diff --git a/package/base-files/Makefile b/package/base-files/Makefile
index 0bba313702..a5f15fa4e5 100644
--- a/package/base-files/Makefile
+++ b/package/base-files/Makefile
@@ -55,6 +55,8 @@ define Package/base-files/conffiles
 /etc/config/
 /etc/dropbear/
 /etc/crontabs/
+/etc/sysctl.d/local.conf
+/etc/sysctl.d/
 $(call $(TARGET)/conffiles)
 endef
 
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/etc/hotplug.d/net/00-sysctl b/package/base-files/files/etc/hotplug.d/net/00-sysctl
index 5d9da8ac06..7a71652c44 100644
--- a/package/base-files/files/etc/hotplug.d/net/00-sysctl
+++ b/package/base-files/files/etc/hotplug.d/net/00-sysctl
@@ -1,6 +1,9 @@
 #!/bin/sh
 
-if [ -f /etc/sysctl.conf ] && [ "$ACTION" = add ]; then
-	sed -ne "/^[[:space:]]*net\..*\.$DEVICENAME\./p" /etc/sysctl.conf | \
-		sysctl -e -p - | logger -t sysctl
+if [ "$ACTION" = add ]; then
+	for CONF in /etc/sysctl.conf /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf; do
+		[ ! -f "$CONF" ] && continue;
+		sed -ne "/^[[:space:]]*net\..*\.$DEVICENAME\./p" "$CONF" | \
+			sysctl -e -p - | logger -t sysctl
+	done
 fi
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/sysctl b/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/sysctl
index 36e29eabcb..2dfbaf7a6e 100755
--- a/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/sysctl
+++ b/package/base-files/files/etc/init.d/sysctl
@@ -3,5 +3,7 @@
 
 START=11
 start() {
-	[ -f /etc/sysctl.conf ] && sysctl -p -e >&-
+	for CONF in /etc/sysctl.conf /etc/sysctl.d/*.conf; do
+		[ -f "$CONF" ] && sysctl -p "$CONF" -e >&-
+	done
 }
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/etc/sysctl.d/local.conf b/package/base-files/files/etc/sysctl.d/local.conf
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..891da73df8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package/base-files/files/etc/sysctl.d/local.conf
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+# local sysctl settings can be stored in this directory