diff --git a/lib/initcpio/hooks/arch_encrypt b/lib/initcpio/hooks/arch_encrypt
index ea8cbc15b..e30c2eb6d 100644
--- a/lib/initcpio/hooks/arch_encrypt
+++ b/lib/initcpio/hooks/arch_encrypt
@@ -15,13 +15,7 @@ run_hook ()
         ckeyfile="/crypto_keyfile.bin"
         if [ "x${cryptkey}" != "x" ]; then
             set -- $(/bin/replace "${cryptkey}" ':'); ckdev=$1; ckarg1=$2; ckarg2=$3
-            try=10
-            echo "Waiting for ${ckdev} ..."
-            while [ ! -b ${ckdev} -a ${try} -gt 0 ]; do
-                sleep 1
-                try=$((${try}-1))
-            done
-            if [ -b ${ckdev} ]; then
+	    if poll_device "${ckdev}" ${rootdelay}; then
                 case ${ckarg1} in
                     *[!0-9]*)
                         # Use a file on the device
@@ -42,13 +36,22 @@ run_hook ()
         fi
 
         if [ -n "${cryptdevice}" ]; then
+	    DEPRECATED_CRYPT=0
             set -- $(/bin/replace "${cryptdevice}" ':'); cryptdev="$1"; cryptname="$2";
         else
+            DEPRECATED_CRYPT=1
             cryptdev="${root}"
             cryptname="root"
         fi
 
+	warn_deprecated() {
+	  echo "The syntax 'root=${root}' where '${root}' is an encrypted volume is deprecated"
+	  echo "Use 'cryptdevice=${root}:root root=/dev/mapper/root' instead."
+	}
+
+	if  poll_device "${cryptdev}" ${rootdelay}; then
         if /usr/sbin/cryptsetup isLuks ${cryptdev} >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+	    [ ${DEPRECATED_CRYPT} -eq 1 ] && warn_deprecated
             dopassphrase=1
             # If keyfile exists, try to use that
             if [ -f ${ckeyfile} ]; then
@@ -69,7 +72,7 @@ run_hook ()
                 done
             fi
             if [ -e "/dev/mapper/${cryptname}" ]; then
-                if [ "${cryptname}" = "root" ]; then
+		    if [ ${DEPRECATED_CRYPT} -eq 1 ]; then
                     export root="/dev/mapper/root"
                 fi
             else
@@ -77,6 +80,7 @@ run_hook ()
                 exit 1
             fi
         elif [ "x${crypto}" != "x" ]; then
+	      [ ${DEPRECATED_CRYPT} -eq 1 ] && warn_deprecated
             do_oldcrypto ()
             {
                 if [ $# -ne 5 ]; then
@@ -109,13 +113,16 @@ run_hook ()
                 exit 1
             fi
             if [ -e "/dev/mapper/${cryptname}" ]; then
-                if [ "${cryptname}" = "root" ]; then
+                    if [ ${DEPRECATED_CRYPT} -eq 1 ]; then
                     export root="/dev/mapper/root"
                 fi
             else
                 err "Password succeeded, but ${cryptname} creation failed, aborting..."
                 exit 1
             fi
+            else
+              err "Failed to open encryption mapping: The device ${cryptdev} is not a LUKS volume and the crypto= paramater was not specified."
+            fi
         fi
         nuke ${ckeyfile}
     fi