In /etc/init.d/nut.powerfail script is used /sbin/apcupsd as option to power off the machine but apcupsd is not part of sys-power/nut package. The original part of script is: elif [ -f /etc/apcupsd/powerfail ]; then UPS_CTL=/sbin/apcupsd UPS_POWERDOWN="${UPS_CTL} --killpower" that I have changed in: elif [ -f /etc/killpower -o -f /etc/nut/killpower ]; then UPS_CTL=/usr/sbin/upsmon UPS_POWERDOWN="${UPS_CTL} -c fsd" And works on my machine.