diff --git a/daemon/src/lib.rs b/daemon/src/lib.rs
index 9f50722141..495fa212cf 100644
--- a/daemon/src/lib.rs
+++ b/daemon/src/lib.rs
@@ -50,8 +50,18 @@ impl Daemon {
     }
 
     /// Notify the process that the daemon is ready to accept requests.
+    ///
+    /// BrokenPipe is tolerated: init may have already closed its read end
+    /// during the startup phase. The daemon is operational regardless of
+    /// init's readiness tracking state.
     pub fn ready(mut self) {
-        self.write_pipe.write_all(&[0]).unwrap();
+        match self.write_pipe.write_all(&[0]) {
+            Ok(()) => {}
+            Err(err) if err.kind() == io::ErrorKind::BrokenPipe => {}
+            Err(err) => {
+                eprintln!("daemon: failed to notify init of readiness: {err}");
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     /// Executes `Command` as a child process.
diff --git a/drivers/gpio/i2c-gpio-expanderd/src/main.rs b/drivers/gpio/i2c-gpio-expanderd/src/main.rs
index 223ebc0106..d457d2df6d 100644
--- a/drivers/gpio/i2c-gpio-expanderd/src/main.rs
+++ b/drivers/gpio/i2c-gpio-expanderd/src/main.rs
@@ -429,7 +429,11 @@ fn read_i2c_control_response(file: &mut File) -> Result<I2cControlResponse> {
         .context("failed to read I2C control response")?;
     buffer.truncate(count);
     let text = std::str::from_utf8(&buffer).context("I2C control response was not UTF-8")?;
-    ron::from_str(text).context("failed to decode I2C control response")
+    let trimmed = text.trim();
+    if trimmed.is_empty() {
+        return Ok(I2cControlResponse::AdapterList(Vec::new()));
+    }
+    ron::from_str(trimmed).context("failed to decode I2C control response")
 }
 
 fn eisa_id_from_integer(integer: u64) -> String {
diff --git a/drivers/usb/ucsid/src/main.rs b/drivers/usb/ucsid/src/main.rs
index 612f5ce2f2..d00cfbcfe1 100644
--- a/drivers/usb/ucsid/src/main.rs
+++ b/drivers/usb/ucsid/src/main.rs
@@ -785,7 +785,11 @@ fn read_i2c_control_response(file: &mut File) -> Result<I2cControlResponse> {
         .context("failed to read I2C control response")?;
     buffer.truncate(count);
     let text = std::str::from_utf8(&buffer).context("I2C control response was not UTF-8")?;
-    ron::from_str(text).context("failed to decode I2C control response")
+    let trimmed = text.trim();
+    if trimmed.is_empty() {
+        return Ok(I2cControlResponse::AdapterList(Vec::new()));
+    }
+    ron::from_str(trimmed).context("failed to decode I2C control response")
 }
 
 fn read_symbol_id(path: &Path) -> Result<Option<String>> {