diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 859090e10..420fcc099 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ EFL_CHECK_PATH_MAX
 
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(setenv)
 AC_CHECK_FUNCS(unsetenv)
+AC_CHECK_FUNCS(clearenv)
+AC_CHECK_HEADERS([features.h])
 
 efl_version="1.8.0"
 AC_SUBST(efl_version)
diff --git a/data/etc/sysactions.conf.in b/data/etc/sysactions.conf.in
index eccb4af56..19520ff2c 100644
--- a/data/etc/sysactions.conf.in
+++ b/data/etc/sysactions.conf.in
@@ -43,15 +43,14 @@
 # user and group name can use glob matches (* == all for example) like the
 # shell. as can action names allowed or denied. 
 
-action:   halt      @HALT@
-action:   reboot    @REBOOT@
-action:   suspend   @SUSPEND@
-action:   hibernate @HIBERNATE@
-action:   /bin/mount /bin/mount
-action:   /bin/umount /bin/umount
+action:   halt           @HALT@
+action:   reboot         @REBOOT@
+action:   suspend        @SUSPEND@
+action:   hibernate      @HIBERNATE@
+action:   /bin/mount     /bin/mount
+action:   /bin/umount    /bin/umount
 action:   /usr/bin/eject /usr/bin/eject
-action:   gdb       gdb
-action:   l2ping    l2ping
+action:   l2ping         /usr/bin/l2ping
 
 # on FreeBSD use this instead of the above.
 #action suspend  /usr/sbin/zzz 
diff --git a/src/bin/e_start_main.c b/src/bin/e_start_main.c
index 26291556a..64aa5d4c7 100644
--- a/src/bin/e_start_main.c
+++ b/src/bin/e_start_main.c
@@ -567,8 +567,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
                               {
                                  /* call e_sys gdb */
                                  snprintf(buffer, 4096,
-                                          "%s/enlightenment/utils/enlightenment_sys gdb %i %s/.e-crashdump.txt",
-                                          eina_prefix_lib_get(pfx),
+                                          "gdb %i %s/.e-crashdump.txt",
                                           child,
                                           home);
                                  r = system(buffer);
diff --git a/src/bin/e_sys_main.c b/src/bin/e_sys_main.c
index baf018bf8..e833dac8e 100644
--- a/src/bin/e_sys_main.c
+++ b/src/bin/e_sys_main.c
@@ -1,5 +1,11 @@
 #include "config.h"
 
+#define __USE_MISC
+#define _SVID_SOURCE
+#ifdef HAVE_FEATURES_H
+# include <features.h>
+#endif
+
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
@@ -53,7 +59,6 @@ main(int argc,
    const char *act;
 #endif
    gid_t gid, gl[65536], egid;
-   int pid = 0;
 
    for (i = 1; i < argc; i++)
      {
@@ -75,21 +80,6 @@ main(int argc,
              test = 1;
              action = argv[2];
           }
-        else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "gdb"))
-          {
-             if (argc != 4) exit(1);
-             char *end = NULL;
-
-             action = argv[1];
-             pid = strtoul(argv[2], &end, 10);
-             if (end == NULL || *end != '\0')
-               {
-                  printf("Invalid pid for '%s'.\n", argv[3]);
-                  exit(0);
-               }
-
-             output = argv[3];
-          }
 	else if (!strcmp(argv[1], "l2ping"))
 	  {
 	     action = argv[1];
@@ -161,27 +151,7 @@ main(int argc,
         exit(20);
      }
 
-   if (!strcmp(action, "gdb"))
-     {
-        char buffer[4096];
-        int r;
-
-        snprintf(buffer, 4096,
-                 "%s --pid=%i "
-                 "-batch "
-                 "-ex 'set logging file %s' "
-                 "-ex 'set logging on' "
-                 "-ex 'thread apply all backtrace full' "
-                 "-ex detach > /dev/null 2>&1 < /dev/zero",
-                 cmd,
-                 pid,
-                 output ?: "e-output.txt");
-
-        r = system(buffer);
-
-        exit(WEXITSTATUS(r));
-     }
-   else if (!test && !strcmp(action, "l2ping"))
+   if (!test && !strcmp(action, "l2ping"))
      {
         char tmp[128];
 	double latency;
@@ -193,6 +163,23 @@ main(int argc,
 
 	return (latency < 0) ? 1 : 0;
      }
+   /* sanitize environment */
+#ifdef HAVE_UNSETENV
+# define NOENV(x) unsetenv(x)
+#else
+# define NOENV(x)
+#endif
+   NOENV("IFS");
+   NOENV("LD_PRELOAD");
+   NOENV("PYTHONPATH");
+   NOENV("LD_LIBRARY_PATH");
+#ifdef HAVE_CLEARENV
+     clearenv();
+#endif
+   /* set path and ifs to minimal defaults */
+   putenv("PATH=/bin:/usr/bin");
+   putenv("IFS= \t\n");
+
    if ((!test)
 #ifdef HAVE_EEZE_MOUNT
        && (!mnt)