diff --git a/package/base/rockinitrd/initrd_essential.txt b/package/base/rockinitrd/initrd_essential.txt
index 4ad644f8b..04396994d 100644
--- a/package/base/rockinitrd/initrd_essential.txt
+++ b/package/base/rockinitrd/initrd_essential.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,7 @@
+
+# The '-L' is passed as option to cp and lets cp follow symlinks
 /bin/bash		/bin/bash -L
+
 /bin/sh			/bin/sh
 /bin/ls			/bin/ls
 /sbin/pivot_root	/sbin/pivot_root
@@ -10,3 +13,4 @@
 /etc/fstab		/etc/fstab
 /bin/mkdir		/bin/mkdir
 /bin/rmdir		/bin/rmdir
+
diff --git a/package/base/rockinitrd/mkinitrd.sh b/package/base/rockinitrd/mkinitrd.sh
index daa47c9a7..24b66acda 100644
--- a/package/base/rockinitrd/mkinitrd.sh
+++ b/package/base/rockinitrd/mkinitrd.sh
@@ -152,6 +152,9 @@ echo -n "Copying other files ... "
 for x in ${rootdir}/etc/conf/initrd/initrd_* ; do
 	[ -f ${x} ] || continue
 	while read file target cpopt; do
+		if [ -z "$file" -o "$file" = "#" ]; then
+			continue
+		fi
 		file="${rootdir}/${file}"
 		if [ ! -e ${file} ] ; then
 			echo "${file} is requested by ${x} but doesn't exist!" >&2