diff --git a/sh/init.sh.Linux.in b/sh/init.sh.Linux.in
index 25a3ecb7..5aa5031e 100644
--- a/sh/init.sh.Linux.in
+++ b/sh/init.sh.Linux.in
@@ -96,6 +96,9 @@ if ${mountproc}; then
 fi
 unset mountproc
 
+# Re-load RC_SYS if empty now we have /proc mounted
+[ -z "${RC_SYS}" ] && export RC_SYS="$(rc --sys)"
+
 # Read off the kernel commandline to see if there's any special settings
 # especially check to see if we need to set the  CDBOOT environment variable
 # Note: /proc MUST be mounted
diff --git a/src/rc/rc.c b/src/rc/rc.c
index b305b2d1..5ae7e1f1 100644
--- a/src/rc/rc.c
+++ b/src/rc/rc.c
@@ -935,11 +935,13 @@ static void handle_bad_signal(int sig)
 static const struct option longopts[] = {
 	{ "override", 1, NULL, 'o' },
 	{ "service",  1, NULL, 's' },
+	{ "sys",      0, NULL, 'S' },
 	longopts_COMMON
 };
 static const char * const longopts_help[] = {
 	"override the next runlevel to change into\nwhen leaving single user or boot runlevels",
 	"runs the service specified with the rest\nof the arguments",
+	"output the RC system type, if any",
 	longopts_help_COMMON
 };
 #include "_usage.c"
@@ -1028,6 +1030,12 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 			execv(*argv, argv);
 			eerrorx("%s: %s", applet, strerror(errno));
 			/* NOTREACHED */
+		case 'S':
+			bootlevel = rc_sys();
+			if (bootlevel)
+				printf("%s\n", bootlevel);
+			exit(EXIT_SUCCESS);
+			/* NOTREACHED */
 		case_RC_COMMON_GETOPT
 		}
 	}