diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index d18d0935..ff57c9df 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,6 +1,11 @@
 # ChangeLog for Gentoo System Intialization ("rc") scripts
 # Copyright 1999-2007 Gentoo Foundation; Distributed under the GPLv2
 
+  11 Oct 2007; Roy Marples <uberlord@gentoo.org>:
+
+    If / block device as in /etc/fstab does not exist, use /dev/root if
+    it's available in checkroot, #171593.
+
   09 Oct 2007; Roy Marples <uberlord@gentoo.org>:
 
     netmount, localmount, halt.sh and net scripts now check OS specific flags
diff --git a/init.d/checkroot b/init.d/checkroot
index a392ea36..a45265cf 100755
--- a/init.d/checkroot
+++ b/init.d/checkroot
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ root_rw() {
 }
 
 do_fsck() {
-	local retval=0 opts=
+	local retval=0 opts= root=
 	case "${RC_UNAME}" in
 		FreeBSD) opts="-F";;
 		Linux) opts="-T -C0";;
@@ -52,9 +52,12 @@ do_fsck() {
 		return 0
 	fi
 
+	root=$(fstabinfo --blockdevice /)
+	[ ! -e "${root}" -a -e /dev/root ] && root=/dev/root
+
 	if [ -e /forcefsck ] || get_bootparam "forcefsck" ; then
 		ebegin "Checking root filesystem (full fsck forced)"
-		fsck ${opts} -f -n /
+		fsck ${opts} -f -n "${root}"
 		# /forcefsck isn't deleted because checkfs needs it.
 		# it'll be deleted in that script.
 		retval=$?
@@ -63,7 +66,7 @@ do_fsck() {
 		local pass=$(fstabinfo --passno /)
 		if [ ${pass:-0} != "0" ] ; then
 			ebegin "Checking root filesystem"
-			fsck ${opts} -p /
+			fsck ${opts} -p "${root}"
 			retval=$?
 		else
 			ebegin "Skipping root filesystem check" "(fstab's passno == 0)"
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ do_fsck() {
 	else
 		if [ "${RC_FORCE_AUTO}" = "yes" ] ; then
 			eend 2 "Rerunning fsck in force mode"
-			fsck ${opts} -y /
+			fsck ${opts} -y "${root}"
 			retval=$?
 		else
 			eend 2 "Filesystem couldn't be fixed :("
diff --git a/src/fstabinfo.c b/src/fstabinfo.c
index 23b5c42a..4d927f71 100644
--- a/src/fstabinfo.c
+++ b/src/fstabinfo.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #define GET_ENT getmntent (fp)
 #define GET_ENT_FILE(_name) getmntfile (_name)
 #define END_ENT endmntent (fp)
-#define ENT_DEVICE(_ent) ent->mnt_fsname
+#define ENT_BLOCKDEVICE(_ent) ent->mnt_fsname
 #define ENT_FILE(_ent) ent->mnt_dir
 #define ENT_TYPE(_ent) ent->mnt_type
 #define ENT_OPTS(_ent) ent->mnt_opts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 #define GET_ENT getfsent ()
 #define GET_ENT_FILE(_name) getfsfile (_name)
 #define END_ENT endfsent ()
-#define ENT_DEVICE(_ent) ent->fs_spec
+#define ENT_BLOCKDEVICE(_ent) ent->fs_spec
 #define ENT_TYPE(_ent) ent->fs_vfstype
 #define ENT_FILE(_ent) ent->fs_file
 #define ENT_OPTS(_ent) ent->fs_mntops
@@ -65,17 +65,19 @@ static struct mntent *getmntfile (const char *file)
 #endif
 
 #include "_usage.h"
-#define getoptstring "mop:t:" getoptstring_COMMON
+#define getoptstring "bmop:t:" getoptstring_COMMON
 static struct option longopts[] = {
-	{ "options",        0, NULL, 'o'},
-	{ "passno",         1, NULL, 'p'},
-	{ "fstype",         1, NULL, 't'},
+	{ "blockdevice",    0, NULL, 'b' },
+	{ "options",        0, NULL, 'o' },
+	{ "passno",         1, NULL, 'p' },
+	{ "fstype",         1, NULL, 't' },
 	longopts_COMMON
 };
 static const char * const longopts_help[] = {
+	"Extract the block device",
 	"Extract the options field",
-	"Extract the pass number field",
-	"Extract the file system type",
+	"Extract or query the pass number field",
+	"List entries with matching file system type",
 	longopts_help_COMMON
 };
 #include "_usage.c"
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ static const char * const longopts_help[] = {
 #define OUTPUT_FILE      (1 << 1)
 #define OUTPUT_OPTIONS   (1 << 3)
 #define OUTPUT_PASSNO    (1 << 4)
+#define OUTPUT_BLOCKDEV  (1 << 5)
 
 int fstabinfo (int argc, char **argv)
 {
@@ -105,6 +108,9 @@ int fstabinfo (int argc, char **argv)
 							   longopts, (int *) 0)) != -1)
 	{
 		switch (opt) {
+			case 'b':
+				output = OUTPUT_BLOCKDEV;
+				break;
 			case 'o':
 				output = OUTPUT_OPTIONS;
 				break;
@@ -177,6 +183,9 @@ int fstabinfo (int argc, char **argv)
 			continue;
 
 		switch (output) {
+			case OUTPUT_BLOCKDEV:
+				printf ("%s\n", ENT_BLOCKDEVICE (ent));
+				break;
 			case OUTPUT_OPTIONS:
 				printf ("%s\n", ENT_OPTS (ent));
 				break;