diff --git a/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/common.sh b/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/common.sh
index c8b71015c2..428ec735d6 100644
--- a/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/common.sh
+++ b/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/common.sh
@@ -6,28 +6,33 @@ RAM_ROOT=/tmp/root
 libs() { ldd $* 2>/dev/null | sed -r 's/(.* => )?(.*) .*/\2/'; }
 
 install_file() { # <file> [ <file> ... ]
+	local target dest dir
 	for file in "$@"; do
+		if [ -L "$file" ]; then
+			target="$(readlink -f "$file")"
+			dest="$RAM_ROOT/$file"
+			[ ! -f "$dest" ] && {
+				dir="$(dirname "$dest")"
+				mkdir -p "$dir"
+				ln -s "$target" "$dest"
+			}
+			file="$target"
+		fi
 		dest="$RAM_ROOT/$file"
-		[ -f $file -a ! -f $dest ] && {
-			dir="$(dirname $dest)"
+		[ -f "$file" -a ! -f "$dest" ] && {
+			dir="$(dirname "$dest")"
 			mkdir -p "$dir"
-			cp $file $dest
+			cp "$file" "$dest"
 		}
 	done
 }
 
-install_bin() { # <file> [ <symlink> ... ]
+install_bin() {
+	local src files
 	src=$1
 	files=$1
 	[ -x "$src" ] && files="$src $(libs $src)"
 	install_file $files
-	shift
-	for link in "$@"; do {
-		dest="$RAM_ROOT/$link"
-		dir="$(dirname $dest)"
-		mkdir -p "$dir"
-		[ -f "$dest" ] || ln -s $src $dest
-	}; done
 }
 
 run_hooks() {
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/stage2 b/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/stage2
index 9d12cc801c..5a439f1201 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/stage2
+++ b/package/base-files/files/lib/upgrade/stage2
@@ -17,6 +17,9 @@ export VERBOSE=1
 export CONFFILES=/tmp/sysupgrade.conffiles
 export CONF_TAR=/tmp/sysupgrade.tgz
 
+RAMFS_COPY_BIN=		# extra programs for temporary ramfs root
+RAMFS_COPY_DATA=	# extra data files
+
 
 [ -f "$CONF_TAR" ] || export SAVE_CONFIG=0
 [ -f /tmp/sysupgrade.always.overwrite.bootdisk.partmap ] && export SAVE_PARTITIONS=0
@@ -41,32 +44,20 @@ supivot() { # <new_root> <old_root>
 }
 
 switch_to_ramfs() {
-	install_bin /bin/busybox /bin/ash /bin/sh /bin/mount /bin/umount	\
-		/sbin/pivot_root /sbin/reboot /bin/sync /bin/dd	/bin/grep       \
-		/bin/cp /bin/mv /bin/tar /usr/bin/md5sum "/usr/bin/[" /bin/dd	\
-		/bin/vi /bin/ls /bin/cat /usr/bin/awk /usr/bin/hexdump		\
-		/bin/sleep /bin/zcat /usr/bin/bzcat /usr/bin/printf /usr/bin/wc \
-		/bin/cut /usr/bin/printf /bin/sync /bin/mkdir /bin/rmdir	\
-		/bin/rm /usr/bin/basename /bin/kill /bin/chmod /usr/bin/find \
-		/bin/mknod /bin/touch /bin/sed
-
-	install_bin /sbin/mtd
-	install_bin /sbin/mount_root
-	install_bin /sbin/snapshot
-	install_bin /sbin/snapshot_tool
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/ubiupdatevol
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/ubiattach
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/ubiblock
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/ubiformat
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/ubidetach
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/ubirsvol
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/ubirmvol
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/ubimkvol
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/partx
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/losetup
-	install_bin /usr/sbin/mkfs.ext4
-	for file in $RAMFS_COPY_BIN; do
-		install_bin ${file//:/ }
+	for binary in \
+		/bin/busybox /bin/ash /bin/sh /bin/mount /bin/umount	\
+		pivot_root mount_root reboot sync kill sleep		\
+		md5sum hexdump cat zcat bzcat dd tar			\
+		ls basename find cp mv rm mkdir rmdir mknod touch chmod \
+		'[' printf wc grep awk sed cut				\
+		mtd partx losetup mkfs.ext4				\
+		ubiupdatevol ubiattach ubiblock ubiformat		\
+		ubidetach ubirsvol ubirmvol ubimkvol			\
+		snapshot snapshot_tool					\
+		$RAMFS_COPY_BIN
+	do
+		local file="$(which "$binary" 2>/dev/null)"
+		[ -n "$file" ] && install_bin "$file"
 	done
 	install_file /etc/resolv.conf /lib/*.sh /lib/functions/*.sh /lib/upgrade/*.sh $RAMFS_COPY_DATA
 
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/sbin/sysupgrade b/package/base-files/files/sbin/sysupgrade
index 809e789f9f..359f21f51c 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/sbin/sysupgrade
+++ b/package/base-files/files/sbin/sysupgrade
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@
 . /lib/functions/system.sh
 
 # initialize defaults
-RAMFS_COPY_BIN=""	# extra programs for temporary ramfs root
-RAMFS_COPY_DATA=""	# extra data files
 export MTD_CONFIG_ARGS=""
 export INTERACTIVE=0
 export VERBOSE=1
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh b/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
index cf51fe2d80..ba65a79006 100755
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 
 PART_NAME=firmware
 RAMFS_COPY_DATA=/lib/ar71xx.sh
-[ -x /usr/sbin/nandwrite ] && RAMFS_COPY_BIN=/usr/sbin/nandwrite
+RAMFS_COPY_BIN='nandwrite'
 
 CI_BLKSZ=65536
 CI_LDADR=0x80060000
diff --git a/target/linux/bcm53xx/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh b/target/linux/bcm53xx/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
index 6a9e495045..1f778c72b6 100644
--- a/target/linux/bcm53xx/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
+++ b/target/linux/bcm53xx/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-RAMFS_COPY_BIN='/usr/bin/osafeloader /usr/bin/oseama'
+RAMFS_COPY_BIN='osafeloader oseama'
 
 PART_NAME=firmware
 
diff --git a/target/linux/ipq806x/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh b/target/linux/ipq806x/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
index 141058f7ba..246361bbf6 100644
--- a/target/linux/ipq806x/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
+++ b/target/linux/ipq806x/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 PART_NAME=firmware
 REQUIRE_IMAGE_METADATA=1
 
-RAMFS_COPY_BIN='/usr/sbin/fw_printenv /usr/sbin/fw_setenv'
+RAMFS_COPY_BIN='fw_printenv fw_setenv'
 RAMFS_COPY_DATA='/etc/fw_env.config /var/lock/fw_printenv.lock'
 
 platform_check_image() {
diff --git a/target/linux/kirkwood/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh b/target/linux/kirkwood/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
index c8c66c1b9d..f75acb0d61 100644
--- a/target/linux/kirkwood/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
+++ b/target/linux/kirkwood/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 . /lib/kirkwood.sh
 
-RAMFS_COPY_BIN='/usr/sbin/fw_printenv /usr/sbin/fw_setenv'
+RAMFS_COPY_BIN='fw_printenv fw_setenv'
 RAMFS_COPY_DATA='/etc/fw_env.config /var/lock/fw_printenv.lock'
 
 platform_check_image() {
diff --git a/target/linux/mvebu/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh b/target/linux/mvebu/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
index 8085634dca..dd21c0958e 100755
--- a/target/linux/mvebu/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
+++ b/target/linux/mvebu/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
 . /lib/mvebu.sh
 
-RAMFS_COPY_BIN='/usr/sbin/fw_printenv /usr/sbin/fw_setenv'
+RAMFS_COPY_BIN='fw_printenv fw_setenv'
 RAMFS_COPY_DATA='/lib/mvebu.sh /etc/fw_env.config /var/lock/fw_printenv.lock'
 REQUIRE_IMAGE_METADATA=1
 
diff --git a/target/linux/pistachio/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh b/target/linux/pistachio/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
index ee5d5066c3..4edc06bf9f 100755
--- a/target/linux/pistachio/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
+++ b/target/linux/pistachio/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 # See /LICENSE for more information.
 #
 
-RAMFS_COPY_BIN="/usr/sbin/fw_printenv /usr/sbin/fw_setenv /bin/mkdir /bin/dmesg /bin/sed /bin/grep"
+RAMFS_COPY_BIN='fw_printenv fw_setenv dmesg'
 RAMFS_COPY_DATA="/etc/fw_env.config"
 REQUIRE_IMAGE_METADATA=0
 
diff --git a/target/linux/rb532/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh b/target/linux/rb532/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
index 29fe18de30..bfa73a7a24 100644
--- a/target/linux/rb532/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
+++ b/target/linux/rb532/base-files/lib/upgrade/platform.sh
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 REQUIRE_IMAGE_METADATA=1
-RAMFS_COPY_BIN=/usr/sbin/nandwrite
+RAMFS_COPY_BIN='nandwrite'
 CI_KERNPART=none
 
 platform_check_image() {