diff --git a/package/base-files/Makefile b/package/base-files/Makefile
index b88422acdf..94182a2394 100644
--- a/package/base-files/Makefile
+++ b/package/base-files/Makefile
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 include $(INCLUDE_DIR)/kernel.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=base-files
-PKG_RELEASE:=102
+PKG_RELEASE:=103
 
 PKG_FILE_DEPENDS:=$(PLATFORM_DIR)/ $(GENERIC_PLATFORM_DIR)/base-files/
 PKG_BUILD_DEPENDS:=opkg/host
diff --git a/package/base-files/files/etc/uci-defaults/migrate-shadow b/package/base-files/files/etc/uci-defaults/migrate-shadow
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b7ea5718c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/package/base-files/files/etc/uci-defaults/migrate-shadow
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+local ppwd="$(sed -ne '/^root:/s/^root:\([^:]*\):.*$/\1/p' /etc/passwd)"
+local spwd="$(sed -ne '/^root:/s/^root:\([^:]*\):.*$/\1/p' /etc/shadow)"
+
+if [ -n "${ppwd#[\!x]}" ] && [ -z "${spwd#[\!x]}" ]; then
+	logger -t migrate-shadow "Moving root password hash into shadow database"
+	sed -i -e "s:^root\:[^\:]*\::root\:x\::"     /etc/passwd
+	sed -i -e "s:^root\:[^\:]*\::root\:$ppwd\::" /etc/shadow
+fi
+
+exit 0