diff --git a/package/skeleton/skeleton.mk b/package/skeleton/skeleton.mk
index 920d3b42d3..d1b797ddcf 100644
--- a/package/skeleton/skeleton.mk
+++ b/package/skeleton/skeleton.mk
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ define SET_NETWORK_DHCP
 		echo ;                                               \
 		echo "auto $(NETWORK_DHCP_IFACE)";                   \
 		echo "iface $(NETWORK_DHCP_IFACE) inet dhcp";        \
+		echo "	wait-delay 15";                              \
 	) >> $(TARGET_DIR)/etc/network/interfaces
 endef
 endif
diff --git a/system/skeleton/etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wait_iface b/system/skeleton/etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wait_iface
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..ebccff2aa5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/system/skeleton/etc/network/if-pre-up.d/wait_iface
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# In case we have a slow-to-appear interface (e.g. eth-over-USB),
+# and we need to configure it, wait until it appears, but not too
+# long either. IF_WAIT_DELAY is in seconds.
+
+if [ "${IF_WAIT_DELAY}" -a ! -e "/sys/class/net/${IFACE}" ]; then
+    printf "Waiting for interface %s to appear" "${IFACE}"
+    while [ ${IF_WAIT_DELAY} -gt 0 ]; do
+        if [ -e "/sys/class/net/${IFACE}" ]; then
+            printf "\n"
+            exit 0
+        fi
+        sleep 1
+        printf "."
+        : $((IF_WAIT_DELAY -= 1))
+    done
+    printf " timeout!\n"
+    exit 1
+fi
+