diff --git a/system/earlyoom/rc.earlyoom b/system/earlyoom/rc.earlyoom
index 277050fefd..033a8e5392 100644
--- a/system/earlyoom/rc.earlyoom
+++ b/system/earlyoom/rc.earlyoom
@@ -4,34 +4,46 @@ set -eu
 . /etc/default/earlyoom
 
 do_start() {
-	if ps -p "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null
+	if [ -f /var/run/earlyoom.pid ];
 	then
-		echo "earlyoom is already running."
-	else
-		echo "Starting earlyoom..."
-		nohup /usr/bin/earlyoom $EARLYOOM_ARGS > /var/log/earlyoom.log 2>&1 &
-		echo "$!" > /var/run/earlyoom.pid
+		if ps -p "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null 2>&1
+		then
+			echo "earlyoom is already running."
+			exit 0
+		fi
 	fi
+	echo "Starting earlyoom..."
+	# shellcheck disable=2086
+	nohup /usr/bin/earlyoom $EARLYOOM_ARGS > /var/log/earlyoom.log 2>&1 &
+	echo "$!" > /var/run/earlyoom.pid
+	exit 0
 }
 
 do_stop() {
-	if ps -p "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null
+	if [ -f /var/run/earlyoom.pid ];
 	then
-		echo "Stopping earlyoom..."
-		kill -15 "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)"
-	else
-		echo "earlyoom is not running."
+		if ps -p "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null 2>&1
+		then
+			echo "Stopping earlyoom..."
+			kill -15 "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null 2>&1
+			exit 0
+		fi
 	fi
+	echo "earlyoom is not running..."
 }
 
 do_force_stop() {
-	if ps -p "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null
+	if [ -f /var/run/earlyoom.pid ];
 	then
-		echo "Killing earlyoom..."
-		kill -9 "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)"
-	else
-		echo "earlyoom appears to not be running."
+		if ps -p "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null 2>&1
+		then
+			echo "Killing earlyoom..."
+			kill -9 "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null 2>&1
+			exit 0
+		fi
 	fi
+	echo "earlyoom appears to not be running."
+	exit 0
 }
 
 do_restart() {
@@ -40,14 +52,27 @@ do_restart() {
 }
 
 do_status() {
-	if ps -p "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null
+	if [ -f /var/run/earlyoom.pid ];
 	then
-		echo "earlyoom is running with pid $(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)."
-	else
-		echo "earlyoom is not running."
+		if ps -p "$(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)" > /dev/null 2>&1
+		then
+			echo "earlyoom is running with pid $(cat /var/run/earlyoom.pid)."
+			exit 0
+		fi
 	fi
+	echo "earlyoom is not running."
 }
 
+do_help() {
+	echo "USAGE: rc.earlyoom (start|stop|force-stop|restart|status)"
+	exit 0
+}
+
+if [ -z "${1-}" ];
+then
+	do_help
+fi
+
 case $1 in
 	start)
 		do_start
@@ -65,6 +90,6 @@ case $1 in
 		do_status
 		;;
 	*)
-		echo "USAGE: rc.earlyoom (start|stop|force-stop|restart|status)"
+		do_help
 		;;
 esac