diff --git a/Changelog b/Changelog
index 2fc6775e..3af3baa6 100644
--- a/Changelog
+++ b/Changelog
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 	- drop system("rm -f") to clean /tmp, its a fresh mounted tmpfs
 	- write ACPI sleep state to /sys/power/state instead of
 	  /proc/acpi/sleep (Metalshark)
+	- use direct calls to set loopback instead of fork ifconfig
 
 0.1 (20081214)
 	- initial release
diff --git a/finit-alt.c b/finit-alt.c
index 063fd4db..7cf48a4f 100644
--- a/finit-alt.c
+++ b/finit-alt.c
@@ -37,7 +37,10 @@ THE SOFTWARE.
 #include <sys/reboot.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <linux/fs.h>
-#include <linux/limits.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <net/if.h>
+#include <netinet/in.h>
+#include <arpa/inet.h>
 
 
 #ifdef DEBUG
@@ -105,9 +108,31 @@ int makepath(char *p)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+void ifconfig(char *name, char *inet, char *broadcast, int flags)
+{
+	struct ifreq ifr;
+	struct sockaddr_in *a = (struct sockaddr_in *)&(ifr.ifr_addr);
+	int sock;
+
+	if ((sock = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_IP)) < 0)
+		return;
+
+	memset(&ifr, 0, sizeof (ifr));
+	strncpy(ifr.ifr_name, name, IFNAMSIZ);
+	a->sin_family = AF_INET;
+	inet_aton(inet, &a->sin_addr);
+	ioctl(sock, SIOCSIFADDR, &ifr);
+	inet_aton(broadcast, &a->sin_addr);
+	ioctl(sock, SIOCSIFNETMASK, &ifr);
+	ioctl(sock, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &ifr);
+	ifr.ifr_flags |= flags;
+	ioctl(sock, SIOCSIFFLAGS, &ifr);
+	close(sock);
+}
 
 
-void shutdown(int);
+
+void do_shutdown(int);
 void signal_handler(int);
 void chld_handler(int);
 
@@ -137,10 +162,10 @@ int main()
 	for (i = 1; i < NSIG; i++)
 		SETSIG(sa, i, SIG_IGN, SA_RESTART);
 
-	SETSIG(sa, SIGINT,  shutdown,       0);
+	SETSIG(sa, SIGINT,  do_shutdown,    0);
 	SETSIG(sa, SIGPWR,  signal_handler, 0);
-	SETSIG(sa, SIGUSR1, shutdown,       0);
-	SETSIG(sa, SIGUSR2, shutdown,       0);
+	SETSIG(sa, SIGUSR1, do_shutdown,    0);
+	SETSIG(sa, SIGUSR2, do_shutdown,    0);
 	SETSIG(sa, SIGTERM, signal_handler, 0);
 	SETSIG(sa, SIGALRM, signal_handler, 0);
 	SETSIG(sa, SIGHUP,  signal_handler, 0);
@@ -259,7 +284,7 @@ int main()
 		fclose(f);
 	}
 
-	system("/sbin/ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1 netmask 255.0.0.0 up > /dev/null");
+	ifconfig("lo", "127.0.0.1", "255.0.0.0", IFF_UP);
 
 	/*
 	 * Set random seed
@@ -345,7 +370,7 @@ int main()
 /*
  * Shut down on INT USR1 USR2
  */
-void shutdown(int sig)
+void do_shutdown(int sig)
 {
 	int fd;
 
diff --git a/finit-mod.c b/finit-mod.c
index e399f9d4..0f6e52dc 100644
--- a/finit-mod.c
+++ b/finit-mod.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ Changelog from the original Eeepc fastinit:
   CONFIG_RTC but not CONFIG_HPET_TIMER and CONFIG_HPET_RTC_IRQ (by Metalshark)
 - Drop system() call to clean /tmp, it's a fresh mounted tmpfs
 - Change /proc/acpi/sleep to /sys/power/state (by Metalshark)
+- Set loopback interface using direct calls instead of system("ifconfig")
 
 */
 
@@ -53,6 +54,10 @@ Changelog from the original Eeepc fastinit:
 #include <sys/reboot.h>
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <linux/fs.h>
+#include <sys/socket.h>
+#include <net/if.h>
+#include <netinet/in.h>
+#include <arpa/inet.h>
 
 #ifdef DIRECTISA
 #define HWCLOCK_DIRECTISA " --directisa"
@@ -89,9 +94,31 @@ int makepath(char *p)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+void ifconfig(char *name, char *inet, char *broadcast, int flags)
+{
+	struct ifreq ifr;
+	struct sockaddr_in *a = (struct sockaddr_in *)&(ifr.ifr_addr);
+	int sock;
+
+	if ((sock = socket(PF_INET, SOCK_DGRAM, IPPROTO_IP)) < 0)
+		return;
+
+	memset(&ifr, 0, sizeof (ifr));
+	strncpy(ifr.ifr_name, name, IFNAMSIZ);
+	a->sin_family = AF_INET;
+	inet_aton(inet, &a->sin_addr);
+	ioctl(sock, SIOCSIFADDR, &ifr);
+	inet_aton(broadcast, &a->sin_addr);
+	ioctl(sock, SIOCSIFNETMASK, &ifr);
+	ioctl(sock, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &ifr);
+	ifr.ifr_flags |= flags;
+	ioctl(sock, SIOCSIFFLAGS, &ifr);
+	close(sock);
+}
 
 
-void shutdown(int);
+
+void do_shutdown(int);
 void signal_handler(int);
 void chld_handler(int);
 
@@ -121,10 +148,10 @@ int main()
 	for (i = 1; i < NSIG; i++)
 		SETSIG(sa, i, SIG_IGN, SA_RESTART);
 
-	SETSIG(sa, SIGINT,  shutdown,       0);
+	SETSIG(sa, SIGINT,  do_shutdown,    0);
 	SETSIG(sa, SIGPWR,  signal_handler, 0);
-	SETSIG(sa, SIGUSR1, shutdown,       0);
-	SETSIG(sa, SIGUSR2, shutdown,       0);
+	SETSIG(sa, SIGUSR1, do_shutdown,    0);
+	SETSIG(sa, SIGUSR2, do_shutdown,    0);
 	SETSIG(sa, SIGTERM, signal_handler, 0);
 	SETSIG(sa, SIGALRM, signal_handler, 0);
 	SETSIG(sa, SIGHUP,  signal_handler, 0);
@@ -211,7 +238,7 @@ int main()
 		
 	}
 
-	system("/sbin/ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1 netmask 255.0.0.0 up > /dev/null");
+	ifconfig("lo", "127.0.0.1", "255.0.0.0", IFF_UP);
 
 	/*
 	 * Set random seed
@@ -284,7 +311,7 @@ int main()
 /*
  * Shut down on INT USR1 USR2
  */
-void shutdown(int sig)
+void do_shutdown(int sig)
 {
 	int fd;