diff --git a/lib/distributions.sh b/lib/distributions.sh
index 19e609df11..3c7baf9eee 100644
--- a/lib/distributions.sh
+++ b/lib/distributions.sh
@@ -106,9 +106,6 @@ install_common()
 	# force change root password at first login
 	chroot $SDCARD /bin/bash -c "chage -d 0 root"
 
-	# copy predefined settings for root user
-	cp -R $SRC/packages/bsp/common/etc/skel/ $SDCARD/etc/
-
 	# display welcome message at first root login
 	touch $SDCARD/root/.not_logged_in_yet
 
diff --git a/packages/bsp/common/usr/lib/armbian/armbian-firstrun b/packages/bsp/common/usr/lib/armbian/armbian-firstrun
index ca318ad186..bd5799645b 100755
--- a/packages/bsp/common/usr/lib/armbian/armbian-firstrun
+++ b/packages/bsp/common/usr/lib/armbian/armbian-firstrun
@@ -15,6 +15,26 @@
 case "$1" in
 	start)
 
+	# read number of cores needed below
+	cpu_cores=$(grep -c '^processor' /proc/cpuinfo | sed 's/^0$/1/')
+
+	# adjust custom htop initial configuration based on CPU count https://github.com/avafinger/htop-2.1.1_enhanced-version
+	right_meters="Tasks LoadAverage Uptime"
+	right_meter_modes="2 2 2"
+	x=1
+	until [  $x -gt $cpu_cores ]; do
+		right_meters=$right_meters" CpuFreq($x)"
+		right_meter_modes=$right_meter_modes" 2"
+		let x+=1
+	done
+	sed -i 's/header_margin=.*/header_margin=1/g' /etc/skel/.config/htop/htoprc
+	sed -i 's/left_meters=.*/left_meters=AllCPUs Memory Swap CpuTemp/g' /etc/skel/.config/htop/htoprc
+	sed -i 's/left_meter_modes=.*/left_meter_modes=1 1 1 2/g' /etc/skel/.config/htop/htoprc
+	sed -i "s/right_meters=.*/right_meters=$right_meters/g" /etc/skel/.config/htop/htoprc
+	sed -i "s/right_meter_modes=.*/right_meter_modes=$right_meter_modes/g" /etc/skel/.config/htop/htoprc
+	# copy predefined settings for root user
+	cp -R /etc/skel/.config /root/
+
 	# Run a q&d benchmark to be able to identify cards way too slow easily
 	echo -e "\n### quick iozone test:$(cd /root; iozone -e -I -a -s 1M -r 4k -i 0 -i 1 -i 2 | grep '^            1024' | sed 's/            1024      //')" >> $Log
 
@@ -50,7 +70,6 @@ case "$1" in
 	[[ -f /etc/newt/palette ]] && sed -e 's/magenta/blue/g' -i /etc/newt/palette
 
 	# desktop tweaks - enable show windows content on stronger boards
-	cpu_cores=$(grep -c '^processor' /proc/cpuinfo | sed 's/^0$/1/')
 	if [[ ${cpu_cores} -gt 2 && -f /etc/skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfwm4.xml ]]; then
 		sed -i 's/<property name="box_move" type="bool" value=".*/<property name="box_move" type="bool" value="false"\/>/g' \
 		/etc/skel/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfwm4.xml
diff --git a/packages/bsp/common/usr/lib/armbian/armbian-hardware-optimization b/packages/bsp/common/usr/lib/armbian/armbian-hardware-optimization
index 6948c79775..f4af9e0133 100755
--- a/packages/bsp/common/usr/lib/armbian/armbian-hardware-optimization
+++ b/packages/bsp/common/usr/lib/armbian/armbian-hardware-optimization
@@ -51,6 +51,16 @@ prepare_board() {
 		sed -i "s/\/log.hdd\//\/log\//" /etc/logrotate.conf
 	fi
 
+	# unlock cpuinfo_cur_freq to be accesible by a normal user
+	prefix="/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpufreq"
+	for f in $(ls -1 $prefix 2> /dev/null)
+	do
+		[[ -f $prefix/$f/cpuinfo_cur_freq ]] && chmod +r $prefix/$f/cpuinfo_cur_freq 2> /dev/null
+	done
+	# older kernels
+	prefix="/sys/devices/system/cpu/cpu0/cpufreq/"
+	[[ -f $prefix/cpuinfo_cur_freq ]] && chmod +r $prefix/cpuinfo_cur_freq 2> /dev/null
+
 	# enable compression where not exists
 	find /etc/logrotate.d/. -type f | xargs grep -H -c 'compress' | grep 0$ | cut -d':' -f1 | xargs -L1 sed -i '/{/ a compress'
 	sed -i "s/#compress/compress/" /etc/logrotate.conf