diff --git a/package/network/services/openvpn/Makefile b/package/network/services/openvpn/Makefile
index 98ccea07cb..2b0b038a29 100644
--- a/package/network/services/openvpn/Makefile
+++ b/package/network/services/openvpn/Makefile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 PKG_NAME:=openvpn
 
 PKG_VERSION:=2.3.6
-PKG_RELEASE:=2
+PKG_RELEASE:=3
 
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=http://swupdate.openvpn.net/community/releases
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
diff --git a/package/network/services/openvpn/files/openvpn.init b/package/network/services/openvpn/files/openvpn.init
index 1e0f384f97..294e3ed710 100644
--- a/package/network/services/openvpn/files/openvpn.init
+++ b/package/network/services/openvpn/files/openvpn.init
@@ -13,6 +13,9 @@ PROG=/usr/sbin/openvpn
 LIST_SEP="
 "
 
+UCI_STARTED=
+UCI_DISABLED=
+
 append_param() {
 	local s="$1"
 	local v="$2"
@@ -59,6 +62,7 @@ openvpn_add_instance() {
 	procd_open_instance
 	procd_set_param command "$PROG"	\
 		--syslog "openvpn($name)" \
+		--status "/var/run/openvpn.$name.status" \
 		--cd "$dir" \
 		--config "$conf"
 	procd_set_param file "$dir/$conf"
@@ -69,14 +73,19 @@ openvpn_add_instance() {
 start_instance() {
 	local s="$1"
 
-	section_enabled "$s" || return 1
-
 	config_get config "$s" config
+	config="${config:+$(readlink -f "$config")}"
+
+	section_enabled "$s" || {
+		append UCI_DISABLED "$config" "$LIST_SEP"
+		return 1
+	}
 
 	[ ! -d "/var/run" ] && mkdir -p "/var/run"
 
 	if [ ! -z "$config" ]; then
-		openvpn_add_instance "$s" "$(dirname "$config")" "$(basename "$config")"
+		append UCI_STARTED "$config" "$LIST_SEP"
+		openvpn_add_instance "$s" "${config%/*}" "$config"
 		return
 	fi
 
@@ -123,4 +132,23 @@ start_instance() {
 start_service() {
 	config_load 'openvpn'
 	config_foreach start_instance 'openvpn'
+
+	local path name
+	for path in /etc/openvpn/*.conf; do
+		if [ -f "$path" ]; then
+			name="${path##*/}"; name="${name%.conf}"
+
+			# don't start configs again that are already started by uci
+			if echo "$UCI_STARTED" | grep -qxF "$path"; then
+				continue
+
+			# don't start configs which are set to disabled in uci
+			elif echo "$UCI_DISABLED" | grep -qxF "$path"; then
+				logger -t openvpn "$name.conf is disabled in /etc/config/openvpn"
+				continue
+			fi
+
+			openvpn_add_instance "$name" "${path%/*}" "$path"
+		fi
+	done
 }