diff --git a/src/etc/inc/system.inc b/src/etc/inc/system.inc
index f57133b1e..313734e1a 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/system.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/system.inc
@@ -1553,9 +1553,11 @@ function system_ntp_configure($start_ntpd = true)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	/* At bootup we just want to write out the config. */
-	if (!$start_ntpd)
+	if (!$start_ntpd) {
+		/* write out the config and delay startup */
+		mwexec_bg('/usr/local/sbin/ntpdate_sync_once.sh');
 		return;
+	}
 
 	/* if ntpd is running, kill it */
 	while (isvalidpid('/var/run/ntpd.pid')) {
@@ -1567,7 +1569,10 @@ function system_ntp_configure($start_ntpd = true)
 	@mkdir('/var/empty', 0775, true);
 
 	/* start opentpd, set time now and use new config */
-	mwexec('/usr/local/sbin/ntpd -g -c /var/etc/ntpd.conf -p /var/run/ntpd.pid', false, true);
+	mwexecf(
+		'/usr/local/sbin/ntpd -g -c %s -p %s',
+		array('/var/etc/ntpd.conf', '/var/run/ntpd.pid')
+	);
 
 	// Note that we are starting up
 	log_error("NTPD is starting up.");
diff --git a/src/etc/rc.bootup b/src/etc/rc.bootup
index 02cdb35d1..ef6976d8b 100755
--- a/src/etc/rc.bootup
+++ b/src/etc/rc.bootup
@@ -259,9 +259,7 @@ services_unbound_configure();
 
 /* Do an initial time sync */
 echo "Starting NTP time client...";
-/* At bootup this will just write the config, ntpd will launch from ntpdate_sync_once.sh */
 system_ntp_configure(false);
-mwexec_bg("/usr/local/sbin/ntpdate_sync_once.sh", false, true);
 echo "done.\n";
 
 /* start load balancer daemon */
diff --git a/src/etc/rc.newwanip b/src/etc/rc.newwanip
index c859d199d..00539799d 100755
--- a/src/etc/rc.newwanip
+++ b/src/etc/rc.newwanip
@@ -200,7 +200,6 @@ if (!is_ipaddr($oldip) || $curwanip != $oldip || !is_ipaddrv4($config['interface
 
 	/* reconfigure ntpd */
 	system_ntp_configure(false);
-	mwexec_bg("/usr/local/sbin/ntpdate_sync_once.sh", false, true);
 }
 
 /* signal filter reload */
diff --git a/src/etc/rc.newwanipv6 b/src/etc/rc.newwanipv6
index 58b0ba167..432682adf 100755
--- a/src/etc/rc.newwanipv6
+++ b/src/etc/rc.newwanipv6
@@ -160,4 +160,3 @@ services_igmpproxy_configure();
 
 /* reconfigure ntpd */
 system_ntp_configure(false);
-mwexec_bg("/usr/local/sbin/ntpdate_sync_once.sh", false, true);