diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite.ppc.redhat b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite.ppc.redhat
index 8aa5dac22..deaadde40 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite.ppc.redhat
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite.ppc.redhat
@@ -128,7 +128,12 @@ GetSyncInfo () {
 xCATCmd () {
 # $1 is the xCAT server
 # $2 is the command
-	echo "<xcatrequest>\n<command>${2}</command>\n</xcatrequest>" | /usr/sbin/chroot ${MNTDIR} /usr/bin/openssl s_client -quiet -no_ssl3 $(/usr/sbin/chroot ${MNTDIR} /usr/bin/openssl s_client -help 2>&1 | grep -m 1 -o -- -no_ssl2) -connect ${1} -rand /bin/nice 2>/dev/null
+        if [ -f "/usr/bin/nice" ]; then
+            RANDOMBYTES="-rand /usr/bin/nice"
+        else
+            RANDOMBYTES=""
+        fi
+	echo "<xcatrequest>\n<command>${2}</command>\n</xcatrequest>" | /usr/sbin/chroot ${MNTDIR} /usr/bin/openssl s_client -quiet -no_ssl3 $(/usr/sbin/chroot ${MNTDIR} /usr/bin/openssl s_client -help 2>&1 | grep -m 1 -o -- -no_ssl2) -connect ${1} ${RANDOMBYTES} 2>/dev/null
 
 }
 
diff --git a/xCAT/postscripts/getcredentials.awk b/xCAT/postscripts/getcredentials.awk
index 67300becf..0cbf2fdfb 100755
--- a/xCAT/postscripts/getcredentials.awk
+++ b/xCAT/postscripts/getcredentials.awk
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 #!/usr/bin/awk -f
 BEGIN {
+        if (!system("test -f /usr/bin/nice")) {
+           randombytes = "-rand /usr/bin/nice"
+        } else {
+           randombytes = ""
+        }
+        if (!system("test -f openssl")) {
+           print "Error: openssl utility missing"
+           exit 1
+        }
+
         if ((ENVIRON["USEOPENSSLFORXCAT"]) || (ENVIRON["AIX"])) {
-            server = "openssl s_client -quiet -no_ssl3 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " -rand /bin/nice 2> /dev/null"
+            server = "openssl s_client -quiet -no_ssl3 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " "randombytes" 2> /dev/null"
             if (!system("openssl s_client -help 2>&1 | grep -m 1 -q -- -no_ssl2")) {
-                server = "openssl s_client -quiet -no_ssl3 -no_ssl2 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " -rand /bin/nice 2> /dev/null"
+                server = "openssl s_client -quiet -no_ssl3 -no_ssl2 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " "randombytes" 2> /dev/null"
             }
         } else {
             server = "/inet/tcp/0/127.0.0.1/400"
diff --git a/xCAT/postscripts/getpostscript.awk b/xCAT/postscripts/getpostscript.awk
index 985b34dcb..e4ffd3006 100755
--- a/xCAT/postscripts/getpostscript.awk
+++ b/xCAT/postscripts/getpostscript.awk
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 #!/usr/bin/awk -f
 BEGIN {
+        if (!system("test -f /usr/bin/nice")) {
+           randombytes = "-rand /usr/bin/nice"
+        } else {
+           randombytes = ""
+        }
+        if (!system("test -f openssl")) {
+           print "Error: openssl utility missing"
+           exit 1
+        }
+
         if (ENVIRON["USEOPENSSLFORXCAT"]) {
-            server = "openssl s_client -no_ssl3 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " -rand /bin/nice 2> /dev/null"
+            server = "openssl s_client -no_ssl3 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " "randombytes" 2> /dev/null"
             if (!system("openssl s_client -help 2>&1 | grep -m 1 -q -- -no_ssl2")) {
-                server = "openssl s_client -no_ssl3 -no_ssl2 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " -rand /bin/nice 2> /dev/null"
+                server = "openssl s_client -no_ssl3 -no_ssl2 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " "randombytes" 2> /dev/null"
             }
         } else {
             server = "/inet/tcp/0/127.0.0.1/400"
diff --git a/xCAT/postscripts/startsyncfiles.awk b/xCAT/postscripts/startsyncfiles.awk
index c9af5345b..0c85ae262 100755
--- a/xCAT/postscripts/startsyncfiles.awk
+++ b/xCAT/postscripts/startsyncfiles.awk
@@ -1,9 +1,19 @@
 #!/usr/bin/awk -f
 BEGIN {
+  if (!system("test -f /usr/bin/nice")) {
+       randombytes = "-rand /usr/bin/nice"
+  } else {
+       randombytes = ""
+  }
+  if (!system("test -f openssl")) {
+       print "Error: openssl utility missing"
+       exit 1
+  }
+
   if (ENVIRON["USEOPENSSLFORXCAT"]) {
-      server = "openssl s_client -no_ssl3 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " -rand /bin/nice 2> /dev/null"
+      server = "openssl s_client -no_ssl3 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " "randombytes" 2> /dev/null"
       if (!system("openssl s_client -help 2>&1 | grep -m 1 -q -- -no_ssl2")) {
-          server = "openssl s_client -no_ssl3 -no_ssl2 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " -rand /bin/nice 2> /dev/null"
+          server = "openssl s_client -no_ssl3 -no_ssl2 -connect " ENVIRON["XCATSERVER"] " "randombytes" 2> /dev/null"
       }
   } else {
       server = "/inet/tcp/0/127.0.0.1/400"