diff --git a/package/quagga/quagga.mk b/package/quagga/quagga.mk
index 9092e7cbdc..96a971104b 100644
--- a/package/quagga/quagga.mk
+++ b/package/quagga/quagga.mk
@@ -63,6 +63,16 @@ define QUAGGA_PERMISSIONS
 	/etc/quagga d 755 quagga quagga - - - - -
 endef
 
+# In order for the QUAGGA_PERMISSIONS variable above to work,
+# /etc/quagga has to exist. However, this package without any
+# sub-option enabled will not create /etc/quagga, so let's create it
+# unconditionally in a post-install hook, in case it hasn't been
+# already created by the quagga installation.
+define QUAGGA_CREATE_ETC_QUAGGA
+	mkdir -p $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/quagga
+endef
+QUAGGA_POST_INSTALL_TARGET_HOOKS += QUAGGA_CREATE_ETC_QUAGGA
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_PACKAGE_QUAGGA_NHRPD),y)
 QUAGGA_CONF_OPTS += --enable-nhrpd
 QUAGGA_DEPENDENCIES += c-ares