diff --git a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S35wifi b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S35wifi
index 259be27962..62362b567e 100755
--- a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S35wifi
+++ b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S35wifi
@@ -12,9 +12,6 @@ sys_watch_conf="/etc/watch.conf"
 boot_watch_conf="/boot/watch.conf"
 watch_conf="/data/etc/watch.conf"
 
-link_watch=yes
-link_watch_timeout=20
-
 if ! [ -f $watch_conf ]; then
     if [ -f $boot_watch_conf ]; then
         cp $boot_watch_conf $watch_conf
@@ -23,7 +20,7 @@ if ! [ -f $watch_conf ]; then
     fi
 fi
 
-test -f $watch_conf && source $watch_conf
+source $watch_conf
 
 if ! [ -f $conf ]; then
     if [ -f $boot_conf ]; then
@@ -99,7 +96,7 @@ start() {
         count=$(($count + 1))
     done
 
-    if [ "$link_watch" == "yes" ]; then
+    if [ "$link_watch" == "true" ]; then
         watch &
     fi
 
diff --git a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S36ppp b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S36ppp
index 52971f3afc..9ba5822c9e 100755
--- a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S36ppp
+++ b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S36ppp
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ provider="mobile"
 
 watch_conf="/data/etc/watch.conf"
 
-test -f $watch_conf && source $watch_conf
+source $watch_conf
 
 if ! [ -d $conf ]; then
     if [ -d $boot_conf ]; then
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ start() {
         count=$(($count + 1))
     done
 
-    if [ "$link_watch" == "yes" ]; then
+    if [ "$link_watch" == "true" ]; then
         watch &
     fi
 
diff --git a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S40network b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S40network
index 88b9b6dbd3..0362bdd237 100755
--- a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S40network
+++ b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S40network
@@ -7,13 +7,9 @@ boot_static_conf="/boot/static_ip.conf"
 static_conf="/data/etc/static_ip.conf"
 watch_conf="/data/etc/watch.conf"
 
-link_watch=yes
-link_watch_timeout=20
-ip_watch=yes
-ip_watch_timeout=40
 link_nego_timeout=10
 
-test -r $watch_conf && source $watch_conf
+source $watch_conf
 
 if ! [ -f $static_conf ]; then
     if [ -f $boot_static_conf ]; then
@@ -94,7 +90,7 @@ start_wlan() {
         dhclient -cf "$dh_conf" $os_wlan
     fi
 
-    if [ "$ip_watch" == "yes" ] && ip addr show dev $os_wlan | grep inet &>/dev/null; then
+    if [ "$ip_watch" == "true" ] && ip addr show dev $os_wlan | grep inet &>/dev/null; then
         watch_ip $os_wlan &
     fi
 }
@@ -104,7 +100,7 @@ start_eth() {
 
     # wait for driver
     w=3
-    test "$link_watch" == "yes" || w=1
+    test "$link_watch" == "true" || w=1
     count=0
     while ! ifconfig $os_eth >/dev/null 2>&1; do
         sleep 1
@@ -120,7 +116,7 @@ start_eth() {
 
     # wait for operstate
     w=3
-    test "$link_watch" == "yes" || w=1
+    test "$link_watch" == "true" || w=1
     count=0
     while [ "$(cat /sys/class/net/$os_eth/operstate 2>&1)" == "unknown" ]; do
         sleep 1
@@ -132,7 +128,7 @@ start_eth() {
     done
 
     # wait for link
-    test "$link_watch" == "yes" || link_nego_timeout=3
+    test "$link_watch" == "true" || link_nego_timeout=3
     count=0
     while [ "$(cat /sys/class/net/$os_eth/carrier 2>&1)" != "1" ]; do
         sleep 1
@@ -156,11 +152,11 @@ start_eth() {
         dhclient -cf "$dh_conf" $os_eth
     fi
 
-    if [ "$link_watch" == "yes" ]; then
+    if [ "$link_watch" == "true" ]; then
         watch_eth &
     fi
 
-    if [ "$ip_watch" == "yes" ] && ip addr show dev $os_eth | grep inet &>/dev/null; then
+    if [ "$ip_watch" == "true" ] && ip addr show dev $os_eth | grep inet &>/dev/null; then
         watch_ip $os_eth &
     fi
 }
@@ -186,7 +182,7 @@ start() {
     fi
     
     if [ "$eth_ok" != "ok" ] && [ "$wlan_ok" != "ok" ] && [ "$ppp_ok" != "ok" ]; then
-        if [ "$link_watch" == "yes" ]; then
+        if [ "$link_watch" == "true" ]; then
             logger -t ethernet -s "no network connection available, rebooting"
             reboot
             return 1
diff --git a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S85motioneye b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S85motioneye
index a8d48fa7f8..34f758e294 100755
--- a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S85motioneye
+++ b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S85motioneye
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ motion_conf="/data/etc/motion.conf"
 watch_conf="/data/etc/watch.conf"
 
 meyewatch_timeout=120
-meyewatch_disable=""
+meyewatch_disable="false"
 dev_v4l_by_id="/dev/v4l/by-id/"
 media_dir="/data/output"
 
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ start() {
 
         if [ $count -gt $meyewatch_timeout ]; then
             msg_fail
-            test -z "$meyewatch_disable" && reboot
+            test "$meyewatch_disable" == "false" && reboot
             return 1
         fi
 
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ start() {
         sync
     fi
 
-    if [ -z "$meyewatch_disable" ]; then
+    if [ "$meyewatch_disable" == "false" ]; then
         watch &
     fi
 
diff --git a/board/common/overlay/etc/watch.conf b/board/common/overlay/etc/watch.conf
index 22968f58cb..34d46b9089 100644
--- a/board/common/overlay/etc/watch.conf
+++ b/board/common/overlay/etc/watch.conf
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
-link_watch=yes
+link_watch="true"
 link_watch_timeout=20
 
-ip_watch=yes
+ip_watch="true"
 ip_watch_timeout=40
 
 #netwatch_host=www.google.com
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ netwatch_retries=3
 netwatch_timeout=5
 netwatch_interval=20
 
-#meyewatch_disable=yes
+#meyewatch_disable="true"
 meyewatch_timeout=120
 
diff --git a/board/common/overlay/usr/share/post-upgrade/20160828.sh b/board/common/overlay/usr/share/post-upgrade/20160828.sh
index d140a1a55d..8a66549a9a 100755
--- a/board/common/overlay/usr/share/post-upgrade/20160828.sh
+++ b/board/common/overlay/usr/share/post-upgrade/20160828.sh
@@ -7,3 +7,7 @@ echo 'os_eth="eth0"' >> /data/etc/os.conf
 echo 'os_wlan="wlan0"' >> /data/etc/os.conf
 echo 'os_ppp="ppp0"' >> /data/etc/os.conf
 
+# boolean values in watch.conf have been normalized to "true" and "false"
+sed -i 's/=no/="false"/' /data/etc/watch.conf
+sed -i 's/=yes/="true"/' /data/etc/watch.conf
+
diff --git a/package/motioneye/watchctl.py b/package/motioneye/watchctl.py
index e7952dc096..045a12fbcf 100644
--- a/package/motioneye/watchctl.py
+++ b/package/motioneye/watchctl.py
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ def _get_watch_settings():
                     continue
 
                 if name == 'link_watch':
-                    watch_link = (value == 'yes') and not comment
+                    watch_link = (value == 'true') and not comment
                 
                 elif name == 'link_watch_timeout':
                     watch_link_timeout = int(value)
@@ -115,10 +115,10 @@ def _set_watch_settings(s):
     
 
     with open(WATCH_CONF, 'w') as f:
-        f.write('link_watch=%s\n' % ['no', 'yes'][s['watchLink']])
+        f.write('link_watch=%s\n' % ['"false"', '"true"'][s['watchLink']])
         f.write('link_watch_timeout=%s\n' % s['watchLinkTimeout'])
         f.write('\n')
-        f.write('ip_watch=%s\n' % ['no', 'yes'][s['watchLink']])
+        f.write('ip_watch=%s\n' % ['"false"', '"true"'][s['watchLink']])
         f.write('ip_watch_timeout=%s\n' % s['watchLinkTimeout'])
         f.write('\n')
         f.write('%snetwatch_host=%s\n' % (('#' if not s['watchConnect'] else ''), s['watchConnectHost']))