diff --git a/pkgs/min-copy-closure/liminix-rebuild.sh b/pkgs/min-copy-closure/liminix-rebuild.sh
index 5dda92c..16ec7f1 100755
--- a/pkgs/min-copy-closure/liminix-rebuild.sh
+++ b/pkgs/min-copy-closure/liminix-rebuild.sh
@@ -2,12 +2,18 @@
 
 ssh_command=${SSH_COMMAND-ssh}
 
-if [ "$1" = "--no-reboot" ] ; then
-    reboot="true"
-    shift
-else
-    reboot="reboot"
-fi
+reboot="reboot"
+
+case "$1" in
+    "--no-reboot")
+	unset reboot
+	shift
+	;;
+    "--fast")
+	reboot="soft"
+	shift
+	;;
+esac
 
 target_host=$1
 shift
@@ -21,7 +27,16 @@ if toplevel=$(nix-build "$@" -A outputs.systemConfiguration --no-out-link); then
     echo systemConfiguration $toplevel
     min-copy-closure $target_host $toplevel
     $ssh_command $target_host $toplevel/bin/install
-    $ssh_command  $target_host "sync; source /etc/profile; reboot"
+    case "$reboot" in
+	reboot)
+	    $ssh_command $target_host "sync; source /etc/profile; reboot"
+	    ;;
+	soft)
+	    $ssh_command $target_host $toplevel/bin/restart-services
+	    ;;
+	*)
+	    ;;
+    esac
 else
     echo Rebuild failed
 fi
diff --git a/pkgs/s6-rc-database/default.nix b/pkgs/s6-rc-database/default.nix
index 9983bbf..1fabe41 100644
--- a/pkgs/s6-rc-database/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/s6-rc-database/default.nix
@@ -21,11 +21,22 @@ in stdenvNoCC.mkDerivation  {
       if test -d $i; then
         for j in $i/* ; do
           if test -f $j/type ; then
+            case $(cat $j/type) in
+              longrun|oneshot)
+                # s6-rc-update only wants oneshots in its
+                # restarts file
+                echo $(basename $j) " " $i >>  $out/hashes
+                ;;
+              *)
+                ;;
+            esac
             srcs="$srcs $i"
           fi
         done
       fi
     done
     s6-rc-compile $out/compiled $srcs
-    '';
-  }
+    s6-rc-db -c $out/compiled contents default
+    mv $out/hashes $out/compiled
+  '';
+}
diff --git a/pkgs/systemconfig/default.nix b/pkgs/systemconfig/default.nix
index f6f38b1..f6a6f9d 100644
--- a/pkgs/systemconfig/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/systemconfig/default.nix
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 {
   writeText
+, writeFennelScript
 , lib
 , s6-init-bin
 , closureInfo
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ let
             chown = if uid>0 || gid>0
                     then "\nCHOWN(${qpathname},${toString uid},${toString gid});\n"
                     else "";
-          in "${cmd} ${chown}";
+          in "unlink(${qpathname}); ${cmd} ${chown}";
     in mapAttrsToList (makeFile prefix) attrset;
   activateScript = attrset: writeText "makedevs.c" ''
     #include "defs.h"
@@ -80,6 +81,7 @@ in attrset:
       cp $closure/store-paths $out/etc/nix-store-paths
       $STRIP --remove-section=.note  --remove-section=.comment --strip-all makedevs -o $out/bin/activate
       ln -s ${s6-init-bin}/bin/init $out/bin/init
+      cp -p ${writeFennelScript "restart-services" [] ./restart-services.fnl} $out/bin/restart-services
       cat > $out/bin/install <<EOF
       #!/bin/sh -e
       prefix=\''${1-/}
diff --git a/pkgs/systemconfig/restart-services.fnl b/pkgs/systemconfig/restart-services.fnl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..04c3300
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/systemconfig/restart-services.fnl
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+(fn hashes-from-file [name]
+  (with-open [f (assert (io.open name :r) name)]
+    (accumulate [h []
+                 l #(f:read "*l")]
+      (let [(name hash) (string.match l "([^%s]+) +([^%s]+)")]
+        (if name
+            (doto h (tset name hash))
+            h)))))
+
+(fn write-restarts [old new]
+  (let [old-hashes (hashes-from-file old)
+        new-hashes (hashes-from-file new)]
+    (with-open [f (io.open "/tmp/restarts" :w)]
+      (each [n h (pairs old-hashes)]
+        (when (not (= h (. new-hashes n)))
+          (f:write (.. n " restart\n")))))))
+
+(fn exec [text command]
+  (io.write (.. text ": "))
+  (match (os.execute command)
+    res (print "[OK]")
+    (nil err) (error (.. "[FAILED " err "]"))))
+
+(let [mypath (: (. arg 0) :match "(.*/)")
+      activate (.. mypath "activate /")
+      old-compiled "/run/s6-rc/compiled/"
+      new-compiled "/etc/s6-rc/compiled/"]
+
+  (exec "installing FHS files" activate)
+
+  (write-restarts (.. old-compiled "hashes") (.. new-compiled "hashes"))
+
+  (exec "updating service database"
+        (.. "s6-rc-update -f /tmp/restarts " new-compiled))
+
+  (exec "starting services" (.. "s6-rc -u -p change default"))
+  )
diff --git a/pkgs/systemconfig/test-hashes b/pkgs/systemconfig/test-hashes
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..413494d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/systemconfig/test-hashes
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+loopback   /nix/store/3k7yp08465k8z8a1514slansj0hbrvbq-loopback
+default   /nix/store/5247rr0mcr17x9lkaqjiywxmn4q3ibgd-default
+lan.link.a.10.3.0.1   /nix/store/99ic5bryzbx12ip4v8sh9cdrv15c8qwl-lan.link.a.10.3.0.1
+lo.link.a.-1   /nix/store/a2yvj42ghcg8iyvi51zcmzmpwwkrx30l-lo.link.a.-1
+sshd   /nix/store/afgznmavi6s9dxkv4vnn9xwd7qz5kk35-sshd
+lo.link   /nix/store/dz0nvlf16lqv9yndas0sk0xqh7jvx8gm-lo.link
+lo.link.a.127.0.0.1   /nix/store/jl018kbgxcnyb70s0cfw19q1zqa0pval-lo.link.a.127.0.0.1
+lan.link   /nix/store/lxvmhb7ax46s2akj9lsivcq494kmx0hm-lan.link
+lan.link.a.10.3.0.1.dnsmasq-log   /nix/store/rk8265ikd9lj3fpibyrw0kal32h0ksqg-lan.link.a.10.3.0.1.dnsmasq-log
+hostname   /nix/store/xfy0ymvnd0zv6wcd26h405f85hfkd8wq-hostname
+sshd-log   /nix/store/xj58nxvkacsjg3rvwb4bxcqnhaav4d3s-sshd-log
+lan.link.a.10.3.0.1.dnsmasq   /nix/store/z4l7h9pr4an9aq921cs9wrlvf9b8xr48-lan.link.a.10.3.0.1.dnsmasq
diff --git a/pkgs/systemconfig/test-hashes2 b/pkgs/systemconfig/test-hashes2
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..07ff364
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkgs/systemconfig/test-hashes2
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+loopback   /nix/store/3k7yp08465k8z8a1514slansj0hbrvbq-loopback
+default   /nix/store/5247rr0mcr17x9lkaqjiywxmn4q3ibgd-default
+lan.link.a.10.3.0.1   /nix/store/99ic5bryzbx12ip4v8sh9cdrv15c8qwl-lan.link.a.10.3.0.1
+lo.link.a.-1   /nix/store/a2yvj42ghcg8iyvi51zcmzmpwwkrx30l-lo.link.a.-1
+sshd   /nix/store/afgznmavi6s9dxkv4vnn9xwd7qz5kk35-sshd
+lo.link   /nax/store/dz0nvlf16lqv9yndas0sk0xqh7jvx8gm-lo.link
+lo.link.a.127.0.0.1   /nix/store/jl018kbgxcnyb70s0cfw19q1zqa0pval-lo.link.a.127.0.0.1
+lan.link   /nix/store/lxvmhb7ax46s2akj9lsivcq494kmx0hm-lan.link
+lan.link.a.10.3.0.1.dnsmasq-log   /nix/store/rk8265ikd9lj3fpibyrw0kal32h0ksqg-lan.link.a.10.3.0.1.dnsmasq-log
+hostname   /nax/store/xfy0ymvnd0zv6wcd26h405f85hfkd8wq-hostname
+sshd-log   /nax/store/xj58nxvkacsjg3rvwb4bxcqnhaav4d3s-sshd-log
+
diff --git a/tests/min-copy-closure/test-liminix-rebuild.sh b/tests/min-copy-closure/test-liminix-rebuild.sh
index ca41d92..4a36358 100755
--- a/tests/min-copy-closure/test-liminix-rebuild.sh
+++ b/tests/min-copy-closure/test-liminix-rebuild.sh
@@ -10,6 +10,17 @@
 
 set -e
 
+while test -n "$1"; do
+    case $1 in
+	--fast)
+	    FAST=true
+	    ;;
+	*)
+	    ;;
+    esac
+    shift
+done
+
 here=$(pwd)/tests/min-copy-closure
 top=$(pwd)
 
@@ -32,7 +43,7 @@ mkdir ./vm
 
 cat ${rootfs} > rootfs
 
-truncate -s 24M rootfs
+truncate -s 32M rootfs
 resize2fs rootfs
 
 dd if=rootfs of=disk-image bs=512 seek=4 conv=sync
@@ -51,9 +62,12 @@ echo "READY"
 touch known_hosts
 export SSH_COMMAND="ssh -o UserKnownHostsFile=${work}/known_hosts -o StrictHostKeyChecking=no -p 2022 -i ${here}/id"
 
-(cd ${top} && liminix-rebuild root@localhost -I liminix-config=${here}/with-figlet.nix  --arg device "import ./devices/qemu-armv7l")
+if test -n "$FAST"; then
+    (cd ${top} && liminix-rebuild --fast root@localhost -I liminix-config=${here}/with-figlet.nix  --argstr deviceName qemu-armv7l)
+    cd ${work} && expect $here/wait-for-soft-restart.expect
+else
+    (cd ${top} && liminix-rebuild root@localhost -I liminix-config=${here}/with-figlet.nix  --arg device "import ./devices/qemu-armv7l")
+    cd ${work} && expect $here/wait-for-reboot.expect
+fi
 
-ls -l vm
-
-cd ${work} && expect $here/wait-for-reboot.expect
 cd / ; rm -rf $work
diff --git a/tests/min-copy-closure/wait-for-soft-restart.expect b/tests/min-copy-closure/wait-for-soft-restart.expect
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..381f7a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/min-copy-closure/wait-for-soft-restart.expect
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+proc chat {instr outstr} {
+    expect {
+        $instr  { send $outstr }
+        timeout { exit 1 }
+    }
+}
+spawn socat unix-connect:vm/console -
+
+send "exit\r" 
+chat "BusyBox" "\r"
+chat "#" "stty -echo; type -p figlet\r"
+chat "figlet-armv7l-unknown-linux" "s6-rc -a list |grep  w\\inkle\r"
+chat "winkle" "poweroff\r"
diff --git a/tests/min-copy-closure/with-figlet.nix b/tests/min-copy-closure/with-figlet.nix
index 5614d92..09ec47c 100644
--- a/tests/min-copy-closure/with-figlet.nix
+++ b/tests/min-copy-closure/with-figlet.nix
@@ -4,4 +4,11 @@
   defaultProfile.packages = with pkgs; [
     figlet
   ];
+  services.ripvanwinkle = pkgs.liminix.services.longrun {
+    name = "winkle";
+    run = ''
+      echo SLEEPING > /dev/console
+      sleep 3600
+    '';
+  };
 }