diff --git a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S00datapart b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S00datapart
index 603bc6fd7b..63582b5fe7 100755
--- a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S00datapart
+++ b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S00datapart
@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@ case "$1" in
         test $? == 0 && msg_done || msg_fail
 
         msg_begin "Creating required data files"
-        mkdir /data/etc
-        mkdir /data/log
-        mkdir -m 775 /data/media
+        cp -pur /usr/share/dataskel/* /data
         cp /etc/version /data/etc/version
         ln -s /usr/share/zoneinfo/UTC /data/etc/localtime
         touch /data/etc/adjtime
@@ -70,5 +68,5 @@ case "$1" in
         exit 1
 esac
 
-exit $?
-
+# always exit with a successful status
+exit 0
diff --git a/board/common/overlay/usr/share/dataskel/etc/.keep b/board/common/overlay/usr/share/dataskel/etc/.keep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/board/common/overlay/usr/share/dataskel/log/.keep b/board/common/overlay/usr/share/dataskel/log/.keep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2
diff --git a/board/common/overlay/usr/share/dataskel/media/.keep b/board/common/overlay/usr/share/dataskel/media/.keep
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e69de29bb2