diff --git a/halt.c b/halt.c
index 10dcb4225..a6fec021b 100644
--- a/halt.c
+++ b/halt.c
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ extern int halt_main(int argc, char **argv)
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_LINUXRC
 	/* don't assume init's pid == 1 */
 	pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("init");
-	if (!pid || *pid<=0)
-		error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	if (!pid || *pid<=0) {
+		pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("linuxrc");
+		if (!pid || *pid<=0)
+			error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	}
 	return(kill(*pid, SIGUSR1));
 #else
 	return(kill(1, SIGUSR1));
diff --git a/init/halt.c b/init/halt.c
index 10dcb4225..a6fec021b 100644
--- a/init/halt.c
+++ b/init/halt.c
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ extern int halt_main(int argc, char **argv)
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_LINUXRC
 	/* don't assume init's pid == 1 */
 	pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("init");
-	if (!pid || *pid<=0)
-		error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	if (!pid || *pid<=0) {
+		pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("linuxrc");
+		if (!pid || *pid<=0)
+			error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	}
 	return(kill(*pid, SIGUSR1));
 #else
 	return(kill(1, SIGUSR1));
diff --git a/init/poweroff.c b/init/poweroff.c
index 8bb20e9bb..eba51342c 100644
--- a/init/poweroff.c
+++ b/init/poweroff.c
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ extern int poweroff_main(int argc, char **argv)
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_LINUXRC
 	/* don't assume init's pid == 1 */
 	pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("init");
-	if (!pid || *pid<=0)
-		error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	if (!pid || *pid<=0) {
+		pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("linuxrc");
+		if (!pid || *pid<=0)
+			error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	}
 	return(kill(*pid, SIGUSR2));
 #else
 	return(kill(1, SIGUSR2));
diff --git a/init/reboot.c b/init/reboot.c
index 35c147b34..bdcd443eb 100644
--- a/init/reboot.c
+++ b/init/reboot.c
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ extern int reboot_main(int argc, char **argv)
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_LINUXRC
 	/* don't assume init's pid == 1 */
 	pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("init");
-	if (!pid || *pid<=0)
-		error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	if (!pid || *pid<=0) {
+		pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("linuxrc");
+		if (!pid || *pid<=0)
+			error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	}
 	return(kill(*pid, SIGTERM));
 #else
 	return(kill(1, SIGTERM));
diff --git a/poweroff.c b/poweroff.c
index 8bb20e9bb..eba51342c 100644
--- a/poweroff.c
+++ b/poweroff.c
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ extern int poweroff_main(int argc, char **argv)
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_LINUXRC
 	/* don't assume init's pid == 1 */
 	pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("init");
-	if (!pid || *pid<=0)
-		error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	if (!pid || *pid<=0) {
+		pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("linuxrc");
+		if (!pid || *pid<=0)
+			error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	}
 	return(kill(*pid, SIGUSR2));
 #else
 	return(kill(1, SIGUSR2));
diff --git a/reboot.c b/reboot.c
index 35c147b34..bdcd443eb 100644
--- a/reboot.c
+++ b/reboot.c
@@ -29,8 +29,11 @@ extern int reboot_main(int argc, char **argv)
 #ifdef BB_FEATURE_LINUXRC
 	/* don't assume init's pid == 1 */
 	pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("init");
-	if (!pid || *pid<=0)
-		error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	if (!pid || *pid<=0) {
+		pid_t *pid = find_pid_by_name("linuxrc");
+		if (!pid || *pid<=0)
+			error_msg_and_die("no process killed");
+	}
 	return(kill(*pid, SIGTERM));
 #else
 	return(kill(1, SIGTERM));