diff --git a/meta-digi-del/classes/del-image.bbclass b/meta-digi-del/classes/del-image.bbclass
index 029efcc08..39cb3285c 100644
--- a/meta-digi-del/classes/del-image.bbclass
+++ b/meta-digi-del/classes/del-image.bbclass
@@ -7,3 +7,26 @@ PACKAGE_GROUP_del-gstreamer = "task-del-gstreamer"
 PACKAGE_GROUP_del-network = "task-del-network"
 PACKAGE_GROUP_del-wireless = "task-del-wireless"
 PACKAGE_GROUP_del-debug = "task-del-debug"
+
+## DEL rootfs final tuning
+del_rootfs_tuning() {
+	#######################################################################
+	## Set root password to 'root' if 'debug-tweaks' is NOT enabled.
+	#######################################################################
+	MD5_ROOT_PASSWD='$1$SML0de4S$lOWs3t82QAH0oEf8NyNKA0'
+	if echo "${IMAGE_FEATURES}" | grep -qs debug-tweaks; then
+		: # No-op
+	else
+		# Shadow passwords ENABLED
+		if [ -f "${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow" ]; then
+			sed 's%^root:[^:]*:%root:x:%' <${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd >${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new
+			sed "s%^root:[^:]*:%root:${MD5_ROOT_PASSWD}:%" <${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow >${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow.new
+			mv ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd
+			mv ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow.new ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/shadow
+		# Shadow passwords DISABLED
+		else
+			sed "s%^root:[^:]*:%root:${MD5_ROOT_PASSWD}:%" <${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd >${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new
+			mv ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd
+		fi
+	fi
+}
diff --git a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/add-shadow-file.patch b/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/add-shadow-file.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 9d3754117..000000000
--- a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/add-shadow-file.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-From ac7746a741e005df07f35cf19bcf25ffff517750 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
-From: Alex Gonzalez <alex.gonzalez@digi.com>
-Date: Fri, 16 Nov 2012 12:05:15 +0100
-Subject: [PATCH] shadow.master: Adding shadow file.
-
-The root password is "root" when debug-tweaks is not enabled. Otherwise
-the password is empty.
-
-Signed-off-by: Alex Gonzalez <alex.gonzalez@digi.com>
----
- shadow.master |   18 ++++++++++++++++++
- 1 file changed, 18 insertions(+)
- create mode 100644 shadow.master
-
-diff --git a/shadow.master b/shadow.master
-new file mode 100644
-index 0000000..856efb0
---- /dev/null
-+++ b/shadow.master
-@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
-+root:\$1\$o/c1Q/E4\$jLGsldHxRdlYpEI3v6Sdv1::0:::::
-+daemon:*::0:::::
-+bin:*::0:::::
-+sys:*::0:::::
-+sync:*::0:::::
-+games:*::0:::::
-+man:*::0:::::
-+lp:*::0:::::
-+mail:*::0:::::
-+news:*::0:::::
-+uucp:*::0:::::
-+proxy:*::0:::::
-+www-data:*::0:::::
-+backup:*::0:::::
-+list:*::0:::::
-+irc:*::0:::::
-+gnats:*::0:::::
-+nobody:*::0:::::
diff --git a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/base-passwd_3.5.24.bb b/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/base-passwd_3.5.24.bb
deleted file mode 100644
index ffcdd91e6..000000000
--- a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/base-passwd_3.5.24.bb
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,106 +0,0 @@
-SUMMARY = "Base system master password/group files."
-DESCRIPTION = "The master copies of the user database files (/etc/passwd and /etc/group).  The update-passwd tool is also provided to keep the system databases synchronized with these master files."
-SECTION = "base"
-PR = "r1"
-LICENSE = "GPLv2+"
-LIC_FILES_CHKSUM = "file://COPYING;md5=eb723b61539feef013de476e68b5c50a"
-
-SRC_URI = "${DEBIAN_MIRROR}/main/b/base-passwd/base-passwd_${PV}.tar.gz \
-           file://nobash.patch \
-           file://root-home.patch \
-           file://add-shadow-file.patch"
-
-SRC_URI[md5sum] = "8f6b9420c50e90edaff41eb2fb7e9e16"
-SRC_URI[sha256sum] = "196083d6f675190d4e2cede0a5fa6b3c91088705c5386f76292fec8e74b6369e"
-
-S = "${WORKDIR}/base-passwd"
-
-inherit autotools
-
-SSTATEPOSTINSTFUNCS += "base_passwd_sstate_postinst"
-
-do_install () {
-	install -d -m 755 ${D}${sbindir}
-	install -o root -g root -p -m 755 update-passwd ${D}${sbindir}/
-	install -d -m 755 ${D}${mandir}/man8 ${D}${mandir}/pl/man8
-	install -p -m 644 man/update-passwd.8 ${D}${mandir}/man8/
-	install -p -m 644 man/update-passwd.pl.8 \
-		${D}${mandir}/pl/man8/update-passwd.8
-	gzip -9 ${D}${mandir}/man8/* ${D}${mandir}/pl/man8/*
-	install -d -m 755 ${D}${datadir}/base-passwd
-	install -o root -g root -p -m 644 passwd.master ${D}${datadir}/base-passwd/
-	install -o root -g root -p -m 644 group.master ${D}${datadir}/base-passwd/
-	install -o root -g shadow -p -m 644 shadow.master ${D}${datadir}/base-passwd/
-
-	install -d -m 755 ${D}${docdir}/${BPN}
-	install -p -m 644 debian/changelog ${D}${docdir}/${BPN}/
-	gzip -9 ${D}${docdir}/${BPN}/*
-	install -p -m 644 README ${D}${docdir}/${BPN}/
-	install -p -m 644 debian/copyright ${D}${docdir}/${BPN}/
-}
-
-base_passwd_sstate_postinst() {
-	if [ "${BB_CURRENTTASK}" = "populate_sysroot" -o "${BB_CURRENTTASK}" = "populate_sysroot_setscene" ]
-	then
-		# Staging does not copy ${sysconfdir} files into the
-		# target sysroot, so we need to do so manually. We
-		# put these files in the target sysroot so they can
-		# be used by recipes which use custom user/group
-		# permissions.
-		install -d -m 755 ${STAGING_DIR_TARGET}${sysconfdir}
-		install -p -m 644 ${STAGING_DIR_TARGET}${datadir}/base-passwd/passwd.master ${STAGING_DIR_TARGET}${sysconfdir}/passwd
-		install -p -m 644 ${STAGING_DIR_TARGET}${datadir}/base-passwd/group.master ${STAGING_DIR_TARGET}${sysconfdir}/group
-		install -p -m 644 ${STAGING_DIR_TARGET}${datadir}/base-passwd/shadow.master ${STAGING_DIR_TARGET}${sysconfdir}/shadow
-	fi
-}
-
-python populate_packages_prepend() {
-	# Add in the preinst function for ${PN}
-	# We have to do this here as prior to this, passwd/group.master
-	# would be unavailable. We need to create these files at preinst
-	# time before the files from the package may be available, hence
-	# storing the data from the files in the preinst directly.
-
-	f = open(d.expand("${STAGING_DATADIR}/base-passwd/passwd.master"), 'r')
-	passwd = "".join(f.readlines())
-	f.close()
-	f = open(d.expand("${STAGING_DATADIR}/base-passwd/group.master"), 'r')
-	group = "".join(f.readlines())
-	f.close()
-	f = open(d.expand("${STAGING_DATADIR}/base-passwd/shadow.master"), 'r')
-	shadow = "".join(f.readlines())
-	f.close()
-
-	preinst = """#!/bin/sh
-if [ ! -e $D${sysconfdir}/passwd ]; then
-	cat << EOF > $D${sysconfdir}/passwd
-""" + passwd + """EOF
-fi
-if [ ! -e $D${sysconfdir}/group ]; then
-	cat << EOF > $D${sysconfdir}/group
-""" + group + """EOF
-fi
-if [ ! -e $D${sysconfdir}/shadow ]; then
-	cat << EOF > $D${sysconfdir}/shadow
-""" + shadow + """EOF
-fi
-chmod 640 $D${sysconfdir}/shadow
-chgrp shadow $D${sysconfdir}/shadow
-"""
-	d.setVar('pkg_preinst_${PN}', preinst)
-}
-
-addtask do_package after do_populate_sysroot
-
-ALLOW_EMPTY_${PN} = "1"
-
-PACKAGES =+ "${PN}-update"
-FILES_${PN}-update = "${sbindir}/* ${datadir}/${PN}"
-
-pkg_postinst_${PN}-update () {
-#!/bin/sh
-if [ -n "$D" ]; then
-	exit 0
-fi
-${sbindir}/update-passwd
-}
diff --git a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/nobash.patch b/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/nobash.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index 637157644..000000000
--- a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/nobash.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-use /bin/sh instead of /bin/bash, since the latter may not be included in
-some images such as minimal
-
-comment added by Kevin Tian <kevin.tian@intel.com>, 2010-07-06
-
-remove "*" for root since we don't have a /etc/shadow so far.
-
-by Kevin Tian <kevin.tian@intel.com>, 2010-07-06
-
-Patch managed by http://www.mn-logistik.de/unsupported/pxa250/patcher
-
-Upstream-Status: Invalid [configuration]
-
-Signed-off-by: Scott Garman <scott.a.garman@intel.com>
-
---- base-passwd/passwd.master~nobash
-+++ base-passwd/passwd.master
-@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--root:*:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
-+root::0:0:root:/root:/bin/sh
- daemon:*:1:1:daemon:/usr/sbin:/bin/sh
- bin:*:2:2:bin:/bin:/bin/sh
- sys:*:3:3:sys:/dev:/bin/sh
diff --git a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/root-home.patch b/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/root-home.patch
deleted file mode 100644
index eab77f124..000000000
--- a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/base-passwd/root-home.patch
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-we use /home/root instead of /root
-
-Comment added by Kevin Tian <kevin.tian@intel.com>, 2010-07-06
-
-Upstream-Status: Inappropriate [configuration]
-
-Signed-off-by: Scott Garman <scott.a.garman@intel.com>
-
---- base-passwd/passwd.master.orig	2005-07-08 06:26:22.000000000 +0200
-+++ base-passwd/passwd.master	2005-07-08 06:31:58.000000000 +0200
-@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
--root::0:0:root:/root:/bin/sh
-+root::0:0:root:/home/root:/bin/sh
- daemon:*:1:1:daemon:/usr/sbin:/bin/sh
- bin:*:2:2:bin:/bin:/bin/sh
- sys:*:3:3:sys:/dev:/bin/sh
diff --git a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/images/del-image-minimal-dev.bb b/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/images/del-image-minimal-dev.bb
index 00f621650..f1aca8726 100644
--- a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/images/del-image-minimal-dev.bb
+++ b/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/images/del-image-minimal-dev.bb
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ IMAGE_LINGUAS = " "
 LICENSE = "MIT"
 
 inherit core-image
+inherit del-image
 
 IMAGE_FEATURES += "core-ssh-dropbear"
 IMAGE_FEATURES += "dev-pkgs"
@@ -19,12 +20,5 @@ IMAGE_FEATURES += "dev-pkgs"
 # allow for empty password logins.
 IMAGE_FEATURES += "debug-tweaks"
 
-# core-image disables the root password if debug-tweak is not enabled.
-# This override will use the shadow file instead.
-zap_root_password () {
-        sed 's%^root:[^:]*:%root:x:%' < ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd >${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new
-        mv ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd
-}
-
 # remove not needed ipkg informations
-ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND += "remove_packaging_data_files ; "
+ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND += "remove_packaging_data_files; del_rootfs_tuning;"
diff --git a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/images/del-image-minimal.bb b/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/images/del-image-minimal.bb
index fd31a8ae2..29057462b 100644
--- a/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/images/del-image-minimal.bb
+++ b/meta-digi-del/recipes-core/images/del-image-minimal.bb
@@ -24,14 +24,7 @@ IMAGE_FEATURES += '${@base_contains("MACHINE_FEATURES", "alsa", "del-audio", "",
 IMAGE_FEATURES += '${@base_contains("MACHINE_FEATURES", "accel-video", "del-gstreamer", "", d)}'
 IMAGE_FEATURES += '${@base_contains("MACHINE_FEATURES", "wifi", "del-wireless", "", d)}'
 
-# core-image disables the root password if debug-tweak is not enabled.
-# This override will use the shadow file instead.
-zap_root_password () {
-        sed 's%^root:[^:]*:%root:x:%' < ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd >${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new
-        mv ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd.new ${IMAGE_ROOTFS}/etc/passwd
-}
-
 IMAGE_ROOTFS_SIZE = "8192"
 
 # remove not needed ipkg informations
-ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND += "remove_packaging_data_files ; "
+ROOTFS_POSTPROCESS_COMMAND += "remove_packaging_data_files; del_rootfs_tuning;"