diff --git a/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/istoreos-boot.sh b/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/istoreos-boot.sh
index 70ecafeee1..28974274ba 100644
--- a/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/istoreos-boot.sh
+++ b/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/istoreos-boot.sh
@@ -2,9 +2,9 @@
 # mmcblk0
 _getbootdisk()
 {
-    local rootpart=`grep -Fm1 ' - squashfs /dev/root ' /proc/self/mountinfo | cut -d' ' -f3`
+    local rootpart="`grep -Fm1 ' - squashfs /dev/root ' /proc/self/mountinfo | cut -d' ' -f3`"
     [ -z "$rootpart" ] && return 1
-    local devpath=`readlink /sys/dev/block/$rootpart`
+    local devpath="`readlink /sys/dev/block/$rootpart`"
     [ -z "$devpath" ] && return 1
     rootpart="${devpath##*/}"
     devpath="${devpath%%/$rootpart}"
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ _getpartofdisk()
     [ -z "$dev" ] && return 1
     local major="${dev%%:*}"
     local minor="${dev##*:}"
-    local devpath=`readlink /sys/dev/block/$major:$(($minor + $part))`
+    local devpath="`readlink /sys/dev/block/$major:$(($minor + $part))`"
     [ -z "$devpath" ] && return 1
     echo "${devpath##*/}"
 }
@@ -32,9 +32,31 @@ _getpartofdisk()
 _get_overlay_partition_default()
 {
 	local bootdisk="`_getbootdisk`"
-	[ -z "$bootdisk" ] && return 1
-	cat /sys/block/$bootdisk/uevent > /tmp/.bootdisk
+	[ -z "$bootdisk" ] && {
+		log "getbootdisk failed"
+		return 1
+	}
+	if [ -e /rom/note -a -e "/sys/block/$bootdisk/uevent" ]; then
+		# we are in mount_root if /rom/note exists
+		cat "/sys/block/$bootdisk/uevent" > /tmp/.bootdisk
+	fi
 	local overlay_dev="`_getpartofdisk $bootdisk 3`"
+	[ -z "$overlay_dev" ] && {
+		log "getpartofdisk $bootdisk 3 failed"
+		return 1
+	}
+	OVERLAY_DEV="/dev/$overlay_dev"
+	return 0
+}
+
+_get_overlay_partition_fallback()
+{
+	log "get_overlay_partition_fallback"
+	rm -f /tmp/.bootdisk >/dev/null 2>&1
+	local overlay_dev=$(
+		. /lib/upgrade/common.sh
+		export_bootdevice && export_partdevice overlay_dev 3 && echo $overlay_dev
+	)
 	[ -z "$overlay_dev" ] && return 1
 	OVERLAY_DEV="/dev/$overlay_dev"
 	return 0
@@ -42,7 +64,7 @@ _get_overlay_partition_default()
 
 get_overlay_partition()
 {
-	_get_overlay_partition_default || {
+	_get_overlay_partition_default || _get_overlay_partition_fallback || {
 		log "Unable to determine overlay partition"
 		return 1
 	}
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/sbin/firstboot b/package/base-files/files/sbin/firstboot
index b9898e2d2e..0510970f0e 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/sbin/firstboot
+++ b/package/base-files/files/sbin/firstboot
@@ -41,10 +41,10 @@ do_reset_nofs()
     echo "Already resetted" >&2
     return 1
   fi
-  if ! blkid -o device -t LABEL=$OVERLAY_LABEL "$OVERLAY_DEV" >/dev/null; then
-    echo "Overlay partition $OVERLAY_DEV not labeled $OVERLAY_LABEL" >&2
-    return 1
-  fi
+  # if ! blkid -o device -t LABEL=$OVERLAY_LABEL "$OVERLAY_DEV" >/dev/null; then
+  #   echo "Overlay partition $OVERLAY_DEV not labeled $OVERLAY_LABEL" >&2
+  #   return 1
+  # fi
 
   echo "RESET000" | dd of="$OVERLAY_DEV" bs=512 count=1 conv=notrunc,sync,fsync 2>/dev/null
   echo 3 > /proc/sys/vm/drop_caches
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ do_reset_nofs()
 
 do_reset_ext_overlay()
 {
+  [ -d /ext_overlay ] && mountpoint -q /ext_overlay || return 0
   rm -f /ext_overlay/etc/.extroot-uuid
   touch /ext_overlay/.reset
   sync /ext_overlay