diff --git a/src/etc/inc/ipsec.inc b/src/etc/inc/ipsec.inc
index 50631a195..e60c9976b 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/ipsec.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/ipsec.inc
@@ -489,7 +489,7 @@ function ipsec_configure()
         @mkdir('/usr/local/etc/ipsec.d/reqs');
 
         if (file_exists("/var/run/booting")) {
-            echo gettext("Configuring IPsec VPN... ");
+            echo gettext("Configuring IPsec VPN...");
         }
 
         /* fastforwarding is not compatible with ipsec tunnels */
diff --git a/src/etc/inc/openvpn.inc b/src/etc/inc/openvpn.inc
index cf914a643..8613c89e8 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/openvpn.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/openvpn.inc
@@ -815,9 +815,6 @@ function openvpn_restart_by_id($mode, $id)
 
     if (isset($config['openvpn']["openvpn-$mode"])) {
         foreach ($config['openvpn']["openvpn-$mode"] as $settings) {
-            if (isset($settings['disable'])) {
-                continue;
-            }
             if ($id != 0 && $id == $settings['vpnid']) {
                 $found = $settings;
                 break;
@@ -839,12 +836,7 @@ function openvpn_restart($mode, $settings)
     $vpnid = $settings['vpnid'];
     $mode_id = $mode.$vpnid;
 
-    /* kill the process if running */
-    $pfile = "/var/run/openvpn_{$mode_id}.pid";
-    killbypid($pfile);
-    while (isvalidpid($pfile)) {
-        usleep(250000);
-    }
+    killbypid("/var/run/openvpn_{$mode_id}.pid", 'TERM', true);
 
     if (isset($settings['disable'])) {
         return;
diff --git a/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/vpn.inc b/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/vpn.inc
index b82fbdc67..95487f5a9 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/vpn.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/vpn.inc
@@ -110,29 +110,21 @@ function vpn_pptpd_configure()
   $syscfg = $config['system'];
   $pptpdcfg = $config['pptpd'];
 
-  if (file_exists("/var/run/booting")) {
-    if (!$pptpdcfg['mode'] || ($pptpdcfg['mode'] == "off"))
+  killbypid('/var/run/pptp-vpn.pid', 'TERM', true);
+
+  if (!isset($pptpdcfg['mode']) || $pptpdcfg['mode'] == 'off') {
       return 0;
-
-    echo gettext("Configuring PPTP VPN service... ");
-  } else {
-    /* kill mpd */
-    killbypid('/var/run/pptp-vpn.pid');
-
-    /* wait for process to die */
-    sleep(3);
-
-    if (is_process_running("mpd -b")) {
-      killbypid('/var/run/pptp-vpn.pid');
-      log_error(gettext("Could not kill mpd within 3 seconds. Trying again."));
-    }
-
-    /* remove mpd.conf, if it exists */
-    @unlink('/var/etc/pptp-vpn/mpd.conf');
-    @unlink('/var/etc/pptp-vpn/mpd.links');
-    @unlink('/var/etc/pptp-vpn/mpd.secret');
   }
 
+  if (file_exists('/var/run/booting')) {
+    echo gettext("Configuring PPTP VPN service...");
+  }
+
+  /* remove mpd.conf, if it exists */
+  @unlink('/var/etc/pptp-vpn/mpd.conf');
+  @unlink('/var/etc/pptp-vpn/mpd.links');
+  @unlink('/var/etc/pptp-vpn/mpd.secret');
+
   if (empty($pptpdcfg['n_pptp_units'])) {
     log_error("Something wrong in the PPTPd configuration. Preventing starting the daemon because issues would arise.");
     return;
@@ -320,8 +312,9 @@ EOD;
       break;
   }
 
-  if (file_exists("/var/run/booting"))
-    echo "done\n";
+  if (file_exists('/var/run/booting')) {
+    echo gettext("done") . "\n";
+  }
 
   return 0;
 }
@@ -345,9 +338,6 @@ function vpn_pppoe_configure_by_id($id)
 
     if (isset($config['pppoes']['pppoe'])) {
         foreach ($config['pppoes']['pppoe'] as $pppoe) {
-            if (!isset($pppoe['mode']) || $pppoe['mode'] == 'off') {
-                continue;
-            }
             if ($id != 0 && $id == $pppoe['pppoeid']) {
                 $found = $pppoe;
                 break;
@@ -368,27 +358,23 @@ function vpn_pppoe_configure(&$pppoecfg)
 
   $syscfg = $config['system'];
 
-  /* create directory if it does not exist */
-  @mkdir("/var/etc/pppoe{$pppoecfg['pppoeid']}-vpn");
+  killbypid("/var/run/pppoe{$pppoecfg['pppoeid']}-vpn.pid", 'TERM', true);
 
-  if (file_exists("/var/run/booting")) {
-    if (!$pppoecfg['mode'] || ($pppoecfg['mode'] == "off"))
+  if (!isset($pppoecfg['mode']) || $pppoecfg['mode'] == 'off') {
       return 0;
+  }
 
-    echo gettext("Configuring PPPoE VPN service... ");
-  } else {
-    /* kill mpd */
-    killbypid("/var/run/pppoe{$pppoecfg['pppoeid']}-vpn.pid");
-
-    /* wait for process to die */
-    sleep(2);
-
+  if (file_exists('/var/run/booting')) {
+    echo gettext("Configuring PPPoE VPN service...");
   }
 
   switch ($pppoecfg['mode']) {
 
     case 'server' :
 
+      /* create directory if it does not exist */
+      @mkdir("/var/etc/pppoe{$pppoecfg['pppoeid']}-vpn");
+
       $pppoe_interface = get_real_interface($pppoecfg['interface']);
 
       if ($pppoecfg['paporchap'] == "chap")
@@ -555,8 +541,6 @@ EOD;
         chmod("/var/etc/pppoe{$pppoecfg['pppoeid']}-vpn/mpd.secret", 0600);
       }
 
-      killbypid("/var/run/pppoe{$pppoecfg['pppoeid']}-vpn.pid");
-
       legacy_netgraph_attach($pppoe_interface);
 
       mwexec("/usr/local/sbin/mpd4 -b -d /var/etc/pppoe{$pppoecfg['pppoeid']}-vpn -p /var/run/pppoe{$pppoecfg['pppoeid']}-vpn.pid -s poes poes");
@@ -564,8 +548,9 @@ EOD;
       break;
   }
 
-  if (file_exists("/var/run/booting"))
+  if (file_exists('/var/run/booting')) {
     echo gettext("done") . "\n";
+  }
 
   return 0;
 }
@@ -574,6 +559,8 @@ function vpn_l2tp_configure()
 {
   global $config;
 
+  killbypid('/var/run/l2tp-vpn.pid', 'TERM', true);
+
   $syscfg = $config['system'];
   if (isset($config['l2tp'])) {
     $l2tpcfg = $config['l2tp'];
@@ -581,16 +568,12 @@ function vpn_l2tp_configure()
     return 0;
   }
 
-  if (file_exists("/var/run/booting")) {
-    if (!isset($l2tpcfg['mode']) || $l2tpcfg['mode'] == "off")
-      return 0;
+  if (!isset($l2tpcfg['mode']) || $l2tpcfg['mode'] == 'off') {
+    return 0;
+  }
 
-    echo gettext("Configuring l2tp VPN service... ");
-  } else {
-    while (isvalidpid('/var/run/l2tp-vpn.pid')) {
-      killbypid('/var/run/l2tp-vpn.pid');
-      usleep(250 * 1000);
-    }
+  if (file_exists('/var/run/booting')) {
+    echo gettext('Configuring L2TP VPN service...');
   }
 
   @mkdir('/var/etc/l2tp-vpn');
@@ -757,8 +740,9 @@ EOD;
       break;
   }
 
-  if (file_exists("/var/run/booting"))
-    echo "done\n";
+  if (file_exists('/var/run/booting')) {
+    echo gettext("done") . "\n";
+  }
 
   return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/etc/inc/system.inc b/src/etc/inc/system.inc
index be1860df3..bd45362be 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/system.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/system.inc
@@ -1474,10 +1474,8 @@ function system_ntp_configure($start_ntpd = true)
 {
     global $config;
 
-    /* if ntpd is running, kill it when restart is not delayed */
-    while ($start_ntpd && isvalidpid('/var/run/ntpd.pid')) {
-        killbypid('/var/run/ntpd.pid');
-        usleep(200 * 1000);
+    if ($start_ntpd) {
+        killbypid('/var/run/ntpd.pid', 'TERM', true);
     }
 
     if (!isset($config['system']['timeservers'])) {
diff --git a/src/etc/inc/util.inc b/src/etc/inc/util.inc
index edb03b572..ed2790b8e 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/util.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/util.inc
@@ -37,13 +37,21 @@ function killbyname($procname, $sig = 'TERM')
 	mwexecf('/bin/pkill -%s %s', array($sig, $procname));
 }
 
-function killbypid($pidfile, $sig = 'TERM')
+function killbypid($pidfile, $sig = 'TERM', $waitforit = false)
 {
 	if (!isvalidpid($pidfile)) {
 		return;
 	}
 
 	mwexecf('/bin/pkill -%s -F %s', array($sig, $pidfile));
+
+	if (!$waitforit) {
+		return;
+        }
+
+	while (isvalidpid($pidfile)) {
+		usleep(200 * 1000);
+	}
 }
 
 function isvalidpid($pidfile)
diff --git a/src/www/status_services.php b/src/www/status_services.php
index a8873cebb..464bc9bc7 100644
--- a/src/www/status_services.php
+++ b/src/www/status_services.php
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ function service_control_stop($name, $extras)
             mwexec($cmd);
         }
     } elseif (isset($service['pidfile'])) {
-        killbypid($service['pidfile']);
+        killbypid($service['pidfile'], 'TERM', true);
     } else {
         /* last resort, but not very elegant */
         killbyname($service['name']);