diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/statelite.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/statelite.pm
index 50d48a658..a859d4c4b 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/statelite.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/statelite.pm
@@ -275,8 +275,8 @@ sub process_request {
                 my $name = $rootimg_dir . $tmpc[2];
 
                 if (-e $name) {
-                    $verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -a $name $rootimg_dir.statebackup$f"]});
-                    xCAT::Utils->runcmd("cp -a $name $rootimg_dir.statebackup$f");
+                    $verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -r -a $name $rootimg_dir.statebackup$f"]});
+                    xCAT::Utils->runcmd("cp -r -a $name $rootimg_dir.statebackup$f");
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ sub process_request {
 
                     if ( -e $srcf ) {
                         $verbose && $callback->({info=>["recovering from $srcf to $destf"]});
-                        xCAT::Utils->runcmd("cp -a $destf $srcf", 0, 1);
+                        xCAT::Utils->runcmd("cp -r -a $destf $srcf", 0, 1);
                     }
 
                 }
@@ -468,8 +468,8 @@ sub liteMe {
         }
         
         # copy the file in place.
-        $verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d"]});
-        system("cp -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
+        $verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -r -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d"]});
+        system("cp -r -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
     }
 
 	# this loop creates symbolic links for each of the files in the sync list.
@@ -502,8 +502,8 @@ sub liteMe {
 					system("mkdir -p $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
 
 					# copy the file in place.
-					$verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d"]});
-					system("cp -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
+					$verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -r -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d"]});
+					system("cp -r -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
 
 					# remove the real file
 					$verbose && $callback->({info=>["rm -rf $rif"]});
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ sub recoverFiles {
                 xCAT::Utils->runcmd("rm -rf $target", 0, 1);
                 my $default = $rootimg_dir . "/.default" . $f;
                 if( -e $default) {
-                    xCAT::Utils->runcmd("cp -a $default $target", 0, 1);
+                    xCAT::Utils->runcmd("cp -r -a $default $target", 0, 1);
                 }else { # maybe someone deletes the copy in .default directory
                     xCAT::Utils->runcmd("touch $target", 0, 1);
                 }
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ sub recoverFiles {
                     xCAT::Utils->runcmd("rm -rf $target", 0, 1);
                     my $default = $rootimg_dir . "/.default" . $f;
                     if( -e $default) {
-                        xCAT::Utils->runcmd("cp -a $default $target", 0, 1);
+                        xCAT::Utils->runcmd("cp -r -a $default $target", 0, 1);
                     } else {
                         xCAT::Utils->runcmd("mkdir $target", 0, 1);
                     }
@@ -784,8 +784,8 @@ sub liteItem {
         }
         
         # copy the file to /.defaults
-        $verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d"]});
-        system("cp -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
+        $verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -r -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d"]});
+        system("cp -r -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
 
     }else {
         # 1.  copy original contents if they exist to .default directory
@@ -811,8 +811,8 @@ sub liteItem {
                     system("mkdir -p $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
                 
                     # copy the file in place.
-                    $verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d"]});
-                    system("cp -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
+                    $verbose && $callback->({info=>["cp -r -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d"]});
+                    system("cp -r -a $rif $rootimg_dir/.default$d");
 
                     # remove the real file
                     $verbose && $callback->({info=>["rm -rf $rif"]});
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite
index 366505d3e..047a8a38c 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite
@@ -201,11 +201,11 @@ ProcessType () {
 	case "${3}" in 
 		tmpfs,rw)
             if [ -d ${TMPFS}${2} ]; then
-			    cp -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}
-			    echo "cp -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
+			    cp -r -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}
+			    echo "cp -r -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
             else
-                cp -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}
-                echo "cp -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
+                cp -r -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}
+                echo "cp -r -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
             fi
 			# the link will already be in place on the image, so nothing else to do!
 			#mount -n --bind ${TMPFS}${2} ${1}
@@ -220,11 +220,11 @@ ProcessType () {
             TARGET=`echo ${1}`
             
             if [ -d ${TMPFS}${2} ]; then
-                cp -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}
-                echo "cp -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
+                cp -r -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}
+                echo "cp -r -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
             else
-                cp -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}
-                echo "cp -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
+                cp -r -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}
+                echo "cp -r -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
             fi
             
             if [ "$isChild" = "0" ]; then
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ ProcessType () {
             # if the file doesn't exist, then copy it over to persistent
             if [ ! -e ${PERSISTENT}${2} ]
             then
-                echo "cp -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2}" >>$LOG
-                cp -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2} 2>&1 >>$LOG
+                echo "cp -r -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2}" >>$LOG
+                cp -r -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2} 2>&1 >>$LOG
             fi
 
             ORIG=`echo ${2} |  sed -e 's/\/$//'`
@@ -268,8 +268,8 @@ ProcessType () {
 			then
 				#ln -s ${1} ${PERSISTENT}/${2}
 				# if its not there, then take it from something else
-				echo "cp -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2}" >>$LOG
-				cp -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2} 2>&1 >>$LOG
+				echo "cp -r -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2}" >>$LOG
+				cp -r -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2} 2>&1 >>$LOG
 				
 				#mount -n --bind ${TMPFS}${2} ${1}
 			fi
@@ -376,5 +376,5 @@ ResolveLinks
 ln -sf /proc/mounts ${TMPFS}/etc/mtab
 
 # catch all hack for debugging:
-#cp -a ${DEFAULT}/* /.snapshot/tmpfs/
+#cp -r -a ${DEFAULT}/* /.snapshot/tmpfs/
 # foo
diff --git a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite.ppc.redhat b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite.ppc.redhat
index 6cbe14ff9..8b6e78823 100755
--- a/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite.ppc.redhat
+++ b/xCAT-server/share/xcat/netboot/add-on/statelite/rc.statelite.ppc.redhat
@@ -201,11 +201,11 @@ ProcessType () {
 	case "${3}" in 
 		tmpfs,rw)
             if [ -d ${TMPFS}${2} ]; then
-			    cp -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}
-			    echo "cp -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
+			    cp -r -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}
+			    echo "cp -r -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
             else
-                cp -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}
-                echo "cp -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
+                cp -r -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}
+                echo "cp -r -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
             fi
 			# the link will already be in place on the image, so nothing else to do!
 			#mount -n --bind ${TMPFS}${2} ${1}
@@ -220,11 +220,11 @@ ProcessType () {
             TARGET=`echo ${1}`
             
             if [ -d ${TMPFS}${2} ]; then
-                cp -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}
-                echo "cp -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
+                cp -r -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}
+                echo "cp -r -a ${1}* ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
             else
-                cp -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}
-                echo "cp -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
+                cp -r -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}
+                echo "cp -r -a ${1} ${TMPFS}${2}" >>$LOG
             fi
             
             if [ "$isChild" = "0" ]; then
@@ -242,8 +242,8 @@ ProcessType () {
             # if the file doesn't exist, then copy it over to persistent
             if [ ! -e ${PERSISTENT}${2} ]
             then
-                echo "cp -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2}" >>$LOG
-                cp -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2} 2>&1 >>$LOG
+                echo "cp -r -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2}" >>$LOG
+                cp -r -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2} 2>&1 >>$LOG
             fi
 
             ORIG=`echo ${2} |  sed -e 's/\/$//'`
@@ -268,8 +268,8 @@ ProcessType () {
 			then
 				#ln -s ${1} ${PERSISTENT}/${2}
 				# if its not there, then take it from something else
-				echo "cp -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2}" >>$LOG
-				cp -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2} 2>&1 >>$LOG
+				echo "cp -r -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2}" >>$LOG
+				cp -r -a ${1} ${PERSISTENT}${2} 2>&1 >>$LOG
 				
 				#mount -n --bind ${TMPFS}${2} ${1}
 			fi
@@ -376,5 +376,5 @@ ResolveLinks
 ln -sf /proc/mounts ${TMPFS}/etc/mtab
 
 # catch all hack for debugging:
-#cp -a ${DEFAULT}/* /.snapshot/tmpfs/
+#cp -r -a ${DEFAULT}/* /.snapshot/tmpfs/
 # foo