diff --git a/man/runscript.8 b/man/runscript.8
index 3b037ce7..64f36b15 100644
--- a/man/runscript.8
+++ b/man/runscript.8
@@ -92,7 +92,8 @@ or stopping them.
 The following variables affect the service script:
 .Bl -tag -width "RC_DEFAULTLEVEL"
 .It Ar extra_commands
-Space separated list of extra commands the service defines.
+Space separated list of extra commands the service defines. These should
+not depend on the service being stopped or started.
 .It Ar extra_started_commands
 Space separated list of extra commands the service defines. These only work if
 the service has already been started.
diff --git a/sh/runscript.sh.in b/sh/runscript.sh.in
index 83db42b1..15cdb868 100644
--- a/sh/runscript.sh.in
+++ b/sh/runscript.sh.in
@@ -4,6 +4,22 @@
 # Copyright (c) 2007-2009 Roy Marples <roy@marples.name>
 # Released under the 2-clause BSD license.
 
+verify_boot()
+{
+	if [ ! -e ${RC_SVCDIR}/softlevel ]; then
+		eerror "You are attempting to run an openrc service on a"
+		eerror "system which openrc did not boot."
+		eerror "You may be inside a chroot or you may have used"
+		eerror "another initialization system to boot this system."
+		eerror "In this situation, you will get unpredictable results!"
+		eerror
+		eerror "If you really want to do this, issue the following command:"
+		eerror "touch ${RC_SVCDIR}/softlevel"
+		exit 1
+	fi
+	return 0
+}
+
 sourcex()
 {
 	if [ "$1" = "-e" ]; then
@@ -24,18 +40,6 @@ if sourcex -e "/sbin/livecd-functions.sh"; then
 	livecd_read_commandline
 fi
 
-if [ ! -e ${RC_SVCDIR}/softlevel ]; then
-	eerror "You are attempting to run an openrc service on a"
-	eerror "system which openrc did not boot."
-	eerror "You may be inside a chroot or you may have used"
-	eerror "another initialization system to boot this system."
-	eerror "In this situation, you will get unpredictable results!"
-	eerror
-	eerror "If you really want to do this, issue the following command:"
-	eerror "touch ${RC_SVCDIR}/softlevel"
-	exit 1
-fi
-
 if [ -z "$1" -o -z "$2" ]; then
 	eerror "$RC_SVCNAME: not enough arguments"
 	exit 1
@@ -256,7 +260,7 @@ while [ -n "$1" ]; do
 				# we can run this command
 				for _cmd in $extra_started_commands; do
 					if [ "$_cmd" = "$1" ]; then
-						if ! service_started; then
+						if verify_boot && ! service_started; then
 							eerror "$RC_SVCNAME: cannot \`$1' as it has not been started"
 							exit 1
 						fi
@@ -266,13 +270,16 @@ while [ -n "$1" ]; do
 				# we can run this command
 				for _cmd in $extra_stopped_commands; do
 					if [ "$_cmd" = "$1" ]; then
-						if ! service_stopped; then
+						if verify_boot && ! service_stopped; then
 							eerror "$RC_SVCNAME: cannot \`$1' as it has not been stopped"
 							exit 1
 						fi
 					fi
 				done
 				unset _cmd
+				case $1 in
+						start|stop|status) verify_boot;;
+				esac
 				if [ "$(command -v "$1_pre")" = "$1_pre" ]
 				then
 					"$1"_pre || exit $?