diff --git a/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix b/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
index d7c9ecc489a..7dd6896c25a 100644
--- a/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
+++ b/modules/system/upstart/upstart.nix
@@ -24,11 +24,21 @@ let
             end script
           '' else ""}
           
-          ${if job.exec != "" then ''
-            exec ${job.exec}
-          '' else ""}
+          ${if true then
+            # Simulate jobs without a main process (which Upstart 0.3
+            # doesn't support) using a semi-infinite sleep.
+            ''
+              exec ${if job.exec != "" then job.exec else "sleep 1e100"}
+            ''
+            else ""}
 
           ${if job.respawn then "respawn" else ""}
+
+          ${if job.postStop != "" then ''
+            stop script
+              ${job.postStop}
+            end script
+          '' else ""}
         '';
 
     in
@@ -145,7 +155,16 @@ in
           default = "";
           description = ''
             Shell commands executed before the job is started
-            (i.e. before the <varname>exec</varname> command is run).
+            (i.e. before the job's main process is started).
+          '';
+        };
+
+        postStop = mkOption {
+          type = types.string;
+          default = "";
+          description = ''
+            Shell commands executed after the job has stopped
+            (i.e. after the job's main process has terminated).
           '';
         };
 
@@ -153,7 +172,10 @@ in
           type = types.string;
           default = "";
           description = ''
-            Command to start the job.
+            Command to start the job's main process.  If empty, the
+            job has no main process, but can still have pre/post-start
+            and pre/post-stop scripts, and is considered "running"
+            until it is stopped.
           '';
         };
 
diff --git a/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds.nix b/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds.nix
index 073ac90df2e..b83935827f7 100644
--- a/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds.nix
+++ b/modules/tasks/tty-backgrounds.nix
@@ -1,75 +1,14 @@
 {pkgs, config, ...}:
 
-###### interface
-let
-  inherit (pkgs.lib) mkOption mkIf;
-
-  options = {
-    services = {
-      ttyBackgrounds = {
-
-        enable = mkOption {
-          default = true;
-          description = "
-            Whether to enable graphical backgrounds for the virtual consoles.
-          ";
-        };
-
-        defaultTheme = mkOption {
-          default = pkgs.fetchurl {
-            #url = http://www.bootsplash.de/files/themes/Theme-BabyTux.tar.bz2;
-            url = mirror://gentoo/distfiles/Theme-BabyTux.tar.bz2;
-            md5 = "a6d89d1c1cff3b6a08e2f526f2eab4e0";
-          };
-          description = "
-            The default theme for the virtual consoles.  Themes can be found
-            at <link xlink:href='http://www.bootsplash.de/' />.
-          ";
-        };
-
-        defaultSpecificThemes = mkOption {
-          default = [
-            /*
-            { tty = 6;
-              theme = pkgs.fetchurl { # Yeah!
-                url = mirror://gentoo/distfiles/Theme-Pativo.tar.bz2;
-                md5 = "9e13beaaadf88d43a5293e7ab757d569";
-              };
-            }
-            */
-            { tty = 10;
-              theme = pkgs.themes "theme-gnu";
-            }
-          ];
-          description = "
-            This option sets specific themes for virtual consoles.  If you
-            just want to set themes for additional consoles, use
-            <option>services.ttyBackgrounds.specificThemes</option>.
-          ";
-        };
-
-        specificThemes = mkOption {
-          default = [
-          ];
-          description = "
-            This option allows you to set specific themes for virtual
-            consoles.
-          ";
-        };
-      };
-    };
-  };
-in
-
-###### implementation
-
 let
+  inherit (pkgs.lib) mkOption mkIf singleton;
   inherit (pkgs) stdenv;
+  
   kernelPackages = config.boot.kernelPackages;
   splashutils = kernelPackages.splashutils;
   requiredTTYs = config.requiredTTYs;
-  backgrounds =
   
+  backgrounds =
     let
     
       specificThemes =
@@ -91,7 +30,6 @@ let
       }) defaultTTYs)
       ++ specificThemes;
 
-
   themesUnpacked = stdenv.mkDerivation {
     name = "splash-themes";
     builder = ./tty-backgrounds-combine.sh;
@@ -101,70 +39,125 @@ let
   };
 
   unpackTheme = theme: import ../../lib/unpack-theme.nix {
-      inherit stdenv theme;
-    };
-
-
+    inherit stdenv theme;
+  };
 
 in
 
-mkIf (config.services.ttyBackgrounds.enable) {
+{
 
-  assertions = [ { assertion = kernelPackages.splashutils != null; message = "kernelPackages.splashutils may not be false"; } ];
+  ###### interface
+  
+  options = {
+  
+    services.ttyBackgrounds = {
 
-  require = [
-    options
-  ];
+      enable = mkOption {
+        default = true;
+        description = ''
+          Whether to enable graphical backgrounds for the virtual consoles.
+        '';
+      };
+
+      defaultTheme = mkOption {
+        default = pkgs.fetchurl {
+          #url = http://www.bootsplash.de/files/themes/Theme-BabyTux.tar.bz2;
+          url = mirror://gentoo/distfiles/Theme-BabyTux.tar.bz2;
+          md5 = "a6d89d1c1cff3b6a08e2f526f2eab4e0";
+        };
+        description = ''
+          The default theme for the virtual consoles.  Themes can be found
+          at <link xlink:href='http://www.bootsplash.de/' />.
+        '';
+      };
+
+      defaultSpecificThemes = mkOption {
+        default = [
+          /*
+          { tty = 6;
+            theme = pkgs.fetchurl { # Yeah!
+              url = mirror://gentoo/distfiles/Theme-Pativo.tar.bz2;
+              md5 = "9e13beaaadf88d43a5293e7ab757d569";
+            };
+          }
+          */
+          { tty = 10;
+            theme = pkgs.themes "theme-gnu";
+          }
+        ];
+        description = ''
+          This option sets specific themes for virtual consoles.  If you
+          just want to set themes for additional consoles, use
+          <option>services.ttyBackgrounds.specificThemes</option>.
+        '';
+      };
+
+      specificThemes = mkOption {
+        default = [
+        ];
+        description = ''
+          This option allows you to set specific themes for virtual
+          consoles.
+        '';
+      };
+      
+    };
+    
+  };
 
 
-  environment = {
-    etc = [
+  ###### implementation
+
+  config = mkIf config.services.ttyBackgrounds.enable {
+
+    assertions = singleton
+      { assertion = kernelPackages.splashutils != null;
+        message = "kernelPackages.splashutils may not be false";
+      };
+
+    environment.etc = singleton
       { source = themesUnpacked;
         target = "splash";
-      }
-    ];
-  };
+      };
 
-
-  services = {
-    extraJobs = [ rec {
+    jobs = singleton {
       name = "tty-backgrounds";
 
-      job = ''
-        start on udev
+      startOn = "udev";
 
-        start script
+      preStart =
+        ''
+          # Critical: tell the kernel where to find splash_helper.  It calls
+          # this program every time we switch between consoles.
+          helperProcFile=${splashutils.helperProcFile}
+          if test -e /proc/sys/fbcondecor; then helperProcFile=/proc/sys/fbcondecor; fi
+          echo ${splashutils}/${splashutils.helperName} > $helperProcFile
 
-            # Critical: tell the kernel where to find splash_helper.  It calls
-            # this program every time we switch between consoles.
-            helperProcFile=${splashutils.helperProcFile}
-            if test -e /proc/sys/fbcondecor; then helperProcFile=/proc/sys/fbcondecor; fi
-            echo ${splashutils}/${splashutils.helperName} > $helperProcFile
+          # For each console...
+          for tty in ${toString (map (x: x.tty) backgrounds)}; do
+              # Make sure that the console exists.
+              echo -n "" > /dev/tty$tty 
 
-            # For each console...
-            for tty in ${toString (map (x: x.tty) backgrounds)}; do
-                # Make sure that the console exists.
-                echo -n "" > /dev/tty$tty 
+              # Set the theme as determined by tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
+              # above.
+              theme=$(readlink ${themesUnpacked}/$tty)
+              ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty $tty -c setcfg -t $theme || true
+              ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty $tty -c setpic -t $theme || true
+              ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty $tty -c on || true
+          done
+        '';
 
-                # Set the theme as determined by tty-backgrounds-combine.sh
-                # above.
-                theme=$(readlink ${themesUnpacked}/$tty)
-                ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty $tty -c setcfg -t $theme || true
-                ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty $tty -c setpic -t $theme || true
-                ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty $tty -c on || true
-            done
-
-        end script
-
-        respawn sleep 10000 # !!! Hack
-
-        stop script
-            # Disable the theme on each console.
-            for tty in ${toString (map (x: x.tty) backgrounds)}; do
-                ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty $tty -c off || true
-            done
-        end script
-      '';
-    }];
+      postStop =
+        ''
+          /var/run/current-system/sw/bin/ps -axuw > /tmp/ps
+        
+          # Disable the theme on each console.
+          for tty in ${toString (map (x: x.tty) backgrounds)}; do
+              ${splashutils}/${splashutils.controlName} --tty $tty -c off || true
+          done
+        '';
+    };
+    
   };
+  
 }