diff --git a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S37bluetooth b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S37bluetooth
index 3d82b6dfc0..647e921e17 100755
--- a/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S37bluetooth
+++ b/board/common/overlay/etc/init.d/S37bluetooth
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ PROG="/usr/libexec/bluetooth/bluetoothd"
 PROG_HC="/usr/bin/hciconfig"
 DATA_DIR="/var/lib/bluetooth"
 RUN_DATA_DIR="/data/bluetooth"
+NO_ON_BOARD_BT="/tmp/.no_on_board_bt"  # used by RPi to explicitly indicate that no on-board BT was detected
 
 
 test -x ${PROG} || exit 0
@@ -40,14 +41,16 @@ start() {
     # wait up to 10 seconds for device
     count=0
     while ! ${PROG_HC} ${ADAPTER} &>/dev/null; do
-        sleep 1
-        count=$((${count} + 1))
-        if [[ ${count} -ge 10 ]]; then
+        # on RPi boards, the absence of an on-board BT can be detected earlier, preventing 10s timeout
+        
+        count=$((count + 1))
+        if [[ ${count} -ge 10 ]] || [[ -f "${NO_ON_BOARD_BT}" ]]; then
             msg_fail "no device"
-            logger -t bluetooth "bluetooth device not available, calling panic action"
-            panic_action bluetooth
-            return 1
+            logger -t bluetooth "bluetooth device not available"
+            return 0
         fi
+
+        sleep 1
     done
     
     if configure; then
diff --git a/board/raspberrypi/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart b/board/raspberrypi/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
index 0ad4deda81..aa2d0f431e 100755
--- a/board/raspberrypi/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
+++ b/board/raspberrypi/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
@@ -3,44 +3,46 @@
 SYS_CONF="/etc/bluetooth.conf"
 BOOT_CONF="/boot/bluetooth.conf"
 CONF="/data/etc/bluetooth.conf"
+NO_ON_BOARD_BT="/tmp/.no_on_board_bt"  # used by RPi to explicitly indicate that no on-board BT was detected
 
 
 test -f ${CONF} || test -f ${BOOT_CONF} || test -f ${SYS_CONF} || exit 0
 
-test -d "/proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins" || exit 0  # no rpi bluetooth detected
+if ! [ -d "/proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins" ]; then
+    touch ${NO_ON_BOARD_BT}
+    exit 0  # no rpi bluetooth detected
+fi
 
 test -n "${OS_VERSION}" || source /etc/init.d/base
 
 function start() {
     if [[ "$(cat /proc/device-tree/aliases/uart0)" = "$(cat /proc/device-tree/aliases/serial1)" ]] ; then
-        if [[ "$(wc -c /proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins/brcm\,pins | cut -f 1 -d ' ')" = " 16" ]] ; then
-	        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 3000000 flow - &>/dev/null
+        if [[ "$(wc -c /proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins/brcm\,pins | cut -f 1 -d ' ')" = "16" ]]; then
+            /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 3000000 flow - &>/dev/null
         else
-	        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 921600 noflow - &>/dev/null
+            /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 921600 noflow - &>/dev/null
         fi
     else
-        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 460800 noflow - &>/dev/null
+        /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 460800 noflow - &>/dev/null
     fi
 }
 
 case "$1" in
     start)
-        msg_begin "Attaching UART bluetooth modem"
-        # for some reason, sometimes the hciattach command needs to be run twice
-        (start || start) &>/dev/null &
+        msg_begin "Attaching UART bluetooth device"
+        start &>/dev/null &
         msg_background
         ;;
 
     stop)
-        msg_begin "Detaching UART bluetooth modem"
+        msg_begin "Detaching UART bluetooth device"
         killall hciattach &>/dev/null
         test $? == 0 && msg_done || msg_fail
         ;;
 
     *)
-        echo $"Usage: $0 {start}"
+        echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop}"
         exit 1
 esac
 
 exit $?
-
diff --git a/board/raspberrypi3/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart b/board/raspberrypi3/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
index 0ad4deda81..aa2d0f431e 100755
--- a/board/raspberrypi3/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
+++ b/board/raspberrypi3/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
@@ -3,44 +3,46 @@
 SYS_CONF="/etc/bluetooth.conf"
 BOOT_CONF="/boot/bluetooth.conf"
 CONF="/data/etc/bluetooth.conf"
+NO_ON_BOARD_BT="/tmp/.no_on_board_bt"  # used by RPi to explicitly indicate that no on-board BT was detected
 
 
 test -f ${CONF} || test -f ${BOOT_CONF} || test -f ${SYS_CONF} || exit 0
 
-test -d "/proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins" || exit 0  # no rpi bluetooth detected
+if ! [ -d "/proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins" ]; then
+    touch ${NO_ON_BOARD_BT}
+    exit 0  # no rpi bluetooth detected
+fi
 
 test -n "${OS_VERSION}" || source /etc/init.d/base
 
 function start() {
     if [[ "$(cat /proc/device-tree/aliases/uart0)" = "$(cat /proc/device-tree/aliases/serial1)" ]] ; then
-        if [[ "$(wc -c /proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins/brcm\,pins | cut -f 1 -d ' ')" = " 16" ]] ; then
-	        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 3000000 flow - &>/dev/null
+        if [[ "$(wc -c /proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins/brcm\,pins | cut -f 1 -d ' ')" = "16" ]]; then
+            /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 3000000 flow - &>/dev/null
         else
-	        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 921600 noflow - &>/dev/null
+            /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 921600 noflow - &>/dev/null
         fi
     else
-        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 460800 noflow - &>/dev/null
+        /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 460800 noflow - &>/dev/null
     fi
 }
 
 case "$1" in
     start)
-        msg_begin "Attaching UART bluetooth modem"
-        # for some reason, sometimes the hciattach command needs to be run twice
-        (start || start) &>/dev/null &
+        msg_begin "Attaching UART bluetooth device"
+        start &>/dev/null &
         msg_background
         ;;
 
     stop)
-        msg_begin "Detaching UART bluetooth modem"
+        msg_begin "Detaching UART bluetooth device"
         killall hciattach &>/dev/null
         test $? == 0 && msg_done || msg_fail
         ;;
 
     *)
-        echo $"Usage: $0 {start}"
+        echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop}"
         exit 1
 esac
 
 exit $?
-
diff --git a/board/raspberrypi4/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart b/board/raspberrypi4/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
index 0ad4deda81..aa2d0f431e 100755
--- a/board/raspberrypi4/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
+++ b/board/raspberrypi4/overlay/etc/init.d/S13btuart
@@ -3,44 +3,46 @@
 SYS_CONF="/etc/bluetooth.conf"
 BOOT_CONF="/boot/bluetooth.conf"
 CONF="/data/etc/bluetooth.conf"
+NO_ON_BOARD_BT="/tmp/.no_on_board_bt"  # used by RPi to explicitly indicate that no on-board BT was detected
 
 
 test -f ${CONF} || test -f ${BOOT_CONF} || test -f ${SYS_CONF} || exit 0
 
-test -d "/proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins" || exit 0  # no rpi bluetooth detected
+if ! [ -d "/proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins" ]; then
+    touch ${NO_ON_BOARD_BT}
+    exit 0  # no rpi bluetooth detected
+fi
 
 test -n "${OS_VERSION}" || source /etc/init.d/base
 
 function start() {
     if [[ "$(cat /proc/device-tree/aliases/uart0)" = "$(cat /proc/device-tree/aliases/serial1)" ]] ; then
-        if [[ "$(wc -c /proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins/brcm\,pins | cut -f 1 -d ' ')" = " 16" ]] ; then
-	        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 3000000 flow - &>/dev/null
+        if [[ "$(wc -c /proc/device-tree/soc/gpio@7e200000/uart0_pins/brcm\,pins | cut -f 1 -d ' ')" = "16" ]]; then
+            /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 3000000 flow - &>/dev/null
         else
-	        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 921600 noflow - &>/dev/null
+            /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 921600 noflow - &>/dev/null
         fi
     else
-        /usr/bin/hciattach -t5 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 460800 noflow - &>/dev/null
+        /usr/bin/hciattach -t 10 /dev/serial1 bcm43xx 460800 noflow - &>/dev/null
     fi
 }
 
 case "$1" in
     start)
-        msg_begin "Attaching UART bluetooth modem"
-        # for some reason, sometimes the hciattach command needs to be run twice
-        (start || start) &>/dev/null &
+        msg_begin "Attaching UART bluetooth device"
+        start &>/dev/null &
         msg_background
         ;;
 
     stop)
-        msg_begin "Detaching UART bluetooth modem"
+        msg_begin "Detaching UART bluetooth device"
         killall hciattach &>/dev/null
         test $? == 0 && msg_done || msg_fail
         ;;
 
     *)
-        echo $"Usage: $0 {start}"
+        echo $"Usage: $0 {start|stop}"
         exit 1
 esac
 
 exit $?
-