diff --git a/etc/rc.initdiskless b/etc/rc.initdiskless
index e18add008307..4e77e74b2c9b 100644
--- a/etc/rc.initdiskless
+++ b/etc/rc.initdiskless
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ for i in ${templates} ; do
 	if [ -f $j ]; then
 	    create_md $subdir
 	    echo "Loading /$subdir from cpio archive $j"
-	    (cd / ; /rescue/pax -r -z -p e -f $j)
+	    (cd / ; /rescue/tar -xpf $j)
 	fi
     done
     for j in /conf/$i/*.remove ; do