Cannot get /sbin/init to run.

Dear all,

I am beginning to go mad trying to get a machine to boot diskless with its
root over nfs.

Currently I am at the point where I have changed my root directory using
pivot_root to the nfs mount and I want to start /sbin/init

Init just gives me the mind bending error...

timeout opening/writing control channel /dev/initctl

I have checked that this does indeed exist and has the correct permissions

prw------- 1 root root 0 Sep 3 13:56 /dev/initctl

both in the initial ram disk and the new nfs root. I have checked all the
documentation I can lay my hands on including the source code. Does anyone
know what this error means or what could cause it?

Thanks in advance,

-ed