diff --git a/rc/bin/termrc b/rc/bin/termrc
index f4cb46159..e13450dde 100755
--- a/rc/bin/termrc
+++ b/rc/bin/termrc
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ mntgen -s slashn && chmod 666 /srv/slashn
 # bind all likely devices (#S was bound in boot)
 for(i in f t m v L P u U '$' Σ κ)
 	/bin/bind -a '#'^$i /dev >/dev/null >[2=1]
+rm -f /env/i
 
 # set up any partitions
 diskparts
@@ -16,7 +17,7 @@ diskparts
 disk=`{ls /dev/sd*/swap >[2]/dev/null}
 if (! ~ $#disk 0)
 	swap $disk(1) >/dev/null >[2=1]
-rm /env/disk
+rm -f /env/disk
 
 # we do this before we have a name.  we may need to do network
 # setup so that we can get a name.
@@ -107,6 +108,7 @@ if(! ~ $"vgasize '' text none){
 		}
 	}
 }
+rm -f '/env/fn#ask'
 
 usbstart
 if (test -f /dev/apm)
diff --git a/sys/src/9/boot/bootrc b/sys/src/9/boot/bootrc
index eb00799be..e056e77bc 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/boot/bootrc
+++ b/sys/src/9/boot/bootrc
@@ -1,21 +1,8 @@
-# TODO
-# settime
-# handle rootspec
-# handle rootdir
-# clean rc environment before running init(8)
-# kfs
-# caching
-
 rfork e
-# boot methods
-mlocal = (configlocal connectlocal)
-mtcp = (configtcp connecttcp)
-mtab = (mlocal mtcp)
-config=1
-connect=2
 
-. /rc/lib/local.rc
+mt=()
 . /rc/lib/tcp.rc
+. /rc/lib/local.rc
 
 fn fatal {
 	echo $*
@@ -29,7 +16,7 @@ fn must {
 fn ask {
 	echo -n $1
 	echo -n $2
-	if(! ~ $#3 0){
+	if(! ~ $3 ''){
 		echo -n ' ['
 		echo -n $3
 		echo -n '] '
@@ -45,44 +32,42 @@ fn ask {
 		ask $*
 }
 
-fn readmethod{
-	found=0
-	while(~ $found 0){
+fn getmethod{
+	mp=()
+	while(~ $#mp 0){
 		if(~ $#nobootprompt 0){
 			echo
 			showlocaldevs
-			ask bootargs ' are? (tcp, local!device)' $"bootargs
+			ask bootargs ' are? (tcp, local!device)' $bootargs
 		}
 		if not {
 			bootargs=$nobootprompt
 			nobootprompt=()
 		}
-		method=`{echo $bootargs | awk -F! '{print $1}'}
-		NF=`{echo $bootargs | awk -F! '{print NF}'}
-		for(i in `{seq 1 $#mtab}){
-			if(~ $mtab($i) m^$method)
-				found=$i 
+		mn=`{echo $bootargs | awk -F! '{print $1}'}
+		ma=`{echo $bootargs | awk -F! '{print $2}'}
+		for(i in `{seq 1 $#mt}){
+			if(~ $mt($i) m^$mn)
+				mp=$$mt($i)
 		}
-		if(~ $found 0)
-			echo method $method not found
 	}
-	methodarg = `{echo $bootargs | awk -F! '{print $2}'}
-	mp = $$mtab($found)
 }
 
 fn main{
 	rm -f /srv/boot
 
-	readmethod
-	$mp($config) $methodarg
+	getmethod
 
-	switch($method){
+	switch($mn){
 	case local
 		islocal=1
 	case hybrid
 		ishybrid=1
 	}
 
+	# config method
+	$mp(1) $ma
+
 	# authentication agent
 	if(! test -f /srv/factotum){
 		x=(/boot/factotum -sfactotum)
@@ -97,8 +82,8 @@ fn main{
 		must $x
 	}
 
-	# connect to the root file system
-	$mp($connect) $methodarg
+	# connect method
+	$mp(2) $ma
 
 	# mount root filesystem
 	must mount -c /srv/boot /root
@@ -107,6 +92,9 @@ fn main{
 	if(test -x /dev/swap)
 		echo -n start >/dev/swap
 
+	# remove enviroment variables
+	rm -f /env/^$mt /env/? /env/?? '/env/fn#'* 
+
 	# remove part of our temporary root
 	/mnt/broot/$cputype/bin/unmount /$cputype/bin /bin
 	/mnt/broot/$cputype/bin/unmount /rc/bin /bin
@@ -142,7 +130,6 @@ bind -qa '#æ' /dev
 if(test -e '#u'){
 	bind -a '#u' /dev
 	usb/usbd
-	sleep 1
 }
 
 if(! ~ $#kbmap 0){
@@ -154,6 +141,6 @@ if(! ~ $#kbmap 0){
 configlocal	# add partitions and binds
 
 while()@{
-	rfork n
+	rfork ne
 	main
 }
diff --git a/sys/src/9/boot/local.rc b/sys/src/9/boot/local.rc
index d17584735..1fd91e481 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/boot/local.rc
+++ b/sys/src/9/boot/local.rc
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@ fn showlocaldevs{
 fn configlocal{
 	if(~ $pcload 1){
 		kern=`{echo $* | sed 's,.*!(.*)$,\1,g'}
-
-		# for now we only allow kernels in the same dev/part of $methodargs
 		if(~ $#kern 0 || ! ~ $#bootfile 0)
 			kern=`{echo $bootfile | sed 's,.*!(.*)$,\1,g'}
 	}
@@ -41,3 +39,6 @@ fn connectlocal{
 	}
 	{$t -s -f $* &} <[0=1] | echo 0 >/srv/boot
 }
+
+mlocal=(configlocal connectlocal)
+mt=(mlocal $mt)
diff --git a/sys/src/9/boot/tcp.rc b/sys/src/9/boot/tcp.rc
index 596f1521c..18e45edb2 100755
--- a/sys/src/9/boot/tcp.rc
+++ b/sys/src/9/boot/tcp.rc
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 fn configtcp{
 	# bind in an ip interface
 	for(i in I l`{seq 0 3})
-		bind -a '#'$i /net >/dev/null >[2=1]
+		bind -qa '#'$i /net
 
 	must ip/ipconfig -p $*
 	
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ fn configtcp{
 	if(~ $#auth 0)
 		auth=`{awk -F'=' '/auth=/{print $2; exit}' /net/ndb}
 	if(~ $#fs 0)
-		ask fs ' ip is?' $"auth
+		ask fs ' ip is?' $auth
 	if(~ $#auth 0)
-		ask auth ' ip is?' $"fs
+		ask auth ' ip is?' $fs
 	
 	fsaddr=tcp!$fs!564
 	authaddr=tcp!$auth!567
@@ -23,3 +23,6 @@ fn configtcp{
 fn connecttcp{
 	srv -q $"fsaddr boot 
 }
+
+mtcp=(configtcp connecttcp)
+mt=(mtcp $mt)