diff --git a/features.in/syslinux/scripts.d/20-propagator-ramdisk-syslinux b/features.in/syslinux/scripts.d/20-propagator-ramdisk-syslinux
index d8f16749..81a8e767 100755
--- a/features.in/syslinux/scripts.d/20-propagator-ramdisk-syslinux
+++ b/features.in/syslinux/scripts.d/20-propagator-ramdisk-syslinux
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@
 # when the image sizes are finally known
 # NB: install2_size, live_size, rescue_size get defined here
 
-cd "$WORKDIR"
+# validate just in case (see also stage1 Makefile)
+if [ -z "$(find $WORKDIR/syslinux/*.cfg)" ]; then
+	echo "Warning: syslinux/*.cfg not found"
+	exit 0
+fi
 
-[ -d "syslinux" ] || exit 0
+cd "$WORKDIR"
 
 # apply size census while looking for potential squashfs images
 find -maxdepth 1 -type f -size +1M \
diff --git a/features.in/syslinux/scripts.d/20-propagator-rescue-hash-syslinux b/features.in/syslinux/scripts.d/20-propagator-rescue-hash-syslinux
index 98d0cedb..74ee3751 100755
--- a/features.in/syslinux/scripts.d/20-propagator-rescue-hash-syslinux
+++ b/features.in/syslinux/scripts.d/20-propagator-rescue-hash-syslinux
@@ -3,9 +3,13 @@
 # to add rescue image hash, if any
 # (for propagator in forensic mode)
 
-cd "$WORKDIR"
+# validate just in case (see also stage1 Makefile)
+if [ -z "$(find $WORKDIR/syslinux/*.cfg)" ]; then
+	echo "Warning: syslinux/*.cfg not found"
+	exit 0
+fi
 
-[ -d "syslinux" ] || exit 0
+cd "$WORKDIR"
 
 grep -qs "@rescue_hash@" syslinux/*.cfg || exit 0
 
diff --git a/features.in/syslinux/stage1/scripts.d/02-gfxboot b/features.in/syslinux/stage1/scripts.d/02-gfxboot
index 9deb6cdd..f4bde1dd 100755
--- a/features.in/syslinux/stage1/scripts.d/02-gfxboot
+++ b/features.in/syslinux/stage1/scripts.d/02-gfxboot
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-[ -d "$WORKDIR/syslinux" ] || exit 0
+# validate just in case (see also stage1 Makefile)
+if [ ! -f "$WORKDIR/syslinux/$GLOBAL_BOOTLOADER.cfg" ]; then
+	echo "Warning: syslinux/*.cfg not found"
+	exit 0
+fi
 
 gfxboot_datadir=/usr/share/gfxboot