diff --git a/ports/cc3200/mptask.c b/ports/cc3200/mptask.c
index 9d75f4678..d35338be1 100644
--- a/ports/cc3200/mptask.c
+++ b/ports/cc3200/mptask.c
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ soft_reset:
 
     if (!safeboot) {
         // run boot.py
-        int ret = pyexec_file("boot.py");
+        int ret = pyexec_file_if_exists("boot.py");
         if (ret & PYEXEC_FORCED_EXIT) {
             goto soft_reset_exit;
         }
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ soft_reset:
             } else {
                 main_py = mp_obj_str_get_str(MP_STATE_PORT(machine_config_main));
             }
-            int ret = pyexec_file(main_py);
+            int ret = pyexec_file_if_exists(main_py);
             if (ret & PYEXEC_FORCED_EXIT) {
                 goto soft_reset_exit;
             }
diff --git a/ports/esp32/main.c b/ports/esp32/main.c
index 188fb5e70..d4f79646f 100644
--- a/ports/esp32/main.c
+++ b/ports/esp32/main.c
@@ -111,9 +111,9 @@ soft_reset:
 
     // run boot-up scripts
     pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py");
-    pyexec_file("boot.py");
+    pyexec_file_if_exists("boot.py");
     if (pyexec_mode_kind == PYEXEC_MODE_FRIENDLY_REPL) {
-        pyexec_file("main.py");
+        pyexec_file_if_exists("main.py");
     }
 
     for (;;) {
diff --git a/ports/esp8266/main.c b/ports/esp8266/main.c
index 67157ce18..3465e0446 100644
--- a/ports/esp8266/main.c
+++ b/ports/esp8266/main.c
@@ -77,9 +77,9 @@ STATIC void mp_reset(void) {
 
     #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN
     pyexec_frozen_module("_boot.py");
-    pyexec_file("boot.py");
+    pyexec_file_if_exists("boot.py");
     if (pyexec_mode_kind == PYEXEC_MODE_FRIENDLY_REPL) {
-        pyexec_file("main.py");
+        pyexec_file_if_exists("main.py");
     }
     #endif
 }
diff --git a/ports/nrf/main.c b/ports/nrf/main.c
index b9c29e753..e1ffce938 100644
--- a/ports/nrf/main.c
+++ b/ports/nrf/main.c
@@ -227,12 +227,8 @@ pin_init0();
 
 #if MICROPY_VFS || MICROPY_MBFS
     // run boot.py and main.py if they exist.
-    if (mp_import_stat("boot.py") == MP_IMPORT_STAT_FILE) {
-        pyexec_file("boot.py");
-    }
-    if (mp_import_stat("main.py") == MP_IMPORT_STAT_FILE) {
-        pyexec_file("main.py");
-    }
+    pyexec_file_if_exists("boot.py");
+    pyexec_file_if_exists("main.py");
 #endif
 
     for (;;) {
diff --git a/ports/stm32/main.c b/ports/stm32/main.c
index 6fa6a6267..0bdbbd481 100644
--- a/ports/stm32/main.c
+++ b/ports/stm32/main.c
@@ -678,15 +678,12 @@ soft_reset:
     // TODO perhaps have pyb.reboot([bootpy]) function to soft-reboot and execute custom boot.py
     if (reset_mode == 1 || reset_mode == 3) {
         const char *boot_py = "boot.py";
-        mp_import_stat_t stat = mp_import_stat(boot_py);
-        if (stat == MP_IMPORT_STAT_FILE) {
-            int ret = pyexec_file(boot_py);
-            if (ret & PYEXEC_FORCED_EXIT) {
-                goto soft_reset_exit;
-            }
-            if (!ret) {
-                flash_error(4);
-            }
+        int ret = pyexec_file_if_exists(boot_py);
+        if (ret & PYEXEC_FORCED_EXIT) {
+            goto soft_reset_exit;
+        }
+        if (!ret) {
+            flash_error(4);
         }
     }
 
@@ -735,15 +732,12 @@ soft_reset:
         } else {
             main_py = mp_obj_str_get_str(MP_STATE_PORT(pyb_config_main));
         }
-        mp_import_stat_t stat = mp_import_stat(main_py);
-        if (stat == MP_IMPORT_STAT_FILE) {
-            int ret = pyexec_file(main_py);
-            if (ret & PYEXEC_FORCED_EXIT) {
-                goto soft_reset_exit;
-            }
-            if (!ret) {
-                flash_error(3);
-            }
+        int ret = pyexec_file_if_exists(main_py);
+        if (ret & PYEXEC_FORCED_EXIT) {
+            goto soft_reset_exit;
+        }
+        if (!ret) {
+            flash_error(3);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/ports/teensy/main.c b/ports/teensy/main.c
index ad98a4364..1f529f589 100644
--- a/ports/teensy/main.c
+++ b/ports/teensy/main.c
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ soft_reset:
 #if MICROPY_MODULE_FROZEN
     pyexec_frozen_module("boot.py");
 #else
-    if (!pyexec_file("/boot.py")) {
+    if (!pyexec_file_if_exists("/boot.py")) {
         flash_error(4);
     }
 #endif
@@ -322,7 +322,7 @@ soft_reset:
         } else {
             vstr_add_str(vstr, mp_obj_str_get_str(pyb_config_main));
         }
-        if (!pyexec_file(vstr_null_terminated_str(vstr))) {
+        if (!pyexec_file_if_exists(vstr_null_terminated_str(vstr))) {
             flash_error(3);
         }
         vstr_free(vstr);