diff --git a/include/libbb.h b/include/libbb.h
index 6490373..4bfcc7a 100644
--- a/include/libbb.h
+++ b/include/libbb.h
@@ -411,6 +411,7 @@
 
 #define FAIL_DELAY    3
 extern void change_identity ( const struct passwd *pw );
+extern const char *change_identity_e2str ( const struct passwd *pw );
 extern void run_shell ( const char *shell, int loginshell, const char *command, const char **additional_args
 #ifdef CONFIG_SELINUX
 	, security_id_t sid
diff --git a/init/init.c b/init/init.c
index 2f44e13..26bbc34 100644
--- a/init/init.c
+++ b/init/init.c
@@ -829,13 +829,6 @@
 	got_cont = 1;
 }
 
-/* Reap any zombie processes that are reparented to init */
-static void child_handler(int sig)
-{
-	int status;
-	while ( wait3(&status, WNOHANG, NULL) > 0 );
-}
-
 #endif							/* ! DEBUG_INIT */
 
 static void new_init_action(int action, const char *command, const char *cons)
@@ -1076,7 +1069,6 @@
 	signal(SIGCONT, cont_handler);
 	signal(SIGSTOP, stop_handler);
 	signal(SIGTSTP, stop_handler);
-	signal(SIGCHLD, child_handler);
 
 	/* Turn off rebooting via CTL-ALT-DEL -- we get a 
 	 * SIGINT on CAD so we can shut things down gracefully... */
diff --git a/libbb/change_identity.c b/libbb/change_identity.c
index c2b73ee..adebad8 100644
--- a/libbb/change_identity.c
+++ b/libbb/change_identity.c
@@ -40,15 +40,23 @@
 
 
 /* Become the user and group(s) specified by PW.  */
-void change_identity ( const struct passwd *pw )
+const char *change_identity_e2str ( const struct passwd *pw )
 {
 	if ( initgroups ( pw-> pw_name, pw-> pw_gid ) == -1 )
-		bb_perror_msg_and_die ( "cannot set groups" );
+		return "cannot set groups";
 	endgrent ( );
 
 	if ( setgid ( pw-> pw_gid ))
-		bb_perror_msg_and_die ( "cannot set group id" );
+		return "cannot set group id";
 	if ( setuid ( pw->pw_uid ))
-		bb_perror_msg_and_die ( "cannot set user id" );
+		return "cannot set user id";
+	return NULL;
 }
 
+void change_identity ( const struct passwd *pw )
+{
+	const char *err_msg = change_identity_e2str(pw);
+
+	if(err_msg)
+		bb_perror_msg_and_die ( "%s", err_msg );
+}
diff --git a/miscutils/crond.c b/miscutils/crond.c
index 637e09d..7915b86 100644
--- a/miscutils/crond.c
+++ b/miscutils/crond.c
@@ -299,6 +299,7 @@
 ChangeUser(const char *user)
 {
     struct passwd *pas;
+    const char *err_msg;
 
     /*
      * Obtain password entry and change privilages
@@ -315,18 +316,9 @@
     /*
      * Change running state to the user in question
      */
-
-    if (initgroups(user, pas->pw_gid) < 0) {
-	crondlog("\011initgroups failed: %s %m", user);
-	return(-1);
-    }
-    /* drop all priviledges */
-    if (setgid(pas->pw_gid) < 0) {
-	crondlog("\011setgid failed: %s %d", user, pas->pw_gid);
-	return(-1);
-    }
-    if (setuid(pas->pw_uid) < 0) {
-	crondlog("\011setuid failed: %s %d", user, pas->pw_uid);
+    err_msg = change_identity_e2str(pas);
+    if (err_msg) {
+	crondlog("\011%s for user %s", err_msg, user);
 	return(-1);
     }
 	if (chdir(pas->pw_dir) < 0) {
diff --git a/miscutils/crontab.c b/miscutils/crontab.c
index 6c4da95..52d08dd 100644
--- a/miscutils/crontab.c
+++ b/miscutils/crontab.c
@@ -333,18 +333,6 @@
     wait4(pid, NULL, 0, NULL);
 }
 
-static void
-log(const char *ctl, ...)
-{
-    va_list va;
-    char buf[1024];
-
-    va_start(va, ctl);
-    vsnprintf(buf, sizeof(buf), ctl, va);
-    syslog(LOG_NOTICE, "%s",buf );
-    va_end(va);
-}
-
 static int
 ChangeUser(const char *user, short dochdir)
 {
@@ -355,7 +343,7 @@
      */
 
     if ((pas = getpwnam(user)) == 0) {
-	log("failed to get uid for %s", user);
+	bb_perror_msg_and_die("failed to get uid for %s", user);
 	return(-1);
     }
     setenv("USER", pas->pw_name, 1);
@@ -365,24 +353,13 @@
     /*
      * Change running state to the user in question
      */
+    change_identity(pas);
 
-    if (initgroups(user, pas->pw_gid) < 0) {
-	log("initgroups failed: %s %m", user);
-	return(-1);
-    }
-    if (setregid(pas->pw_gid, pas->pw_gid) < 0) {
-	log("setregid failed: %s %d", user, pas->pw_gid);
-	return(-1);
-    }
-    if (setreuid(pas->pw_uid, pas->pw_uid) < 0) {
-	log("setreuid failed: %s %d", user, pas->pw_uid);
-	return(-1);
-    }
     if (dochdir) {
 	if (chdir(pas->pw_dir) < 0) {
+	    bb_perror_msg_and_die("chdir failed: %s %s", user, pas->pw_dir);
 	    if (chdir(TMPDIR) < 0) {
-		log("chdir failed: %s %s", user, pas->pw_dir);
-		log("chdir failed: %s " TMPDIR, user);
+		bb_perror_msg_and_die("chdir failed: %s %s", user, TMPDIR);
 		return(-1);
 	    }
 	}