diff --git a/rc/bin/start b/rc/bin/start
index f8d423c6e..e9913c1cf 100755
--- a/rc/bin/start
+++ b/rc/bin/start
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/rc
-U=`{cat /dev/user}
-ps | sed -n '/^'$U' .*Stopped.* '$1'$/s%[^ ]*  *%~>/proc/%
+~ $#* 0 || ps | sed -n '/^'$user' .*Stopped.* '$1'$/s%[^ ]*  *%~>/proc/%
 s%  *.*%/ctl%
 s%~%echo start%p'
diff --git a/rc/bin/stop b/rc/bin/stop
index c7f9f9a51..996471bcc 100755
--- a/rc/bin/stop
+++ b/rc/bin/stop
@@ -1,5 +1,4 @@
 #!/bin/rc
-U=`{cat /dev/user}
-ps | sed -n '/^'$U' .* '$1'$/s%[^ ]*  *%~>/proc/%
+~ $#* 0 || ps | sed -n '/^'$user' .* '$1'$/s%[^ ]*  *%~>/proc/%
 s%  *.*%/ctl%
 s%~%echo stop%p'