diff --git a/modules/services/ttys/mingetty.nix b/modules/services/ttys/mingetty.nix
index 445fdcd78ed7..8299580a8cf9 100644
--- a/modules/services/ttys/mingetty.nix
+++ b/modules/services/ttys/mingetty.nix
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ with pkgs.lib;
     # Generate a separate job for each tty.  
     jobs = listToAttrs (map (tty: nameValuePair tty {
     
-      startOn = "started udev";
+      startOn = "started udev and local-filesystems";
 
       exec = "${pkgs.mingetty}/sbin/mingetty --loginprog=${pkgs.shadow}/bin/login --noclear ${tty}";
       
diff --git a/modules/tasks/filesystems.nix b/modules/tasks/filesystems.nix
index d42a4449edc7..791ecccf4c88 100644
--- a/modules/tasks/filesystems.nix
+++ b/modules/tasks/filesystems.nix
@@ -2,108 +2,6 @@
 
 with pkgs.lib;
 
-let
-
-  fileSystems = config.fileSystems;
-  mount = config.system.sbin.mount;
-
-  task =
-    ''
-      PATH=${pkgs.e2fsprogs}/sbin:${pkgs.utillinuxng}/sbin:$PATH
-
-      newDevices=1
-
-      # If we mount any file system, we repeat this loop, because new
-      # mount opportunities may have become available (such as images
-      # for loopback mounts).
-
-      while test -n "$newDevices"; do
-        newDevices=
-
-        ${flip concatMapStrings fileSystems (fs: ''
-          for dummy in x; do # make `continue' work
-            mountPoint='${fs.mountPoint}'
-            device='${if fs.device != null then fs.device else "/dev/disk/by-label/${fs.label}"}'
-            fsType='${fs.fsType}'
-          
-            # A device is a pseudo-device (i.e. not an actual device
-            # node) if it's not an absolute path (e.g. an NFS server
-            # such as machine:/path), if it starts with // (a CIFS FS),
-            # a known pseudo filesystem (such as tmpfs), or the device
-            # is a directory (e.g. a bind mount).
-            isPseudo=
-            test "''${device:0:1}" != / -o "''${device:0:2}" = // -o "$fsType" = "tmpfs" \
-                -o -d "$device" && isPseudo=1
-
-            if ! test -n "$isPseudo" -o -e "$device"; then
-                echo "skipping $device, doesn't exist (yet)"
-                continue
-            fi
-
-            # !!! quick hack: if the mount point is already mounted, try
-            # a remount to change the options but nothing else.
-            if cat /proc/mounts | grep -F -q " $mountPoint "; then
-                if test "''${device:0:2}" != //; then
-                    echo "remounting $device on $mountPoint"
-                    ${mount}/bin/mount -t "$fsType" \
-                        -o remount,"${fs.options}" \
-                        "$device" "$mountPoint" || true
-                fi
-                continue
-            fi
-
-            # If $device is already mounted somewhere else, unmount it first.
-            # !!! Note: we use /etc/mtab, not /proc/mounts, because mtab
-            # contains more accurate info when using loop devices.
-
-            if test -z "$isPseudo"; then
-
-              device=$(readlink -f "$device")
-
-              prevMountPoint=$(
-                  cat /etc/mtab \
-                  | grep "^$device " \
-                  | sed 's|^[^ ]\+ \+\([^ ]\+\).*|\1|' \
-              )
-
-              if test "$prevMountPoint" = "$mountPoint"; then
-                  echo "remounting $device on $mountPoint"
-                  ${mount}/bin/mount -t "$fsType" \
-                      -o remount,"${fs.options}" \
-                      "$device" "$mountPoint" || true
-                  continue
-              fi
-
-              if test -n "$prevMountPoint"; then
-                  echo "unmount $device from $prevMountPoint"
-                  ${mount}/bin/umount "$prevMountPoint" || true
-              fi
-
-            fi
-
-            echo "mounting $device on $mountPoint"
-
-            # !!! should do something with the result; also prevent repeated fscks.
-            if test -z "$isPseudo"; then
-                fsck -a "$device" || true
-            fi
-
-            ${optionalString fs.autocreate
-              ''
-                mkdir -p "$mountPoint"
-              ''
-            }
-
-            if ${mount}/bin/mount -t "$fsType" -o "${fs.options}" "$device" "$mountPoint"; then
-                newDevices=1
-            fi
-          done
-        '')}
-      done
-    '';
-
-in
-
 {
 
   ###### interface
@@ -221,12 +119,44 @@ in
   config = {
 
     # Add the mount helpers to the system path so that `mount' can find them.
-    environment.systemPackages = [pkgs.ntfs3g pkgs.cifs_utils pkgs.nfsUtils];
+    environment.systemPackages = [ pkgs.ntfs3g pkgs.cifs_utils pkgs.nfsUtils pkgs.mountall ];
     
-    jobs.filesystems =
-      { startOn = [ "new-devices" "ip-up" ];
+    environment.etc = singleton
+      { source = pkgs.writeText "fstab"
+          ''
+            # This is a generated file.  Do not edit!
 
-        script = task;
+            # Filesystems.
+            ${flip concatMapStrings config.fileSystems (fs:
+                (if fs.device != null then fs.device else "/dev/disk/by-label/${fs.label}")
+                + " " + fs.mountPoint
+                + " " + fs.fsType
+                + " " + fs.options
+                + " 0"
+                + " " + (if fs.mountPoint == "/" then "1" else "2")
+                + "\n"
+            )}
+
+            # Swap devices.
+            ${flip concatMapStrings config.swapDevices (sw:
+                 "${sw.device} none swap\n"
+            )}
+          '';
+        target = "fstab";
+      };
+
+    jobs.mountall =
+      { startOn = "started udev";
+
+        script =
+          ''
+            exec > /dev/console 2>&1
+            export PATH=${config.system.sbin.mount}/bin:${pkgs.utillinux}/sbin:$PATH
+            ${pkgs.mountall}/sbin/mountall --verbose --debug
+            echo DONE
+          '';
+
+        extraConfig = "console owner";
 
         task = true;
       };
diff --git a/modules/tasks/swap.nix b/modules/tasks/swap.nix
index ab81185532ea..a3f241fc8c55 100644
--- a/modules/tasks/swap.nix
+++ b/modules/tasks/swap.nix
@@ -2,12 +2,6 @@
 
 with pkgs.lib;
 
-let
-
-  inherit (pkgs) cryptsetup utillinux;
-
-in
-
 {
 
   ###### interface
@@ -36,37 +30,31 @@ in
       options = {config, options, ...}: {
 
         options = {
+        
           device = mkOption {
             example = "/dev/sda3";
             type = types.string;
-            description = ''
-              Path of the device.
-            '';
+            description = "Path of the device.";
           };
 
           label = mkOption {
             example = "swap";
             type = types.string;
-            description = "
+            description = ''
               Label of the device.  Can be used instead of <varname>device</varname>.
-            ";
+            '';
           };
 
           cipher = mkOption {
             default = false;
             example = true;
             type = types.bool;
-            description = "
-              Cipher the swap device to protect swapped data.  This option
+            description = ''
+              Encrypt the swap device to protect swapped data.  This option
               does not work with labels.
-            ";
+            '';
           };
 
-          command = mkOption {
-            description = "
-              Command used to activate the swap device.
-            ";
-          };
         };
 
         config = {
@@ -75,59 +63,12 @@ in
               "/dev/disk/by-label/${config.label}"
             else
               mkNotdef;
-
-          command = ''
-            if test -e "${config.device}"; then
-              ${if config.cipher then ''
-                  plainDevice="${config.device}"
-                  name="crypt$(echo "$plainDevice" | sed -e 's,/,.,g')"
-                  device="/dev/mapper/$name"
-                  if ! test -e "$device"; then
-                    ${cryptsetup}/sbin/cryptsetup -c aes -s 128 -d /dev/urandom create "$name" "$plainDevice"
-                    ${utillinux}/sbin/mkswap -f "$device" || true
-                  fi
-                ''
-                else ''
-                  device="${config.device}"
-                ''
-              }
-              device=$(readlink -f "$device")
-              # Add new swap devices.
-              if echo $unused | grep -q "^$device\$"; then
-                unused="$(echo $unused | grep -v "^$device\$" || true)"
-              else
-                ${utillinux}/sbin/swapon "$device" || true
-              fi
-            fi
-          '';
         };
-
+        
       };
       
     };
 
   };
 
-  ###### implementation
-
-  config = {
-
-    jobs.swap =
-      { task = true;
-
-        startOn = ["startup" "new-devices"];
-
-        script =
-          ''
-            unused="$(sed '1d; s/ .*//' /proc/swaps)"
-
-            ${toString (map (x: x.command) config.swapDevices)}
-
-            # Remove remaining swap devices.
-            test -n "$unused" && ${utillinux}/sbin/swapoff $unused || true
-          '';
-      };
-
-  };
-
 }