diff --git a/defaults/initrd.scripts b/defaults/initrd.scripts
index f14333a..4da6968 100755
--- a/defaults/initrd.scripts
+++ b/defaults/initrd.scripts
@@ -410,17 +410,23 @@ setup_hotplug() {
 	fi
 }
 
-check_slowusb() {
+setup_slowusb() {
+	# slowusb already set?
+	if [ "${DO_slowusb}" = "1" ]
+	then
+		return
+	fi
+
 	local usb_storage_dir="/sys/bus/usb/drivers/usb-storage"
 	if [ ! -d "${usb_storage_dir}" ]
 	then
+		# no automated slowusb required. no usb-storage devices attached.
 		return
 	fi
-	[ "${DO_slowusb}" ] || \
 	for x in "${usb_storage_dir}"/*
 	do
 		[ -d "${x}" ]  && [ "${x}" != "${usb_storage_dir}/module" ] \
-			&& { FORCE_slowusb="1" ; break ; }
+			&& { DO_slowusb="1" ; break ; }
 	done
 }
 
@@ -428,13 +434,8 @@ start_dev_mgr() {
 	if [ "${KV_2_6_OR_GREATER}" ]
 	then
 		cd /sys
-		[ "${DO_slowusb}" ] && sdelay
-		check_slowusb
-		[ "${FORCE_slowusb}" ] && sdelay
 		good_msg 'Activating mdev'
 		runmdev
-		[ "${DO_slowusb}" ] || \
-		[ "${FORCE_slowusb}" ] && sdelay
 		cd /
 	fi
 }
@@ -881,12 +882,12 @@ startLUKS() {
 
 sdelay() {
 	# Sleep a specific number of seconds if SDELAY is set otherwise only sleep
-	# 1 second
-	if [ -n "${SDELAY}" ]
+	# 3 seconds, which is a much better default than 1 second (previous default)
+	if [ "${SDELAY}" ]
 	then
 		sleep ${SDELAY}
 	else
-		sleep 1
+		sleep 3
 	fi
 }
 
diff --git a/defaults/linuxrc b/defaults/linuxrc
index d873450..1b2f3c2 100755
--- a/defaults/linuxrc
+++ b/defaults/linuxrc
@@ -289,6 +289,11 @@ fi
 # Delay if needed for USB hardware
 sdelay
 
+# Setup slow USB bits
+setup_slowusb
+# if doslowusb is passed, pause other 10 seconds
+[ "${DO_slowusb}" ] && sleep 10
+
 # Start device manager
 start_dev_mgr
 
@@ -675,10 +680,6 @@ then
 		fi
 	done
 
-	if [ "${DO_slowusb}" ] || [ "${FORCE_slowusb}" ]
-	then
-		sleep 10
-	fi
 	mkdir initramfs proc tmp sys 2>/dev/null
 	chmod 1777 tmp
 
@@ -694,11 +695,6 @@ then
 	# Let Init scripts know that we booted from CD
 	export CDBOOT
 	CDBOOT=1
-	check_slowusb
-	if [ "${DO_slowusb}" ] || [ "${FORCE_slowusb}" ]
-	then
-		sleep 10
-	fi
 else
 	if [ "${USE_UNIONFS_NORMAL}" = '1' ]
 	then