diff --git a/src/librc/librc-daemon.c b/src/librc/librc-daemon.c
index b174a82b..ac72c904 100644
--- a/src/librc/librc-daemon.c
+++ b/src/librc/librc-daemon.c
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ bool rc_service_daemons_crashed(const char *service)
 	char *p;
 	char *token;
 	bool retval = false;
-	RC_STRINGLIST *list;
+	RC_STRINGLIST *list = NULL;
 	RC_STRING *s;
 	size_t i;
 
@@ -526,8 +526,6 @@ bool rc_service_daemons_crashed(const char *service)
 		if (! fp)
 			break;
 
-		list = rc_stringlist_new();
-
 		while ((line = rc_getline(fp))) {
 			p = line;
 			if ((token = strsep(&p, "=")) == NULL || ! p) {
@@ -541,6 +539,8 @@ bool rc_service_daemons_crashed(const char *service)
 			}
 
 			if (strncmp(token, "argv_", 5) == 0) {
+				if (! list)
+					list = rc_stringlist_new();
 				rc_stringlist_add(list, p);
 			} else if (strcmp(token, "exec") == 0) {
 				if (exec)
@@ -551,9 +551,9 @@ bool rc_service_daemons_crashed(const char *service)
 					free(name);
 				name = xstrdup(p);
 			} else if (strcmp(token, "pidfile") == 0) {
-				if (pidfile)
-					free(pidfile);
 				pidfile = xstrdup(p);
+				free(line);
+				break;
 			}
 			free(line);
 		}
@@ -561,73 +561,68 @@ bool rc_service_daemons_crashed(const char *service)
 
 		pid = 0;
 		if (pidfile) {
-			if (! exists(pidfile)) {
-				retval = true;
-				break;
-			}
-
-			if ((fp = fopen(pidfile, "r")) == NULL) {
-				retval = true;
-				break;
-			}
-
-			if (fscanf(fp, "%d", &pid) != 1) {
+			retval = true;
+			if ((fp = fopen(pidfile, "r"))) {
+				if (fscanf(fp, "%d", &pid) == 1)
+					retval = false;
+				
 				fclose (fp);
-				retval = true;
-				break;
 			}
-
-			fclose(fp);
 			free(pidfile);
 			pidfile = NULL;
 
 			/* We have the pid, so no need to match on name */
-			rc_stringlist_free(list);
-			list = NULL;
-			free (exec);
-			exec = NULL;
 			free (name);
 			name = NULL;
 		} else {
-			if (exec && ! TAILQ_FIRST(list)) {
-				rc_stringlist_add(list, exec);
-			}
-			free(exec);
-			exec = NULL;
+			if (exec) {
+				if (! list)
+					list = rc_stringlist_new();
+				if (! TAILQ_FIRST(list))
+					rc_stringlist_add(list, exec);
 
-			/* We need to flatten our linked list into an array */
-			i = 0;
-			TAILQ_FOREACH(s, list, entries)
-				i++;
-			argv = xmalloc(sizeof(char *) * (i + 1));
-			i = 0;
-			TAILQ_FOREACH(s, list, entries)
-				argv[i++] = s->value;
-			argv[i] = '\0';
+				free(exec);
+				exec = NULL;
+			}
+
+			if (list) {
+				/* We need to flatten our linked list into an array */
+				i = 0;
+				TAILQ_FOREACH(s, list, entries)
+					i++;
+				argv = xmalloc(sizeof(char *) * (i + 1));
+				i = 0;
+				TAILQ_FOREACH(s, list, entries)
+					argv[i++] = s->value;
+				argv[i] = '\0';
+			}
 		}
 
-		if ((pids = rc_find_pids((const char *const *)argv,
-					 name, 0, pid)) == NULL)
-		{
-			p1 = LIST_FIRST(pids);
-			while (p1) {
-				p2 = LIST_NEXT(p1, entries);
-				free(p1);
-				p1 = p2;
-			}
-			free(pids);
-			retval = true;
+		if (! retval) {
+			if ((pids = rc_find_pids((const char *const *)argv,
+						 name, 0, pid)))
+			{
+				p1 = LIST_FIRST(pids);
+				while (p1) {
+					p2 = LIST_NEXT(p1, entries);
+					free(p1);
+					p1 = p2;
+				}
+				free(pids);
+			} else
+				retval = true;
 		}
+		rc_stringlist_free(list);
+		list = NULL;
 		free(argv);
 		argv = NULL;
-		rc_stringlist_free(list);
+		free(exec);
+		exec = NULL;
 		free(name);
 		name = NULL;
 		if (retval)
 			break;
 	}
-
-	free(dirpath);
 	closedir(dp);
 
 	return retval;
diff --git a/src/rc/rc-status.c b/src/rc/rc-status.c
index 9f7167f6..c7173e29 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc-status.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc-status.c
@@ -185,6 +185,8 @@ int rc_status (int argc, char **argv)
 	TAILQ_FOREACH(l, levels, entries) {
 		print_level(l->value);
 		services = rc_services_in_runlevel(l->value);
+		if (! services)
+			continue;
 		if (deptree) {
 			if (! types) {
 				types = rc_stringlist_new();
diff --git a/src/rc/rc.c b/src/rc/rc.c
index 04b814e6..30bedcbf 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc.c
@@ -778,7 +778,7 @@ static void do_stop_services(const char *newlevel, bool going_down, bool paralle
 			continue;
 
 		/* We always stop the service when in these runlevels */
-		if (going_down) {
+		if (going_down || ! start_services) {
 			pid = rc_service_stop(service->value);
 			if (pid > 0 && ! parallel)
 				rc_waitpid(pid);
@@ -1097,18 +1097,20 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 		} else
 			stop_services = tmplist;
 	}
-	rc_stringlist_sort(&stop_services);
-
+	if (stop_services)
+		rc_stringlist_sort(&stop_services);
 
 	types_nua = rc_stringlist_new();
 	rc_stringlist_add(types_nua, "ineed");
 	rc_stringlist_add(types_nua, "iuse");
 	rc_stringlist_add(types_nua, "iafter");
 
-	tmplist = rc_deptree_depends(deptree, types_nua, stop_services,
-				     runlevel, depoptions | RC_DEP_STOP);
-	rc_stringlist_free(stop_services);
-	stop_services = tmplist;
+	if (stop_services) {
+		tmplist = rc_deptree_depends(deptree, types_nua, stop_services,
+				runlevel, depoptions | RC_DEP_STOP);
+		rc_stringlist_free(stop_services);
+		stop_services = tmplist;
+	}
 
 	/* Load our list of coldplugged services */
 	coldplugged_services = rc_services_in_state(RC_SERVICE_COLDPLUGGED);
diff --git a/src/rc/runscript.c b/src/rc/runscript.c
index 704d32fe..08d2c4e8 100644
--- a/src/rc/runscript.c
+++ b/src/rc/runscript.c
@@ -694,14 +694,14 @@ static void svc_start(bool deps)
 		depoptions |= RC_DEP_STRICT;
 
 	if (deps) {
-		if (! deptree && ((deptree = _rc_deptree_load (NULL)) == NULL))
+		if (! deptree && ((deptree = _rc_deptree_load(NULL)) == NULL))
 			eerrorx("failed to load deptree");
 
 		if (! types_b)
 			setup_types();
 
 		services = rc_deptree_depends(deptree, types_b, applet_list,
-					      runlevel, 0);
+				runlevel, 0);
 		if (services && TAILQ_FIRST(services)) {
 			eerrorn("ERROR: `%s' needs ", applet);
 			first = true;
@@ -718,9 +718,9 @@ static void svc_start(bool deps)
 		services = NULL;
 
 		need_services = rc_deptree_depends(deptree, types_n, applet_list,
-						   runlevel, depoptions);
+				runlevel, depoptions);
 		use_services = rc_deptree_depends(deptree, types_nu, applet_list,
-						  runlevel, depoptions);
+				runlevel, depoptions);
 
 		if (! rc_runlevel_starting() && use_services)
 			TAILQ_FOREACH(svc, use_services, entries)
@@ -732,88 +732,90 @@ static void svc_start(bool deps)
 
 		/* Now wait for them to start */
 		services = rc_deptree_depends(deptree, types_nua, applet_list,
-					      runlevel, depoptions);
+				runlevel, depoptions);
 
-		/* We use tmplist to hold our scheduled by list */
-		tmplist = NULL;
-		TAILQ_FOREACH(svc, services, entries) {
-			RC_SERVICE svcs = rc_service_state(svc->value);
-			if (svcs & RC_SERVICE_STARTED)
-				continue;
-
-			/* Don't wait for services which went inactive but are now in
-			 * starting state which we are after */
-			if (svcs & RC_SERVICE_STARTING &&
-			    svcs & RC_SERVICE_WASINACTIVE) {
-				TAILQ_FOREACH(svc2, use_services, entries) {
-					if (strcmp (svc->value, svc2->value) == 0) 
-						break;
-					}
-				if (! svc2)
+		if (services) {
+			/* We use tmplist to hold our scheduled by list */
+			tmplist = NULL;
+			TAILQ_FOREACH(svc, services, entries) {
+				RC_SERVICE svcs = rc_service_state(svc->value);
+				if (svcs & RC_SERVICE_STARTED)
 					continue;
-			}
 
-			if (! svc_wait(svc->value))
-				eerror ("%s: timed out waiting for %s",
-					applet, svc->value);
-			if (! need_services)
-				continue;
-			if ((svcs = rc_service_state(svc->value)) & RC_SERVICE_STARTED)
-				continue;
-			TAILQ_FOREACH(svc2, need_services, entries) {
-				if (strcmp (svc->value, svc2->value) == 0) {
-					if (svcs & RC_SERVICE_INACTIVE ||
-					    svcs & RC_SERVICE_WASINACTIVE)
-					{
-					    if (! tmplist)
-					    	tmplist = rc_stringlist_new();
-					    rc_stringlist_add(tmplist, svc->value);
-					} else
-						eerrorx("ERROR: cannot start %s as"
-							" %s would not start",
+				/* Don't wait for services which went inactive but are now in
+				 * starting state which we are after */
+				if (svcs & RC_SERVICE_STARTING &&
+						svcs & RC_SERVICE_WASINACTIVE) {
+					TAILQ_FOREACH(svc2, use_services, entries) {
+						if (strcmp (svc->value, svc2->value) == 0) 
+							break;
+					}
+					if (! svc2)
+						continue;
+				}
+
+				if (! svc_wait(svc->value))
+					eerror ("%s: timed out waiting for %s",
 							applet, svc->value);
+				if (! need_services)
+					continue;
+				if ((svcs = rc_service_state(svc->value)) & RC_SERVICE_STARTED)
+					continue;
+				TAILQ_FOREACH(svc2, need_services, entries) {
+					if (strcmp (svc->value, svc2->value) == 0) {
+						if (svcs & RC_SERVICE_INACTIVE ||
+								svcs & RC_SERVICE_WASINACTIVE)
+						{
+							if (! tmplist)
+								tmplist = rc_stringlist_new();
+							rc_stringlist_add(tmplist, svc->value);
+						} else
+							eerrorx("ERROR: cannot start %s as"
+									" %s would not start",
+									applet, svc->value);
+					}
 				}
 			}
-		}
 
-		if (tmplist && TAILQ_FIRST(tmplist)) {
-			/* Set the state now, then unlink our exclusive so that
-			   our scheduled list is preserved */
-			rc_service_mark(service, RC_SERVICE_STOPPED);
-			unlink_mtime_test();
+			if (tmplist && TAILQ_FIRST(tmplist)) {
+				/* Set the state now, then unlink our exclusive so that
+				   our scheduled list is preserved */
+				rc_service_mark(service, RC_SERVICE_STOPPED);
+				unlink_mtime_test();
 
-			rc_stringlist_free(use_services);
-			use_services = NULL;
-			len = 0;
-			n = 0;
-			TAILQ_FOREACH(svc, tmplist, entries) {
-				rc_service_schedule_start(svc->value, service);
-				use_services = rc_deptree_depend(deptree, "iprovide",
-								 svc->value);
-				TAILQ_FOREACH (svc2, use_services, entries)
-					rc_service_schedule_start(svc2->value, service);
 				rc_stringlist_free(use_services);
 				use_services = NULL;
-				len += strlen(svc->value) + 2;
-				n++;
+				len = 0;
+				n = 0;
+				TAILQ_FOREACH(svc, tmplist, entries) {
+					rc_service_schedule_start(svc->value, service);
+					use_services = rc_deptree_depend(deptree, "iprovide",
+							svc->value);
+					TAILQ_FOREACH (svc2, use_services, entries)
+						rc_service_schedule_start(svc2->value, service);
+					rc_stringlist_free(use_services);
+					use_services = NULL;
+					len += strlen(svc->value) + 2;
+					n++;
+				}
+
+				len += 5;
+				tmp = p = xmalloc(sizeof(char) * len);
+				TAILQ_FOREACH(svc, tmplist, entries) {
+					if (p != tmp)
+						p += snprintf(p, len, ", ");
+					p += snprintf(p, len, "%s", svc->value);
+				}
+				free(tmp);
+				rc_stringlist_free(tmplist);
+				tmplist = NULL;
+				ewarnx("WARNING: %s is scheduled to start when %s has started",
+						applet, tmp);
 			}
 
-			len += 5;
-			tmp = p = xmalloc(sizeof(char) * len);
-			TAILQ_FOREACH(svc, tmplist, entries) {
-				if (p != tmp)
-					p += snprintf(p, len, ", ");
-				p += snprintf(p, len, "%s", svc->value);
-			}
-			free(tmp);
-			rc_stringlist_free(tmplist);
-			tmplist = NULL;
-			ewarnx("WARNING: %s is scheduled to start when %s has started",
-					applet, tmp);
+			rc_stringlist_free(services);
+			services = NULL;
 		}
-
-		rc_stringlist_free(services);
-		services = NULL;
 	}
 
 	if (ibsave)