diff --git a/makepackage b/makepackage
index 346ddb8358ebe1e7777e7ea89ad6bf15bd635c7a..7dbe2d9848a4a6e1d4ff7f71a48339ee999cb864 100644
--- a/makepackage
+++ b/makepackage
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ EOF
     [ $UPSTREAM != hardy -a $UPSTREAM != lucid -a $UPSTREAM != maverick ] &&  echo "force-unsafe-io" > $CHROOT/etc/dpkg/dpkg.cfg.d/02apt-speedup
     $C apt-get update
     [ $UPSTREAM != hardy ] && $C apt-get --force-yes -y install eatmydata
-    $C apt-get --force-yes -y install sysv-rc dpkg sysvinit-utils upstart
+    [ $UPSTREAM != hardy ] && $C apt-get --force-yes -y install sysv-rc dpkg sysvinit-utils upstart
     disablescripts
     $C apt-get --force-yes -y dist-upgrade
     $C apt-get --force-yes -y install devscripts build-essential liburi-perl python-setuptools pkgbinarymangler wget rpl aptitude quilt fakeroot ccache
@@ -146,6 +146,7 @@ EOF
     then
         for BIN in /bin/uname /usr/bin/arch
         do
+        [ -f $CHROOT/$BIN ] || continue
         mv $CHROOT/$BIN $CHROOT/$BIN.orig
 cat << EOF > $CHROOT/$BIN
 #!/bin/sh
diff --git a/makepending b/makepending
index 40f111905831a14bc661750007f5e693bbae50ae..7a31d56aa55f2908e576804f780dae2d5aced9b6 100644
--- a/makepending
+++ b/makepending
@@ -120,8 +120,10 @@ then
         continue
     fi
 
-    $TEST git --git-dir=$WD/.git checkout $DISTRO
-    $TEST git --git-dir=$WD/.git merge master
+    cd $WD
+    $TEST git checkout $DISTRO
+    $TEST git merge master
+    cd $TMP
     echo Upgrading $current at $DISTRO with ${UPSTREAM}_$upstream 1>&2
     echo Running makepackage $package $DISTRO at $(date) $LOGS/$DISTRO-$package-$(date +%Y%m%d).log
     echo Running makepackage $package $DISTRO at $(date) $LOGS/$DISTRO-$package-$(date +%Y%m%d).log 1>&2