if (magic != head_magic(oflags)) {
+			pr_err("Head magic doesn't match for %s\n", path);
+			return -1;
+		}
+
+		if (read_img(img, &magic) < 0)
+			return -1;
+	}
+
 	if (magic != imgset_template[type].magic) {
 		pr_err("Magic doesn't match for %s\n", path);
 		return -1;
@@ -255,6 +281,14 @@ static int img_check_magic(struct cr_img *img, int oflags, int type, char *path)
 
 static int img_write_magic(struct cr_img *img, int oflags, int type)
 {
+	if (img_common_magic && (type != CR_FD_INVENTORY)) {
+		u32 cmagic;
+
+		cmagic = head_magic(oflags);
+		if (write_img(img, &cmagic))
+			return -1;
+	}
+
 	return write_img(img, &imgset_template[type].magic);
 }
 
@@ -262,7 +296,7 @@ static struct cr_img *do_open_image(struct cr_img *img, int dfd, int type, unsig
 {
 	int ret, flags;
 
-	flags = oflags & ~(O_NOBUF);
+	flags = oflags & ~(O_NOBUF | O_SERVICE);
 
 	ret = openat(dfd, path, flags, CR_FD_PERM);
 	if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/include/image.h b/include/image.h
index 9ec02383b..55e63dd9c 100644
--- a/include/image.h
+++ b/include/image.h
@@ -116,12 +116,13 @@
 
 extern bool fdinfo_per_id;
 extern bool ns_per_id;
+extern bool img_common_magic;
 
-#define O_NOBUF	(O_DIRECT)
-
-#define O_DUMP	(O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC)
-#define O_SHOW	(O_RDONLY | O_NOBUF)
-#define O_RSTR	(O_RDONLY)
+#define O_NOBUF		(O_DIRECT)
+#define O_SERVICE	(O_DIRECTORY)
+#define O_DUMP		(O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC)
+#define O_SHOW		(O_RDONLY | O_NOBUF)
+#define O_RSTR		(O_RDONLY)
 
 struct cr_img {
 	union {
diff --git a/include/magic.h b/include/magic.h
index 986ba7d12..f739759a1 100644
--- a/include/magic.h
+++ b/include/magic.h
@@ -6,6 +6,11 @@
  */
 
 #define CRTOOLS_IMAGES_V1	1
+/*
+ * v1.1 has common magic in the head of each image file,
+ * except for inventory
+ */
+#define CRTOOLS_IMAGES_V1_1	2
 
 /*
  * Raw images are images in which data is stored in some
@@ -14,6 +19,14 @@
 
 #define RAW_IMAGE_MAGIC		0x0
 
+/*
+ * Images have the IMG_COMMON_MAGIC in the head. Service files
+ * such as stats and irmap-cache have the IMG_SERVICE_MAGIC.
+ */
+
+#define IMG_COMMON_MAGIC	0x54564319 /* Sarov (a.k.a. Arzamas-16) */
+#define IMG_SERVICE_MAGIC	0x55105940 /* Zlatoust */
+
 /*
  * The magic-s below correspond to coordinates
  * of various Russian towns in the NNNNEEEE form.
@@ -21,7 +34,6 @@
 
 #define INVENTORY_MAGIC		0x58313116 /* Veliky Novgorod */
 #define PSTREE_MAGIC		0x50273030 /* Kyiv */
-#define STATS_MAGIC		0x57093306 /* Ostashkov */
 #define FDINFO_MAGIC		0x56213732 /* Dmitrov */
 #define PAGEMAP_MAGIC		0x56084025 /* Vladimir */
 #define SHMEM_PAGEMAP_MAGIC	PAGEMAP_MAGIC
@@ -87,6 +99,10 @@
 #define PAGES_OLD_MAGIC		PAGEMAP_MAGIC
 #define SHM_PAGES_OLD_MAGIC	PAGEMAP_MAGIC
 
+/*
+ * These are special files, not exactly images
+ */
+#define STATS_MAGIC		0x57093306 /* Ostashkov */
 #define IRMAP_CACHE_MAGIC	0x57004059 /* Ivanovo */
 
 #endif /* __CR_MAGIC_H__ */
diff --git a/pycriu/images/images.py b/pycriu/images/images.py
index f0bfe8421..5dde50ca7 100644
--- a/pycriu/images/images.py
+++ b/pycriu/images/images.py
@@ -287,6 +287,9 @@ def load(f, pretty = False):
 
 	img_magic, = struct.unpack('i', f.read(4))
 
+	if img_magic in (magic.by_name['IMG_COMMON'], magic.by_name['IMG_SERVICE']):
+		img_magic, = struct.unpack('i', f.read(4))
+
 	try:
 		m = magic.by_val[img_magic]
 	except:
@@ -320,6 +323,12 @@ def dump(img, f):
 	m = img['magic']
 	magic_val = magic.by_name[img['magic']]
 
+	if m != 'INVENTORY':
+		if m in ('STATS', 'IRMAP_CACHE'):
+			f.write(struct.pack('i', magic.by_name['IMG_COMMON']))
+		else:
+			f.write(struct.pack('i', magic.by_name['IMG_SERVICE']))
+
 	f.write(struct.pack('i', magic_val))
 
 	try: