diff --git a/gnomeos/yocto/classes/gnomeos-contents.bbclass b/gnomeos/yocto/classes/gnomeos-contents.bbclass
index 469463d6..7d1267db 100644
--- a/gnomeos/yocto/classes/gnomeos-contents.bbclass
+++ b/gnomeos/yocto/classes/gnomeos-contents.bbclass
@@ -116,8 +116,10 @@ EOF
 	ln -sf /var/run/resolv.conf ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/resolv.conf
 
 	# The passwd database is stored in /var.
-	rm -f ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow-
+	rm -f ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd
 	ln -s /var/passwd ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd
+	rm -f ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow-
+	ln -s /var/shadow ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow
 	rm -f ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/group
 	ln -s /var/group ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/group
 
diff --git a/gnomeos/yocto/gnomeos-run.sh b/gnomeos/yocto/gnomeos-run.sh
index c6f3d572..15352aaf 100755
--- a/gnomeos/yocto/gnomeos-run.sh
+++ b/gnomeos/yocto/gnomeos-run.sh
@@ -77,6 +77,9 @@ if ! test -d ostree; then
     mkdir ./ostree/var/lib/gdm
     chown 2:2 ./ostree/var/lib/gdm
 
+    touch /var/shadow
+    chmod 0600 /var/shadow
+
     mkdir ostree/repo
     ostree --repo=ostree/repo init