diff --git a/root/bin/firstboot b/root/bin/firstboot
index f28a042bf1..5076d1c181 100755
--- a/root/bin/firstboot
+++ b/root/bin/firstboot
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 # $Id$
 
-exec 2>/dev/null
 
 [ -f "/tmp/.firstboot" ] && {
 	echo "firstboot is already running"
@@ -13,7 +12,7 @@ jdev=$(mount | awk '/jffs2/ {print $3}')
 
 if [ -z "$jdev" ]; then
 	echo -n "Creating jffs2 partition... "
-	mtd erase OpenWrt >- 
+	mtd erase OpenWrt >&- 
 	mount -t jffs2 /dev/mtdblock/4 /jffs
 	echo "done"
 	cd /jffs
@@ -23,6 +22,8 @@ else
 	cd $jdev
 fi
 
+exec 2>/dev/null
+
 mount /dev/mtdblock/2 /rom -o ro
 
 echo -n "creating directories... "
diff --git a/root/bin/ipkg b/root/bin/ipkg
index c802ce1b3a..bf275d842d 100755
--- a/root/bin/ipkg
+++ b/root/bin/ipkg
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ ipkg_is_upgrade () {
   while [ \! -z "$A" ] && [ \! -z "$B" ]; do {
     set $A; a=$1; shift; A=$*
     set $B; b=$1; shift; B=$*
-    { [ "$a" -gt "$b" ] 2>- || [ "$a" ">" "$b" ]; } && { return 0; }
+    { [ "$a" -gt "$b" ] 2>&- || [ "$a" ">" "$b" ]; } && { return 0; }
   }; done
   return 1;
 }
diff --git a/root/etc/init.d/S99done b/root/etc/init.d/S99done
index 3ba15e8bc4..73a4da4684 100755
--- a/root/etc/init.d/S99done
+++ b/root/etc/init.d/S99done
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 [ -z "$FAILSAFE" ] && {
-	{ mount | grep jffs2 1>-; } || firstboot
+	{ mount | grep jffs2 1>&-; } || firstboot
 }
 # turn off DMZ led
 echo "0x00" > /proc/sys/diag
diff --git a/root/sbin/ifdown b/root/sbin/ifdown
index d1d19b0333..4c7e982117 100755
--- a/root/sbin/ifdown
+++ b/root/sbin/ifdown
@@ -4,5 +4,5 @@
   debug "### ifdown $type ###"
   if=$(nvram_get ${type}_ifname)
   if_valid $if || return
-  kill $(cat /var/run/${if}.pid 2>-) 2>-
+  kill $(cat /var/run/${if}.pid 2>&-) 2>&-
   $DEBUG ifconfig $if down