diff --git a/init/src/main.rs b/init/src/main.rs
index 0ebb4cf47d..0f839a5011 100644
--- a/init/src/main.rs
+++ b/init/src/main.rs
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ impl InitConfig {
 struct SwitchRoot {
     prefix: PathBuf,
     etcdir: PathBuf,
+    target: Option<UnitId>,
 }
 
 impl SwitchRoot {
@@ -82,11 +83,44 @@ impl SwitchRoot {
             self.etcdir.join("init.d"),
         ];
 
-        let (loaded_units, errors) = unit_store.load_units();
+        let (loaded_units, errors) = unit_store.load_units(UnitId("00_runtime.target".to_owned()));
         for error in errors {
             eprintln!("init: {error}");
         }
         pending_units.extend(loaded_units);
+
+        if let Some(target) = self.target {
+            let (loaded_units, errors) = unit_store.load_units(target);
+            for error in errors {
+                eprintln!("init: {error}");
+            }
+            pending_units.extend(loaded_units);
+        } else {
+            let entries = match config::config_for_dirs(&unit_store.config_dirs) {
+                Ok(entries) => entries,
+                Err(err) => {
+                    eprintln!(
+                        "init: failed to read configs from {}: {err}",
+                        unit_store
+                            .config_dirs
+                            .iter()
+                            .map(|dir| dir.display().to_string())
+                            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
+                            .join(", ")
+                    );
+                    return;
+                }
+            };
+            for entry in entries {
+                let (loaded_units, errors) = unit_store.load_units(UnitId(
+                    entry.file_name().unwrap().to_str().unwrap().to_owned(),
+                ));
+                for error in errors {
+                    eprintln!("init: {error}");
+                }
+                pending_units.extend(loaded_units);
+            }
+        }
     }
 }
 
@@ -149,9 +183,13 @@ fn main() {
     let mut unit_store = UnitStore::new();
     let mut pending_units = VecDeque::new();
 
+    let runtime_target = UnitId("00_runtime.target".to_owned());
+    let initfs_target = UnitId("90_initfs.target".to_owned());
+
     SwitchRoot {
         prefix: Path::new("/scheme/initfs").to_owned(),
         etcdir: Path::new("/scheme/initfs/etc").to_owned(),
+        target: Some(initfs_target.clone()),
     }
     .apply(&mut pending_units, &mut unit_store, &mut init_config);
 
@@ -162,9 +200,6 @@ fn main() {
         eprintln!("init: failed to switch stdio to '/scheme/log': {err}");
     }
 
-    let runtime_target = UnitId("00_runtime.target".to_owned());
-    let initfs_target = UnitId("90_initfs.target".to_owned());
-
     'a: while let Some(unit) = pending_units.pop_front() {
         if let Some(condition_architecture) = &unit_store.unit(&unit).info.condition_architecture {
             if !condition_architecture
@@ -203,6 +238,8 @@ fn main() {
             SwitchRoot {
                 prefix: PathBuf::from("/usr"),
                 etcdir: PathBuf::from("/etc"),
+                // FIXME make target non-optional once there is a multi-user.target unit
+                target: None, //UnitId("multi-user.target".to_owned()),
             }
             .apply(&mut pending_units, &mut unit_store, &mut init_config);
         }
diff --git a/init/src/unit.rs b/init/src/unit.rs
index 2b77b0e5f7..0c796202fd 100644
--- a/init/src/unit.rs
+++ b/init/src/unit.rs
@@ -20,36 +20,46 @@ impl UnitStore {
         }
     }
 
-    pub fn load_units(&mut self) -> (Vec<UnitId>, Vec<String>) {
-        let mut loaded_units = vec![];
-        let mut errors = vec![];
-
-        let entries = match config::config_for_dirs(&self.config_dirs) {
-            Ok(entries) => entries,
-            Err(err) => {
-                errors.push(format!(
-                    "failed to read configs from {}: {err}",
-                    self.config_dirs
-                        .iter()
-                        .map(|dir| dir.display().to_string())
-                        .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-                        .join(", ")
-                ));
-                return (loaded_units, errors);
-            }
+    fn load_single_unit(&mut self, unit_id: UnitId) -> (Option<UnitId>, Vec<String>) {
+        let Some(path) = self
+            .config_dirs
+            .iter()
+            .rev()
+            .map(|dir| dir.join(&unit_id.0))
+            .find(|path| path.exists())
+        else {
+            return (None, vec![format!("unit {} not found", unit_id.0)]);
         };
 
-        for entry in entries {
-            let (unit, new_errors) = match Unit::from_file(&entry) {
-                Ok(unit) => unit,
-                Err(err) => {
-                    errors.push(format!("{}: {err}", entry.display()));
-                    continue;
-                }
-            };
+        let (unit, errors) = match Unit::from_file(&path) {
+            Ok(unit) => unit,
+            Err(err) => {
+                return (None, vec![format!("{}: {err}", path.display())]);
+            }
+        };
+        assert_eq!(unit_id, unit.id);
+        self.units.insert(unit_id.clone(), unit);
+
+        (Some(unit_id), errors)
+    }
+
+    pub fn load_units(&mut self, root_unit: UnitId) -> (Vec<UnitId>, Vec<String>) {
+        let mut loaded_units = vec![];
+        let mut pending_units = vec![root_unit];
+        let mut errors = vec![];
+
+        while let Some(unit_id) = pending_units.pop() {
+            if self.units.contains_key(&unit_id) {
+                continue;
+            }
+            let (unit, new_errors) = self.load_single_unit(unit_id);
             errors.extend(new_errors);
-            loaded_units.push(unit.id.clone());
-            self.units.insert(unit.id.clone(), unit);
+            if let Some(unit) = unit {
+                loaded_units.push(unit.clone());
+                for dep in &self.unit(&unit).info.requires_weak {
+                    pending_units.push(dep.clone());
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         (loaded_units, errors)