diff --git a/ChangeLog b/ChangeLog
index 09fa2e60b..ae534fa7f 100644
--- a/ChangeLog
+++ b/ChangeLog
@@ -1,3 +1,12 @@
+2010-09-08  Robert Millan  <rmh@gnu.org>
+
+	* util/grub-mkconfig_lib.in (is_path_readable_by_grub): Improve
+	with (optional) parameters to specify device and relative path.
+	* util/grub-install.in: Use is_path_readable_by_grub() to
+	verify readability of a few critical files.
+	* util/grub-mkconfig.in: Use is_path_readable_by_grub() to
+	verify readability of grub.cfg.new.
+
 2010-09-08  Vladimir Serbinenko  <phcoder@gmail.com>
 
 	Split minix.mod into minix.mod and minix2.mod.
diff --git a/util/grub-install.in b/util/grub-install.in
index 340a616aa..4de5dbc4a 100644
--- a/util/grub-install.in
+++ b/util/grub-install.in
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #! /bin/sh
 
 # Install GRUB on your drive.
-# Copyright (C) 1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009  Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+# Copyright (C) 1999,2000,2001,2002,2003,2004,2005,2006,2007,2008,2009,2010  Free Software Foundation, Inc.
 #
 # GRUB is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
 # it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
@@ -327,8 +327,7 @@ if test "x$fs_module" = x -a "x$modules" = x; then
 fi
 
 # Then the partition map module.  In order to support partition-less media,
-# this command is allowed to fail (--target=fs already grants us that the
-# filesystem will be accessible).
+# this command is allowed to fail.
 partmap_module=
 for x in `$grub_probe --target=partmap --device ${grub_device} 2> /dev/null`; do
    partmap_module="$partmap_module part_$x";
@@ -402,6 +401,14 @@ case "${target_cpu}-${platform}" in
     *) mkimage_target=i386-coreboot;
 esac
 
+# Verify readability of a few critical files
+for file in grubenv core.${imgext} normal.mod ; do
+    if is_path_readable_by_grub ${grubdir}/${file} ${grub_device} ${relative_grubdir}/${file} ; then : ; else
+        echo "GRUB is unable to read ${grubdir}/${file}" >&2
+        exit 1
+    fi
+done
+
 if [ "${target_cpu}-${platform}" = "i386-pc" ] || [ "${target_cpu}-${platform}" = "sparc64-ieee1275" ] ; then
     $grub_mkimage ${config_opt} -O ${mkimage_target} --output=${grubdir}/core.img --prefix=${prefix_drive}${relative_grubdir} $modules || exit 1
 
diff --git a/util/grub-mkconfig.in b/util/grub-mkconfig.in
index c3b4c3398..f0f134b3d 100644
--- a/util/grub-mkconfig.in
+++ b/util/grub-mkconfig.in
@@ -303,6 +303,12 @@ for i in ${grub_mkconfig_dir}/* ; do
   esac
 done
 
+# Verify readability of ${grub_cfg}.new
+if is_path_readable_by_grub ${grub_cfg}.new ; then : ; else
+  echo "GRUB is unable to read ${grubdir}/${file}" >&2
+  exit 1   
+fi
+
 if test "x${grub_cfg}" != "x" ; then
   # none of the children aborted with error, install the new grub.cfg
   mv -f ${grub_cfg}.new ${grub_cfg}
diff --git a/util/grub-mkconfig_lib.in b/util/grub-mkconfig_lib.in
index c6f79fb49..6d4f9f3bb 100644
--- a/util/grub-mkconfig_lib.in
+++ b/util/grub-mkconfig_lib.in
@@ -53,16 +53,23 @@ make_system_path_relative_to_its_root ()
 is_path_readable_by_grub ()
 {
   path=$1
+  device=$2
+  relpath=$3
 
   # abort if path doesn't exist
   if test -e $path ; then : ;else
     return 1
   fi
 
+  if [ "${device}" = "" ] ; then
+    device=$(${grub_probe} --target=device $path)
+  fi
+  if [ "${relpath}" = "" ] ; then
+    relpath=$(${grub_mkrelpath} $path)
+  fi
+
   # abort if file read through GRUB doesn't match file read through system
   # facilities
-  device=$(${grub_probe} --target=device $path)
-  relpath=$(${grub_mkrelpath} $path)
   if ${grub_fstest} $device cmp $relpath $path > /dev/null 2>&1 ; then : ; else
     return 1
   fi