diff --git a/modules/system/boot/stage-1-init.sh b/modules/system/boot/stage-1-init.sh
index 3f11da28950..dd1fe0c886f 100644
--- a/modules/system/boot/stage-1-init.sh
+++ b/modules/system/boot/stage-1-init.sh
@@ -146,6 +146,17 @@ checkFS() {
     # Don't check ROM filesystems.
     if test "$FSTYPE" = iso9660 -o "$FSTYPE" = udf; then return 0; fi
 
+    # Optionally, skip fsck on journaling filesystems.  This option is
+    # a hack - it's mostly because e2fsck on ext3 takes much longer to
+    # recover the journal than the ext3 implementation in the kernel
+    # does (minutes versus seconds).
+    if test -z "@checkJournalingFS@" -a \
+        \( "$FSTYPE" = ext3 -o "$FSTYPE" = ext4 -o "$FSTYPE" = reiserfs \
+        -o "$FSTYPE" = xfs -o "$FSTYPE" = jfs \)
+    then
+        return 0
+    fi
+    
     # Don't run `fsck' if the machine is on battery power.  !!! Is
     # this a good idea?
     if ! onACPower; then
diff --git a/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix b/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
index c789205079b..565af8fdc8f 100644
--- a/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
+++ b/modules/system/boot/stage-1.nix
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@ let
       ";
     };
 
+    boot.initrd.checkJournalingFS = mkOption {
+      default = true;
+      type = types.bool;
+      description = ''
+        Whether to run fsck on journaling filesystems such as ext3.
+      '';
+    };
+
     fileSystems = mkOption {
       options.neededForBoot = mkOption {
         default = false;
@@ -215,6 +223,8 @@ let
     
     inherit (config.boot) isLiveCD resumeDevice;
 
+    inherit (config.boot.initrd) checkJournalingFS;
+
     # !!! copy&pasted from upstart-jobs/filesystems.nix.
     mountPoints =
       if fileSystems == null