diff --git a/doc/aa-stage1.pod b/doc/aa-stage1.pod
index 61a6237..2cd091d 100644
--- a/doc/aa-stage1.pod
+++ b/doc/aa-stage1.pod
@@ -20,8 +20,13 @@ It will log its own messages into file I</var/log/boot/current>, prefixing them
 with a TAI timestamp via B<s6-tai64n>.
 
 It doesn't do much in itself, the bulk of the work being done via services. It
-will create the runtime repository I</run/services> using B<aa-enable>(1) and
-I</etc/anopa/enabled> as listdir.
+will create the runtime repository I</run/services> using B<aa-hiercopy>(1) to
+copy I</var/lib/repodir/onboot> (unless argument B<aa> was specified on kernel
+command line, in which case I</var/lib/repodir/ARGVALUE> is used instead if it
+exists.)
+
+The repodir is intended to have been created ahead of time obviously, usually by
+using B<aa-enable>(1).
 
 A service I<uncaught-logs> must exist and be a logger that will be used to catch
 all "uncaught logs" (i.e. anything not redirected to a service logger). A FIFO
diff --git a/doc/anopa.pod b/doc/anopa.pod
index 28ef7a2..2a7b84a 100644
--- a/doc/anopa.pod
+++ b/doc/anopa.pod
@@ -328,7 +328,7 @@ Source directory containing available servicedirs. This is where the
 administrator can define its own servicedirs, either because they're not
 provided by packages, or to be used instead. Used by B<aa-enable>(1).
 
-=item I</etc/anopa/enabled>
+=item I</etc/anopa/enabled/onboot>
 
 List directory containing either empty regular files, whose name is the name of
 a service to enable on boot, or directories, whose name is the name of a service
@@ -337,27 +337,41 @@ to enable on boot.
 In the later case, the content of the folder will also be merged/copied over
 into the servicedir.
 
-Used by B<aa-enable>(1) from B<aa-stage1>(1).
+Must be used manually withy B<aa-enable>(1) to generate
+I</var/lib/repodir/onboot>
 
 =item I</etc/anopa/listdirs/onboot>
 
 List directory containing empty regular files, whose name is the name of a
 service to start on boot. Used by B<aa-start>(1) from B<aa-stage2>(1).
 
+=item I</var/lib/repodir/onboot>
+
+Repository directory which will be copied into I</run/services> on boot (using
+B<aa-hiercopy>(1)) by B<aa-stage1>(1), thus ensuring its content remains
+unchanged whilst the runtime repository lives in memory (I</run> being expected
+to be a tmpfs).
+
+Used by B<aa-stage1>(1).
+
 =item I</run/services>
 
 Runtime repository, the service repository for the current system, containing a
 directory I<.scandir>, with symlinks for all long-run services, used by
 B<s6-svscan> as its scandir. Used by B<aa-enable>(1), B<aa-start>(1) and
-B<aa-stop>(1).
+B<aa-stop>(1), copied from I</var/lib/repodir/onboot> by B<aa-stage1>(1).
 
 =back
 
-On boot, B<aa-enable>(1) is used to create the runtime repository. To do so, it
-reads the content of the listdir, and for each service named there copies the
-corresponding servicedir from a source directory into the runtime repository. If
-listdir contained a directory, its content is then merged/copied over into the
-newlu created servicedir, allowing easy custom service-specific configuration.
+Ahead of time, the repository directory I</var/lib/repodir/onboot> needs to be
+created. This is expected to be done with B<aa-enable>(1), using
+I</etc/anopa/enabled/onboot> as listdir.
+
+To do so, it reads the content of the listdir, and for each service named there
+copies the corresponding servicedir from a source directory into the runtime
+repository. If listdir contained a directory, its content is then merged/copied
+over into the newly created servicedir, allowing easy custom service-specific
+configuration.
 
 Source directories are looked up in order, thus allowing the administrator to
 provide not only its own servicedirs, but its own version of a given servicedir.
@@ -365,6 +379,10 @@ provide not only its own servicedirs, but its own version of a given servicedir.
 Refer to B<aa-enable>(1) for more on how it works and how the copy operation
 takes place.
 
+
+On boot, B<aa-hiercopy>(1) is used to copy the repository directory as runtime
+repository I</run/services>
+
 Then, B<aa-start>(1) is used to start all services in order, getting the system
 up & ready. Refer to B<aa-start>(1) for more on how it works; Refer to
 B<aa-stage1>(1) and B<aa-stage2>(1) for more on this init process on boot works.
diff --git a/src/scripts/aa-stage1 b/src/scripts/aa-stage1
index 98d53a0..8d51898 100755
--- a/src/scripts/aa-stage1
+++ b/src/scripts/aa-stage1
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 # anopa - Copyright (C) 2015-2017 Olivier Brunel
 #
 # aa-stage1
-# Copyright (C) 2015 Olivier Brunel <jjk@jjacky.com>
+# Copyright (C) 2015-2018 Olivier Brunel <jjk@jjacky.com>
 #
 # This file is part of anopa.
 #
@@ -49,9 +49,16 @@ cd /
 umask 022
 
 # Create the repository
-foreground { emptyenv -c
-aa-enable -Dql /etc/anopa/enabled -k uncaught-logs -f @LIBEXECDIR@/aa-stage3 }
+backtick -n -D onboot REPODIR { aa-incmdline -Drs aa }
+backtick -n -D onboot REPODIR {
+    importas -u REPODIR REPODIR
+    if { aa-test -e /var/lib/repodir/$REPODIR } echo $REPODIR
+}
+importas -u REPODIR REPODIR
+foreground { aa-echo -Dt "Copying ${REPODIR} repodir as /run/services..." }
+foreground { emptyenv -c aa-hiercopy -D /var/lib/repodir/$REPODIR /run/services }
 
+foreground { aa-echo -Dt "Starting s6-svscan..." }
 # Make sure the FIFO needed for the switch to stage 2 is there
 ifelse -X -n { aa-test -Dp /run/services/.scandir/uncaught-logs/fifo }
 {