diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__line/gencode-remote b/cdist/conf/type/__line/gencode-remote
index 95c2360d..db2a79f8 100755
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__line/gencode-remote
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__line/gencode-remote
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ if [ -z "$state_is" ]; then
       echo "touch $file"
    else
       # only bark if the file should exists
-      if [ -f "$__object/parameter/ifexists" ]; then
+      if [ -f "$__object/parameter/only-if-file-present" ]; then
           exit 0
       fi
       printf 'The file "%s" is missing. Please create it before using %s on it.\n' "$file" "${__type##*/}" >&2
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__line/man.rst b/cdist/conf/type/__line/man.rst
index dd41fc40..384f0ed9 100644
--- a/cdist/conf/type/__line/man.rst
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__line/man.rst
@@ -31,8 +31,9 @@ file
     If supplied, use this as the destination file.
     Otherwise the object_id is used.
 
-ifexists
-    Only apply the line if the file exists.
+only-if-file-present
+    Only apply the line if the file exists. This can be used to prevent
+    adding the line to a non-existent file.
 
 line
     Specifies the line which should be absent or present.
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__line/parameter/boolean b/cdist/conf/type/__line/parameter/boolean
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..4aa8d4ef
--- /dev/null
+++ b/cdist/conf/type/__line/parameter/boolean
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+create
+only-if-file-present
diff --git a/cdist/conf/type/__line/parameter/default/ifexists b/cdist/conf/type/__line/parameter/default/only-if-file-present
similarity index 100%
rename from cdist/conf/type/__line/parameter/default/ifexists
rename to cdist/conf/type/__line/parameter/default/only-if-file-present