diff --git a/src/librc/librc-depend.c b/src/librc/librc-depend.c
index b472c8a1..f52c6de2 100644
--- a/src/librc/librc-depend.c
+++ b/src/librc/librc-depend.c
@@ -596,7 +596,7 @@ char **rc_deptree_order (const rc_depinfo_t *deptree, const char *runlevel,
 }
 librc_hidden_def(rc_deptree_order)
 
-static bool is_newer_than (const char *file, const char *target)
+bool rc_newer_than (const char *source, const char *target)
 {
 	struct stat buf;
 	time_t mtime;
@@ -604,28 +604,31 @@ static bool is_newer_than (const char *file, const char *target)
 	DIR *dp;
 	struct dirent *d;
 	char *path;
+	int serrno = errno;
 
-	if (stat (file, &buf) != 0 || buf.st_size == 0)
+	if (stat (source, &buf) != 0 || buf.st_size == 0)
 		return (false);
 	mtime = buf.st_mtime;
 
-	/* Of course we are newever than targets that don't exist
-	   Such as broken symlinks */
+	/* Of course we are newer than targets that don't exist
+	   such as broken symlinks */
 	if (stat (target, &buf) != 0)
 		return (true);
 
 	if (mtime < buf.st_mtime)
 		return (false);
 
-	if (! (dp = opendir (target)))
+	if (! (dp = opendir (target))) {
+		errno = serrno;
 		return (true);
+	}
 
 	while ((d = readdir (dp))) {
 		if (d->d_name[0] == '.')
 			continue;
 
 		path = rc_strcatpaths (target, d->d_name, (char *) NULL);
-		newer = is_newer_than (file, path);
+		newer = rc_newer_than (source, path);
 		free (path);
 		if (! newer)
 			break;
@@ -634,6 +637,7 @@ static bool is_newer_than (const char *file, const char *target)
 
 	return (newer);
 }
+librc_hidden_def(rc_newer_than)
 
 typedef struct deppair
 {
@@ -679,18 +683,18 @@ bool rc_deptree_update_needed (void)
 			fprintf (stderr, "mkdir `%s': %s\n", depdirs[i], strerror (errno));
 
 	/* Quick test to see if anything we use has changed */
-	if (! is_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, RC_INITDIR) ||
-	    ! is_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, RC_CONFDIR) ||
-	    ! is_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, RC_INITDIR_LOCAL) ||
-	    ! is_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, RC_CONFDIR_LOCAL) ||
-	    ! is_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, "/etc/rc.conf"))
+	if (! rc_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, RC_INITDIR) ||
+	    ! rc_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, RC_CONFDIR) ||
+	    ! rc_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, RC_INITDIR_LOCAL) ||
+	    ! rc_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, RC_CONFDIR_LOCAL) ||
+	    ! rc_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, "/etc/rc.conf"))
 		return (true);
 
 	/* Some init scripts dependencies change depending on config files
 	 * outside of baselayout, like syslog-ng, so we check those too. */
 	config = rc_config_list (RC_DEPCONFIG);
 	STRLIST_FOREACH (config, service, i) {
-		if (! is_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, service)) {
+		if (! rc_newer_than (RC_DEPTREE, service)) {
 			newer = true;
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/src/librc/librc.h b/src/librc/librc.h
index 6b1e0314..0f6212fe 100644
--- a/src/librc/librc.h
+++ b/src/librc/librc.h
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ librc_hidden_proto(rc_deptree_update)
 librc_hidden_proto(rc_deptree_update_needed)
 librc_hidden_proto(rc_find_pids)
 librc_hidden_proto(rc_getline)
+librc_hidden_proto(rc_newer_than)
 librc_hidden_proto(rc_runlevel_exists)
 librc_hidden_proto(rc_runlevel_get)
 librc_hidden_proto(rc_runlevel_list)
diff --git a/src/librc/rc.h b/src/librc/rc.h
index 95247785..516d39f0 100644
--- a/src/librc/rc.h
+++ b/src/librc/rc.h
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@ bool rc_runlevel_exists (const char *runlevel);
 char **rc_runlevel_list (void);
 
 /*! Set the runlevel.
- * This just changes the stored runlevel and does not start or stop any services.
+ * This just changes the stored runlevel and does not start or stop any
+ * services.
  * @param runlevel to store */
 bool rc_runlevel_set (const char *runlevel);
 
@@ -117,8 +118,8 @@ bool rc_service_delete (const char *runlevel, const char *service);
  * @param pidfile of the process (optional)
  * @param started if true, add the arguments otherwise remove existing matching arguments */
 bool rc_service_daemon_set (const char *service, const char *exec,
-							const char *name, const char *pidfile,
-							bool started);
+                            const char *name, const char *pidfile,
+                            bool started);
 
 /*! Returns a description of what the service and/or option does.
  * @param service to check
@@ -157,7 +158,7 @@ char *rc_service_resolve (const char *service);
  * @param service that starts the scheduled service when started
  * @param service_to_start service that will be started */
 bool rc_service_schedule_start (const char *service,
-								const char *service_to_start);
+                                const char *service_to_start);
 /*! Return a NULL terminated list of services that are scheduled to start
  * when the given service has started
  * @param service to check
@@ -190,7 +191,7 @@ pid_t rc_service_stop (const char *service);
  * @param indx of the daemon (optional - 1st daemon, 2nd daemon, etc)
  * @return true if started by this service, otherwise false */
 bool rc_service_started_daemon (const char *service, const char *exec,
-								int indx);
+                                int indx);
 
 /*! Return a saved value for a service
  * @param service to check
@@ -204,7 +205,7 @@ char *rc_service_value_get (const char *service, const char *option);
  * @param value of the option
  * @return true if saved, otherwise false */
 bool rc_service_value_set (const char *service, const char *option,
-						   const char *value);
+                           const char *value);
 
 /*! List the services in a runlevel
  * @param runlevel to list
@@ -248,6 +249,11 @@ bool rc_service_daemons_crashed (const char *service);
 typedef void *rc_depinfo_t;
 #endif
 
+/*! Check to see if source is newer than target.
+ * If target is a directory then we traverse it and it's children.
+* @return true if source is newer than target, otherwise false */ 
+bool rc_newer_than (const char *source, const char *target);
+
 /*! Update the cached dependency tree if it's older than any init script,
  * its configuration file or an external configuration file the init script
  * has specified.
@@ -271,7 +277,7 @@ rc_depinfo_t *rc_deptree_load (void);
  * @param service to check
  * @return NULL terminated list of services in order */
 char **rc_deptree_depend (const rc_depinfo_t *deptree,
-						  const char *type, const char *service);
+                          const char *type, const char *service);
 
 /*! List all the services in order that the given services have
  * for the given types and options.
@@ -281,9 +287,9 @@ char **rc_deptree_depend (const rc_depinfo_t *deptree,
  * @param options to pass
  * @return NULL terminated list of services in order */
 char **rc_deptree_depends (const rc_depinfo_t *deptree,
-						   const char *const *types,
-						   const char *const *services, const char *runlevel,
-						   int options);
+                           const char *const *types,
+                           const char *const *services, const char *runlevel,
+                           int options);
 
 /*! List all the services that should be stoppned and then started, in order,
  * for the given runlevel, including sysinit and boot services where
@@ -293,7 +299,7 @@ char **rc_deptree_depends (const rc_depinfo_t *deptree,
  * @param options to pass
  * @return NULL terminated list of services in order */
 char **rc_deptree_order (const rc_depinfo_t *deptree, const char *runlevel,
-						 int options);
+                         int options);
 
 /*! Free a deptree and its information
  * @param deptree to free */
@@ -440,6 +446,6 @@ char *rc_strcatpaths (const char *path1, const char *paths, ...) SENTINEL;
  * @param pid to check for
  * @return NULL terminated list of pids */
 pid_t *rc_find_pids (const char *exec, const char *cmd,
-					 uid_t uid, pid_t pid);
+                     uid_t uid, pid_t pid);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/src/librc/rc.map b/src/librc/rc.map
index 8de23c41..e60ea183 100644
--- a/src/librc/rc.map
+++ b/src/librc/rc.map
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ global:
 	rc_environ_fd;
 	rc_find_pids;
 	rc_getline;
+	rc_newer_than;
 	rc_runlevel_exists;
 	rc_runlevel_get;
 	rc_runlevel_list;
diff --git a/src/rc/Makefile b/src/rc/Makefile
index 1168b3f2..587d60d7 100644
--- a/src/rc/Makefile
+++ b/src/rc/Makefile
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ RC_BINLINKS=	einfon einfo ewarnn ewarn eerrorn eerror ebegin eend ewend \
 		service_coldplugged service_started_daemon \
 		checkpath fstabinfo mountinfo rc-depend \
 		service_get_value service_set_value get_options save_options \
-		shell_var
+		shell_var is_newer_than is_older_than
 RC_SBINLINKS=	mark_service_starting mark_service_started \
 		mark_service_stopping mark_service_stopped \
 		mark_service_inactive mark_service_wasinactive \
diff --git a/src/rc/rc.c b/src/rc/rc.c
index 567da725..93be82d4 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc.c
@@ -913,6 +913,21 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 	if (strncmp (applet, "mark_service_", strlen ("mark_service_")) == 0)
 		exit (do_mark_service (argc, argv));
 
+	if (strcmp (applet, "is_newer_than") == 0 ||
+	    strcmp (applet, "is_older_than") == 0)
+	{
+		bool match = false;
+		if (argc < 2)
+			exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+		if (strcmp (applet, "is_newer_than") == 0)
+			match = true;
+		while (optind < argc) {
+			if (rc_newer_than (argv[0], argv[optind++]) != match)
+				exit (EXIT_FAILURE);
+		}
+		exit (EXIT_SUCCESS);
+	}; 
+
 	if (strcmp (applet, "is_runlevel_start") == 0)
 		exit (rc_runlevel_starting () ? 0 : 1);
 	else if (strcmp (applet, "is_runlevel_stop") == 0)