diff -ru orig/etc/conf.d/rc change/etc/conf.d/rc
--- orig/etc/conf.d/rc	2006-01-06 22:18:53.000000000 +0100
+++ change/etc/conf.d/rc	2006-01-10 22:16:14.000000000 +0100
@@ -179,6 +179,15 @@
 svcdir="/var/lib/init.d"
 
 
+# rc-scripts locking directory
+#
+# NOTE:  Do not remove the next line, as its needed by the baselayout ebuild!
+#
+#  svclock="/var/lib/init.d/locks"
+
+svclock="/var/lib/init.d/locks"
+
+
 # Should we mount $svcdir in a ram disk for some speed increase 
 # for slower machines, or for the more extreme setups ?
 
Only in change/lib/rcscripts/sh: rc-locking.sh
diff -ru orig/lib/rcscripts/sh/rc-services.sh change/lib/rcscripts/sh/rc-services.sh
--- orig/lib/rcscripts/sh/rc-services.sh	2006-01-06 22:15:42.000000000 +0100
+++ change/lib/rcscripts/sh/rc-services.sh	2006-01-10 23:06:31.000000000 +0100
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 RC_GOT_SERVICES="yes"
 
 [[ ${RC_GOT_FUNCTIONS} != "yes" ]] && source /sbin/functions.sh
+[[ ${RC_GOT_LOCKING} != "yes" ]] && source "${svclib}/sh/rc-locking.sh"
 
 if [[ ${RC_GOT_DEPTREE_INFO} != "yes" ]] ; then
 	# Only try and update if we are root
@@ -357,19 +358,36 @@
 		mark_service_stopped "${service}"
 		return 1
 	fi
+
+	lock "status"
+	
+	if service_starting "${service}"  ||
+	   service_started  "${service}"
+	then
+		unlock "status"
+		return 0
+	fi
 	
-	service_starting "${service}" && return 0
-	service_started "${service}" && return 0
-	service_inactive "${service}" && return 1
+	if service_inactive "${service}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
+		return 1
+	fi
 
 	if is_fake_service "${service}" "${SOFTLEVEL}" ; then
 		mark_service_started "${service}"
+		unlock "status"
 		splash "svc_start" "${service}"
 		splash "svc_started" "${service}" "0"
 		return 0
 	fi
 
-	begin_service "${service}" || return 0
+	if ! begin_service "${service}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
+		return 0
+	fi
+
+	unlock "status"
+
 	splash "svc_start" "${service}"
 	if [[ ${RC_PARALLEL_STARTUP} != "yes" || \
 		  ${START_CRITICAL} == "yes" ]] ; then
@@ -405,8 +423,14 @@
 		return 0
 	fi
 
-	service_stopping "${service}" && return 0
-	service_stopped "${service}" && return 0
+	lock "status"
+
+	if service_stopping "${service}" ||
+	   service_stopped  "${service}"
+	then
+		unlock "status"
+		return 0
+	fi
 	
 	local level="${SOFTLEVEL}"
 	is_runlevel_stop && level="${OLDSOFTLEVEL}"
@@ -414,11 +438,16 @@
 	if is_fake_service "${service}" "${level}" ; then
 		splash "svc_stop" "${service}"
 		mark_service_stopped "${service}"
+		unlock "status"
 		splash "svc_stopped" "${service}" "0"
 		return 0
 	fi
 
-	begin_service "${service}" || return 0
+	if ! begin_service "${service}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
+		return 0
+	fi
+	unlock "status"
 
 	splash "svc_stop" "${service}"
 	if [[ ${RC_PARALLEL_STARTUP} != "yes" || \
@@ -449,6 +478,8 @@
 mark_service_starting() {
 	[[ -z $1 ]] && return 1
 
+	lock "status"
+
 	ln -snf "/etc/init.d/$1" "${svcdir}/starting/$1"
 	local retval=$?
 	
@@ -456,6 +487,8 @@
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/inactive/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/inactive/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/stopping/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/stopping/$1"
 	
+	unlock "status"
+	
 	return "${retval}"
 }
 
@@ -466,6 +499,8 @@
 mark_service_started() {
 	[[ -z $1 ]] && return 1
 
+	lock "status"
+
 	ln -snf "/etc/init.d/$1" "${svcdir}/started/$1"
 	local retval=$?
 	
@@ -473,6 +508,8 @@
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/inactive/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/inactive/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/stopping/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/stopping/$1"
 
+	unlock "status"
+
 	return "${retval}"
 }
 
@@ -483,12 +520,16 @@
 mark_service_inactive() {
 	[[ -z $1 ]] && return 1
 
+	lock "status"
+
 	ln -snf "/etc/init.d/$1" "${svcdir}/inactive/$1"
 	local retval=$?
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/started/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/started/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/starting/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/starting/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/stopping/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/stopping/$1"
 
+	unlock "status"
+
 	return "${retval}"
 }
 
@@ -499,6 +540,8 @@
 mark_service_stopping() {
 	[[ -z $1 ]] && return 1
 
+	lock "status"
+
 	ln -snf "/etc/init.d/$1" "${svcdir}/stopping/$1"
 	local retval=$?
 	
@@ -506,6 +549,8 @@
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/started/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/started/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/inactive/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/inactive/$1"
 
+	unlock "status"
+
 	return "${retval}"
 }
 
@@ -516,12 +561,16 @@
 mark_service_stopped() {
 	[[ -z $1 ]] && return 1
 
+	lock "status"
+
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/daemons/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/daemons/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/starting/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/starting/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/started/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/started/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/inactive/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/inactive/$1"
 	[[ -f "${svcdir}/stopping/$1" ]] && rm -f "${svcdir}/stopping/$1"
 
+	unlock "status"
+
 	return $?
 }
 
@@ -580,11 +629,18 @@
 service_stopped() {
 	[[ -z $1 ]] && return 1
 
-	service_starting "$1" && return 1
-	service_started "$1" && return 1
-	service_stopping "$1" && return 1
-	service_inactive "$1" && return 1
+	lock "status"
+
+	if service_starting "$1" ||
+	   service_started  "$1" ||
+	   service_stopping "$1" ||
+	   service_inactive "$1"
+	then
+		unlock "status"
+		return 1
+	fi
 
+	unlock "status"
 	return 0
 }
 
Only in change: rc-execution.sh
diff -ru orig/sbin/functions.sh change/sbin/functions.sh
--- orig/sbin/functions.sh	2006-01-06 22:15:42.000000000 +0100
+++ change/sbin/functions.sh	2006-01-10 23:06:11.000000000 +0100
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 # Check /etc/conf.d/rc for a description of these ...
 svclib="/lib/rcscripts"
 svcdir=${svcdir:-/var/lib/init.d}
+svclock=${svclock:-/var/lib/init.d/locks}
 svcmount=${svcmount:-no}
 svcfstype=${svcfstype:-tmpfs}
 svcsize=${svcsize:-1024}
diff -ru orig/sbin/rc change/sbin/rc
--- orig/sbin/rc	2006-01-06 22:15:42.000000000 +0100
+++ change/sbin/rc	2006-01-10 22:24:35.000000000 +0100
@@ -489,7 +489,15 @@
 
 	# Update the dependency cache
 	/sbin/depscan.sh -u
-
+	
+	# Create locking directory
+	if [[ ! -d "${svclock}" ]] ; then
+		if ! mkdir -p -m 0755 "${svclock}" 2>/dev/null ; then
+			eerror "Could not create needed directory '${svclock}'!"
+		fi
+	fi
+	
+	
 	# Now that the dependency cache are up to date, make sure these
 	# are marked as started ...
 	(
diff -ru orig/sbin/runscript.sh change/sbin/runscript.sh
--- orig/sbin/runscript.sh	2006-01-06 22:15:42.000000000 +0100
+++ change/sbin/runscript.sh	2006-01-10 23:14:35.000000000 +0100
@@ -88,16 +88,21 @@
 	local ordservice=
 	local was_inactive=false
 
+	lock "status"
+
 	if service_stopping "${myservice}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
 		eerror "ERROR:  \"${myservice}\" is already stopping."
 		return 0
 	elif service_stopped "${myservice}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
 		eerror "ERROR:  \"${myservice}\" has not yet been started."
 		return 0
 	fi
 
 	# Do not try to stop if it had already failed to do so on runlevel change
 	if is_runlevel_stop && service_failed "${myservice}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
 		return 1
 	fi
 
@@ -105,6 +110,8 @@
 
 	# Remove symlink to prevent recursion
 	mark_service_stopping "${myservice}"
+	
+	unlock "status"
 
 	service_message "Stopping service ${myservice}"
 
@@ -257,28 +265,38 @@
 	local myserv=
 	local ordservice=
 
+	lock "status"
+
 	if service_starting "${myservice}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
 		ewarn "WARNING: \"${myservice}\" is already starting."
 		return 0
 	elif service_stopping "${myservice}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
 		ewarn "WARNING: please wait for \"${myservice}\" to stop first."
 		return 0
 	elif service_inactive "${myservice}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
 		if [[ ${IN_BACKGROUND} != "true" ]] ; then
 			ewarn "WARNING: \"${myservice}\" has already been started."
 			return 0
 		fi
 	elif service_started "${myservice}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
 		ewarn "WARNING: \"${myservice}\" has already been started."
 		return 0
 	fi
 
 	# Do not try to start if i have done so already on runlevel change
 	if is_runlevel_start && service_failed "${myservice}" ; then
+		unlock "status"
 		return 1
 	fi
 
 	mark_service_starting "${myservice}"
+
+	unlock "status"
+
 	service_message "Starting service ${myservice}"
 
 	# On rc change, start all services "before $myservice" first
@@ -302,7 +320,7 @@
 				if service_stopped "${mynetservice}" ; then
 					start_service "${mynetservice}"
 				fi
-			done	
+			done
 		elif [[ ${x} != "net" ]] ; then
 			if service_stopped "${x}" ; then
 				start_service "${x}"
@@ -411,7 +430,9 @@
 	# If we are effectively root, check to see if required daemons are running
 	# and update our status accordingly
 	[[ ${EUID} == 0 ]] && update_service_status "${myservice}"
-
+	
+	lock "status"
+	
 	if service_starting "${myservice}" ; then
 		efunc="einfo"
 		state="starting"
@@ -428,6 +449,9 @@
 		efunc="eerror"
 		state="stopped"
 	fi
+		
+	unlock "status"
+	
 	[[ ${RC_QUIET_STDOUT} != "yes" ]] \
 		&& ${efunc} "status:  ${state}"