diff --git a/rc/bin/diskparts b/rc/bin/diskparts
index 0088f5cc1..a7014ac44 100755
--- a/rc/bin/diskparts
+++ b/rc/bin/diskparts
@@ -1,9 +1,15 @@
 #!/bin/rc
 # set up any disk partitions
-rfork e
 if (! test -e /dev/sdctl)
 	bind -b '#S' /dev
 
+# attach partfs to usb disks
+for(disk in /dev/sdU*[0-9]){
+	pdev=`{echo $disk | sed 's,^/dev/(.*),\1p,'}
+	if(! test -d /dev/$pdev && test -f $disk/data)
+		disk/partfs -d $pdev $disk/data
+}
+
 # set up any /dev/sd partitions.
 # note that really big disks (e.g., aoe devices) may have no mbr
 # partition table because the mbr partition table can't cope with large
diff --git a/rc/bin/fstype b/rc/bin/fstype
index c2fd65d9c..e2a46922a 100755
--- a/rc/bin/fstype
+++ b/rc/bin/fstype
@@ -1,10 +1,19 @@
 #!/bin/rc
+rfork e
 m=`{dd -if $1 -bs 2048 -skip 16 >[2]/dev/null | xd -c | sed 1q | \
 	sed 's/.........(....................).*/\1/; s/ //g'}
 if(~ $"m 01CD00101){
 	echo 9660
 	exit
 }
+fn fat {
+	m=`{dd -if $1 -bs 1 -count 3 -skip $2 >[2]/dev/null}
+	~ $"m FAT
+}
+if(fat $1 54 || fat $1 82){
+	echo dos
+	exit
+}
 dd -if $1 -count 1 >[2]/dev/null | \
 awk '
 /^kfs/{fs["kfs"]++}
diff --git a/sys/src/9/boot/bootrc b/sys/src/9/boot/bootrc
index ccf864736..4590c4a38 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/boot/bootrc
+++ b/sys/src/9/boot/bootrc
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ fn ask {
 mt=()
 . /rc/lib/tcp.rc
 . /rc/lib/local.rc
-. /rc/lib/usb.rc
 
 fn main{
 	mp=()
@@ -147,7 +146,6 @@ if(! ~ $#kbmap 0){
 for(i in I l`{seq 0 3})
 	bind -qa '#'$i /net
 
-configusb		# run partfs on usb disks
 configlocal	# add partitions and binds
 
 while(){
@@ -157,5 +155,5 @@ while(){
 	# cleanup so it can be restarted
 	nobootprompt=()
 	user=()
-	rm -f /srv/boot /srv/dosusb /srv/slashn /srv/cs /srv/dns
+	rm -f /srv/boot /srv/slashn /srv/cs /srv/dns
 }
diff --git a/sys/src/9/boot/local.rc b/sys/src/9/boot/local.rc
index 1fd91e481..aeff20f97 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/boot/local.rc
+++ b/sys/src/9/boot/local.rc
@@ -2,42 +2,67 @@
 
 fn showlocaldevs{
 	echo local devices found:
-	for(c in /dev/sd*/ctl){
-		if(test -r $c){
-			d=`{echo $c | sed 's,/ctl,,g'}
-			echo $d':' `{sed 's/inquiry[ ]+//g; q' $c}
-			for(i in `{ls -p $d | grep -v -e 'ctl|raw'}){
+	for(d in /dev/sd*){
+		if(test -r $d/ctl){
+			q=`{sed 's,(inquiry|geometry),\
+\1,g' $d/ctl | grep inquiry}
+			echo $d':' $q(2-)
+			for(i in `{ls -p $d}){
 				p=$d/$i
-				t=`{fstype $p}
-				if(~ $#bootargs 0 && ! ~ $t '')
-					bootargs=local!$p
-				echo $p $t
+				switch($i){
+				case ctl raw
+					;
+				case 9fat plan9 nvram
+					echo $p
+				case *
+					t=`{fstype $p}
+					if(~ $#bootargs 0 && ! ~ $t '')
+						bootargs=local!$p
+					echo $p $t
+				}
 			}
 		}
 	}
 }
 
 fn configlocal{
-	if(~ $pcload 1){
-		kern=`{echo $* | sed 's,.*!(.*)$,\1,g'}
-		if(~ $#kern 0 || ! ~ $#bootfile 0)
-			kern=`{echo $bootfile | sed 's,.*!(.*)$,\1,g'}
-	}
 	diskparts
+}
 
+fn bootfs{
+	{$1 -s -f $*(2-) &} <[0=1] | echo 0 >/srv/boot
 }
 
 fn connectlocal{
-	t=`{fstype $1}
-	if(~ $#t 0)
-		fatal unknown fstype $1
-	switch($t){
-	case 9660
-		t=9660srv
-	case kfs
-		t=disk/kfs
+	if(test -r $1)
+		t=`{fstype $1}
+	if not {
+		t=$1; shift
+	}
+	switch($t){
+	case ''
+		fatal unknown fstype $1
+	case 9660
+		bootfs 9660srv $*
+	case kfs
+		bootfs disk/kfs $*
+	case dos
+		if(! test -f /srv/dos)
+			dossrv
+		m=/mnt/dosboot
+		must mount /srv/dos $m $1
+		shift
+		if(~ $#* 0)
+			f=$m/9front.iso
+		if not
+			f=$m/$1
+		if(test -r $f)
+			connectlocal $f
+		if not
+			connectlocal $*
+	case *
+		bootfs $t $*
 	}
-	{$t -s -f $* &} <[0=1] | echo 0 >/srv/boot
 }
 
 mlocal=(configlocal connectlocal)
diff --git a/sys/src/9/boot/usb.rc b/sys/src/9/boot/usb.rc
deleted file mode 100644
index 659cdf817..000000000
--- a/sys/src/9/boot/usb.rc
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,24 +0,0 @@
-fn configusb{
-	for(c in /dev/sdU*[0-9]){
-		d=`{echo $c | sed 's,^/dev/(.*),\1p,g'}
-		if(! test -d /dev/$d)
-			disk/partfs -d $d $c/data
-	}
-}
-
-fn connectusb{
-	m=/mnt/dosusb
-	if(! test -r $1)
-		fatal device $1 does not exist
-	if(! test -r $1/dos)
-		fatal device $1 does not have a dos partition
-	mkdir -p $m
-	dossrv -r -f $1/dos dosusb
-	mount /srv/dosusb $m
-	if(! test -r $m/9front.iso)
-		fatal $m/9front.iso not found
-	{9660srv -s -f $m/9front.iso &} <[0=1] | echo 0 >/srv/boot
-}
-
-musb=(configusb connectusb)
-mt=(musb $mt)
diff --git a/sys/src/9/port/bootfs.proto b/sys/src/9/port/bootfs.proto
index 3e91924ab..62749e365 100644
--- a/sys/src/9/port/bootfs.proto
+++ b/sys/src/9/port/bootfs.proto
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ rc
 		rcmain
 		local.rc 555 sys sys ../boot/local.rc
 		tcp.rc 555 sys sys ../boot/tcp.rc
-		usb.rc 555 sys sys ../boot/usb.rc
 	bin
 		fstype
 		diskparts