diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/defconfig/generic/network b/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/defconfig/generic/network
deleted file mode 100644
index 2d4d8e0121..0000000000
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/defconfig/generic/network
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,16 +0,0 @@
-config interface loopback
-	option ifname	lo
-	option proto	static
-	option ipaddr	127.0.0.1
-	option netmask	255.0.0.0
-
-config interface lan
-	option ifname	eth0
-	option type	bridge
-	option proto	static
-	option ipaddr	192.168.1.1
-	option netmask	255.255.255.0
-
-config interface wan
-	option ifname	eth1
-	option proto	dhcp
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/init.d/defconfig b/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/init.d/defconfig
index 9fdfd6f899..364fa4a6a5 100755
--- a/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/init.d/defconfig
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/init.d/defconfig
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ start() {
 
 	local board=$(ar71xx_board_name)
 
-	[ ! -d /etc/defconfig/$board ] && board="generic"
+	[ ! -d /etc/defconfig/$board ] && return 0
 
 	for f in $( ls /etc/defconfig/$board ); do
 		if [ ! -e /etc/config/$f ]; then
diff --git a/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/uci-defaults/network b/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/uci-defaults/network
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..0a355eaf05
--- /dev/null
+++ b/target/linux/ar71xx/base-files/etc/uci-defaults/network
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2011 OpenWrt.org
+#
+
+set_interface_loopback() {
+	uci batch <<EOF
+set network.loopback='interface'
+set network.loopback.ifname='lo'
+set network.loopback.proto='static'
+set network.loopback.ipaddr='127.0.0.1'
+set network.loopback.netmask='255.0.0.0'
+EOF
+}
+
+set_interface_lan() {
+	local ifname=$1
+
+	uci batch <<EOF
+set network.lan='interface'
+set network.lan.ifname='$ifname'
+set network.lan.type='bridge'
+set network.lan.proto='static'
+set network.lan.ipaddr='192.168.1.1'
+set network.lan.netmask='255.255.255.0'
+EOF
+}
+
+set_interface_wan() {
+	local ifname=$1
+
+	uci batch <<EOF
+set network.wan='interface'
+set network.wan.ifname='$ifname'
+set network.wan.proto='dhcp'
+EOF
+}
+
+set_interfaces_lan_wan() {
+	local lan_ifname=$1
+	local wan_ifname=$2
+
+	set_interface_lan "$lan_ifname"
+	set_interface_wan "$wan_ifname"
+}
+
+[ -e /etc/config/network ] && exit 0
+
+touch /etc/config/network
+
+set_interface_loopback
+
+. /lib/ar71xx.sh
+
+board=$(ar71xx_board_name)
+
+case "$board" in
+*)
+	set_interfaces_lan_wan "eth0" "eth1"
+	;;
+esac
+
+uci commit network
+
+exit 0