diff --git a/src/conf.c b/src/conf.c
index 805732ea..861caf00 100644
--- a/src/conf.c
+++ b/src/conf.c
@@ -672,7 +672,7 @@ int conf_reload(void)
 
 	if (rescue) {
 		int rc;
-		char line[80] = "tty [12345] @console noclear nologin";
+		char line[80] = "tty [12345] rescue";
 
 		/* If rescue.conf is missing, fall back to a root shell */
 		rc = parse_conf(RESCUE_CONF, 0);
diff --git a/src/rescue.conf b/src/rescue.conf
index 9769f55d..69231099 100644
--- a/src/rescue.conf
+++ b/src/rescue.conf
@@ -1,3 +1,2 @@
 runlevel 1
-hostname rescue
-tty [12345] @console noclear nologin
+tty [12345] rescue
diff --git a/src/service.c b/src/service.c
index 7530d44b..81ca2c6d 100644
--- a/src/service.c
+++ b/src/service.c
@@ -1301,6 +1301,7 @@ int service_register(int type, char *cfg, struct rlimit rlimit[], char *file)
 		svc->nowait  = tty.nowait;
 		svc->nologin = tty.nologin;
 		svc->notty   = tty.notty;
+		svc->rescue  = tty.rescue;
 
 		/* TTYs cannot be redirected */
 		log = NULL;
diff --git a/src/svc.h b/src/svc.h
index 6c74f985..6a08c8c7 100644
--- a/src/svc.h
+++ b/src/svc.h
@@ -149,6 +149,7 @@ typedef struct svc {
 			char  nowait;
 			char  nologin;
 			char  notty;
+			char  rescue;
 		};
 	};
 
diff --git a/src/tty.c b/src/tty.c
index 6497f1e9..af047ce7 100644
--- a/src/tty.c
+++ b/src/tty.c
@@ -158,7 +158,9 @@ int tty_parse_args(char *cmd, struct tty *tty)
 		else if (!strcmp(cmd, "nologin"))
 			tty->nologin = 1;
 		else if (!strcmp(cmd, "notty"))
-			tty->notty = 1;	/* for rescue shells */
+			tty->notty = 1;		/* for board bringup */
+		else if (!strcmp(cmd, "rescue"))
+			tty->rescue = 1;	/* for rescue shells */
 		else if (!access(cmd, X_OK))
 			tty->cmd = cmd;
 		else
@@ -167,6 +169,10 @@ int tty_parse_args(char *cmd, struct tty *tty)
 		cmd = strtok(NULL, " \t");
 	} while (cmd && tty->num < NELEMS(tty->args));
 
+	/* rescue shells are always notty */
+	if (tty->rescue)
+		tty->notty = 1;
+
 	/* skip /dev probe, we just want a bríngup shell */
 	if (tty->notty)
 		return 0;
@@ -242,12 +248,15 @@ int tty_exec(svc_t *svc)
 
 	/* try to protect system with sulogin, fall back to root shell */
 	if (svc->notty) {
-		/* util-linux or busybox, no args for compat */
-		if (whichp("sulogin"))
-			return execlp("sulogin", "sulogin", NULL);
-		/* check if bundled one is available */
-		if (whichp(_PATH_SULOGIN) && !systemf(_PATH_SULOGIN))
-			_exit(0);
+		if (svc->rescue) {
+			/* check if bundled one is available */
+			if (whichp(_PATH_SULOGIN))
+				return execl(_PATH_SULOGIN, _PATH_SULOGIN, NULL);
+
+			/* util-linux or busybox, no args for compat */
+			if (whichp("sulogin"))
+				return execlp("sulogin", "sulogin", NULL);
+		}
 
 		/*
 		 * Become session leader and set controlling TTY
@@ -257,7 +266,7 @@ int tty_exec(svc_t *svc)
 		ioctl(STDIN_FILENO, TIOCSCTTY, 1);
 
 		prctl(PR_SET_NAME, "finitsh", 0, 0, 0);
-		return execl(_PATH_BSHELL, _PATH_BSHELL, NULL);
+		return execl(_PATH_BSHELL, "-sh", NULL);
 	}
 
 	dev = tty_canonicalize(svc->dev);
diff --git a/src/tty.h b/src/tty.h
index 8e543c32..37797d95 100644
--- a/src/tty.h
+++ b/src/tty.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ struct tty {
 	char	 nowait;
 	char	 nologin;
 	char	 notty;
+	char	 rescue;
 };
 
 char	*tty_canonicalize (char *dev);