diff --git a/system/Config.in b/system/Config.in
index 0f77b9b672..9941807e5d 100644
--- a/system/Config.in
+++ b/system/Config.in
@@ -386,6 +386,16 @@ comment "automatic network configuration via DHCP needs ifupdown or busybox or n
 
 endif # BR2_ROOTFS_SKELETON_DEFAULT
 
+config BR2_SYSTEM_DEFAULT_PATH
+	string "Set the system's default PATH"
+	default "/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin"
+	help
+	  Sets the system's default PATH. It is being used in
+	  /etc/profile in the skeleton-init-common package and by some
+	  daemons.
+
+	  The default should work in most cases.
+
 config BR2_ENABLE_LOCALE_PURGE
 	bool "Purge unwanted locales"
 	default y
diff --git a/system/system.mk b/system/system.mk
index ca6bf1388f..8db87cb129 100644
--- a/system/system.mk
+++ b/system/system.mk
@@ -86,3 +86,7 @@ define SYSTEM_REMOUNT_ROOT_INITTAB
 	$(SED) '/^[^#].*-o remount,rw \/$$/s~^~#~' $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/inittab
 endef
 endif
+
+ifeq ($(BR_BUILDING)$(BR2_SYSTEM_DEFAULT_PATH),y"")
+$(error BR2_SYSTEM_DEFAULT_PATH can't be empty)
+endif