diff --git a/package/base/sysfiles/system.init b/package/base/sysfiles/system.init
index 2143a430c..27e73adc6 100644
--- a/package/base/sysfiles/system.init
+++ b/package/base/sysfiles/system.init
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ dnl
 dnl
     block_split(`Refresh utmp, delete lock and tmp files and other stuff.')
 	find /var/lock /var/run /tmp -mindepth 1 -print0 2> /dev/null | xargs --null rm -rf
-	rm -f /etc/nologin /nologin /fastboot ; touch /var/run/utmp
+	rm -f /etc/nologin /nologin /fastboot ; echo -n >> /var/run/utmp
 	chmod 664 /var/run/utmp ; chown root:tty /var/run/utmp
 	mkdir /tmp/.ICE-unix /var/lock/subsys
 	chmod 1777 /tmp/.ICE-unix
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ dnl
 		echo -n "[$( basename ${RC%.rc} )] "
 		check(`$RC start');
 	    done; echo
-	    touch /var/lock/subsys/hotplug
+	    echo -n >> /var/lock/subsys/hotplug
 	    ;;
       *) 
 	block_split(`Auto-load all modules at boot-time using hwscan.')
@@ -167,8 +167,8 @@ dnl
 	check(`ip route add 127/8 dev lo')
 dnl
     block_split(`Setting overflow UID and GID kernel parameters.')
-	check(`sysctl -w kernel.overflowuid=$(id -u nobody) > /dev/null')
-	check(`sysctl -w kernel.overflowgid=$(id -g nobody) > /dev/null')
+	check(`sysctl -w kernel.overflowuid=$(grep ^nobody: /etc/passwd | cut -f 3 -d:) > /dev/null')
+	check(`sysctl -w kernel.overflowgid=$(grep ^nobody: /etc/passwd | cut -f 4 -d:) > /dev/null')
 dnl
     block_split(`Reading /etc/sysctl.conf file.')
 	check(`sysctl -p')
@@ -181,7 +181,8 @@ dnl
 
 
     block_begin(stop, `Saving /var/log/init.msg and /var/log/boot.msg.')
-	check(`touch /var/log/init.msg /var/log/boot.msg')
+	check(`echo -n >> /var/log/init.msg')
+	check(`echo -n >> /var/log/boot.msg')
 	check(`mv /var/log/init.msg /var/log/init.old')
 	check(`mv /var/log/boot.msg /var/log/boot.old')
     block_split(`Writing a wtmp record.')