diff --git a/config/Substfiles.am b/config/Substfiles.am
index 38e870b2f501..18422bf64301 100644
--- a/config/Substfiles.am
+++ b/config/Substfiles.am
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ subst_sed_cmd = \
 	-e 's|@ASAN_ENABLED[@]|$(ASAN_ENABLED)|g' \
 	-e 's|@DEFAULT_INIT_NFS_SERVER[@]|$(DEFAULT_INIT_NFS_SERVER)|g' \
 	-e 's|@DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL[@]|$(DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL)|g' \
+	-e 's|@IS_SYSV_RC[@]|$(IS_SYSV_RC)|g' \
 	-e 's|@LIBFETCH_DYNAMIC[@]|$(LIBFETCH_DYNAMIC)|g' \
 	-e 's|@LIBFETCH_SONAME[@]|$(LIBFETCH_SONAME)|g' \
 	-e 's|@PYTHON[@]|$(PYTHON)|g' \
diff --git a/config/zfs-build.m4 b/config/zfs-build.m4
index 5f36569fe25b..bb5a85d815d1 100644
--- a/config/zfs-build.m4
+++ b/config/zfs-build.m4
@@ -578,13 +578,15 @@ AC_DEFUN([ZFS_AC_DEFAULT_PACKAGE], [
 
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([default shell])
 	case "$VENDOR" in
-		gentoo)     DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL="/sbin/openrc-run";;
-		alpine)     DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL="/sbin/openrc-run";;
-		*)          DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL="/bin/sh"         ;;
+		gentoo|alpine)	DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL=/sbin/openrc-run
+				IS_SYSV_RC=false	;;
+		*)		DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL=/bin/sh
+				IS_SYSV_RC=true		;;
 	esac
 
 	AC_MSG_RESULT([$DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL])
 	AC_SUBST(DEFAULT_INIT_SHELL)
+	AC_SUBST(IS_SYSV_RC)
 
 	AC_MSG_CHECKING([default nfs server init script])
 	AS_IF([test "$VENDOR" = "debian"],
diff --git a/etc/init.d/README.md b/etc/init.d/README.md
index 2de05042ce63..da780fdc1222 100644
--- a/etc/init.d/README.md
+++ b/etc/init.d/README.md
@@ -7,11 +7,7 @@ DESCRIPTION
 
   They have been tested successfully on:
 
-    * Debian GNU/Linux Wheezy
-    * Debian GNU/Linux Jessie
-    * Ubuntu Trusty
-    * CentOS 6.0
-    * CentOS 6.6
+    * Debian GNU/Linux Bookworm
     * Gentoo
 
 SUPPORT
diff --git a/etc/init.d/zfs-import.in b/etc/init.d/zfs-import.in
index a9a0604f81ac..ff169eb96d86 100755
--- a/etc/init.d/zfs-import.in
+++ b/etc/init.d/zfs-import.in
@@ -307,7 +307,7 @@ do_start()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 
-if [ ! -e /sbin/openrc-run ]
+if @IS_SYSV_RC@
 then
 	case "$1" in
 		start)
diff --git a/etc/init.d/zfs-load-key.in b/etc/init.d/zfs-load-key.in
index 53c7766b793a..27dfeeb0bcc5 100755
--- a/etc/init.d/zfs-load-key.in
+++ b/etc/init.d/zfs-load-key.in
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ do_stop()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 
-if [ ! -e /sbin/openrc-run ]
+if @IS_SYSV_RC@
 then
 	case "$1" in
 		start)
diff --git a/etc/init.d/zfs-mount.in b/etc/init.d/zfs-mount.in
index a0825f19fcdd..6a3ca5f86908 100755
--- a/etc/init.d/zfs-mount.in
+++ b/etc/init.d/zfs-mount.in
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ do_stop()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 
-if [ ! -e /sbin/openrc-run ]
+if @IS_SYSV_RC@
 then
 	case "$1" in
 		start)
diff --git a/etc/init.d/zfs-share.in b/etc/init.d/zfs-share.in
index 88978071cbf6..06c59c620b75 100755
--- a/etc/init.d/zfs-share.in
+++ b/etc/init.d/zfs-share.in
@@ -57,7 +57,8 @@ do_stop()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 
-if [ ! -e /sbin/openrc-run ]; then
+if @IS_SYSV_RC@
+then
 	case "$1" in
 		start)
 			do_start
diff --git a/etc/init.d/zfs-zed.in b/etc/init.d/zfs-zed.in
index e9cf8867403c..3d40600cea5d 100755
--- a/etc/init.d/zfs-zed.in
+++ b/etc/init.d/zfs-zed.in
@@ -93,7 +93,8 @@ do_reload()
 
 # ----------------------------------------------------
 
-if [ ! -e /sbin/openrc-run ]; then
+if @IS_SYSV_RC@
+then
 	case "$1" in
 		start)
 			do_start