diff --git a/package/base-files/Makefile b/package/base-files/Makefile
index 52669444ee..ea1e4ebf57 100644
--- a/package/base-files/Makefile
+++ b/package/base-files/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/version.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/feeds.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=base-files
-PKG_RELEASE:=195
+PKG_RELEASE:=196
 PKG_FLAGS:=nonshared
 
 PKG_FILE_DEPENDS:=$(PLATFORM_DIR)/ $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/base-files/
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/network.sh b/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/network.sh
index d7fd2dea57..4fdcb66302 100644
--- a/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/network.sh
+++ b/package/base-files/files/lib/functions/network.sh
@@ -271,6 +271,11 @@ network_is_up()
 # 2: interface
 network_get_protocol() { __network_ifstatus "$1" "$2" ".proto"; }
 
+# determine the metric of the given logical interface
+# 1: destination variable
+# 2: interface
+network_get_metric() { __network_ifstatus "$1" "$2" ".metric"; }
+
 # determine the layer 3 linux network device of the given logical interface
 # 1: destination variable
 # 2: interface