diff --git a/init.d/bootmisc.in b/init.d/bootmisc.in
index ee3c20cc..c3824e02 100644
--- a/init.d/bootmisc.in
+++ b/init.d/bootmisc.in
@@ -10,11 +10,6 @@ depend()
 	keyword -prefix -timeout
 }
 
-dir_writable()
-{
-	mkdir "$1"/.test.$$ 2>/dev/null && rmdir "$1"/.test.$$
-}
-
 : ${wipe_tmp:=${WIPE_TMP:-yes}}
 : ${log_dmesg:=${LOG_DMESG:-yes}}
 
diff --git a/init.d/consolefont.in b/init.d/consolefont.in
index f83b0036..2f046d89 100644
--- a/init.d/consolefont.in
+++ b/init.d/consolefont.in
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ start()
 	eend $retval
 
 	# Store the last font so we can use it ASAP on boot
-	if [ $retval -eq 0 -a -w "$RC_LIBEXECDIR" ]; then
+	if [ $retval -eq 0 ] && dir_writable "$RC_LIBEXECDIR"; then
 		mkdir -p "$RC_LIBEXECDIR"/console
 		for font in /usr/share/consolefonts/"$consolefont".*; do
 			:
diff --git a/init.d/keymaps.in b/init.d/keymaps.in
index 1b96f493..851af5eb 100644
--- a/init.d/keymaps.in
+++ b/init.d/keymaps.in
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ start()
 	fi
 
 	# Save the keymapping for use immediately at boot
-	if [ -w "$RC_LIBEXECDIR" ]; then
+	if dir_writable "$RC_LIBEXECDIR"; then
 		mkdir -p "$RC_LIBEXECDIR"/console
 		dumpkeys >"$RC_LIBEXECDIR"/console/keymap
 	fi
diff --git a/init.d/termencoding.in b/init.d/termencoding.in
index edba715e..b4218980 100644
--- a/init.d/termencoding.in
+++ b/init.d/termencoding.in
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ start()
 	done
 
 	# Save the encoding for use immediately at boot
-	if [ -w "$RC_LIBEXECDIR" ]; then
+	if dir_writable "$RC_LIBEXECDIR"; then
 		mkdir -p "$RC_LIBEXECDIR"/console
 		if yesno ${unicode:-${UNICODE}}; then
 			echo "" > "$RC_LIBEXECDIR"/console/unicode
diff --git a/sh/runscript.sh.in b/sh/runscript.sh.in
index 8e7fa690..3b910017 100644
--- a/sh/runscript.sh.in
+++ b/sh/runscript.sh.in
@@ -4,6 +4,11 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Roy Marples <roy@marples.name>
 # Released under the 2-clause BSD license.
 
+dir_writable()
+{
+	mkdir "$1"/.test.$$ 2>/dev/null && rmdir "$1"/.test.$$
+}
+
 sourcex()
 {
 	if [ "$1" = "-e" ]; then