diff --git a/support/scripts/generate-interfaces-ifconfig.sh b/support/scripts/generate-interfaces-ifconfig.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000..873e824
--- /dev/null
+++ b/support/scripts/generate-interfaces-ifconfig.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+
+#extract  our parameters from the config file
+# see comment in support/scripts/mkusers at to why we can't simply source
+for PARAM in \
+	BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK \
+	BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_DHCP \
+	BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_MANUAL \
+	; do 
+TMP=$(sed -r -e "/^$PARAM=(.*)$/!d;" -e 's//\1/;' $BR2_CONFIG)
+	export $PARAM=$TMP
+done
+
+for PARAM in \
+	BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_NAME \
+	BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_ADDRESS \
+	BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_NETMASK \
+	BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_BROADCAST \
+	BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_GATEWAY \
+	; do 
+TMP=$(sed -r -e "/^$PARAM=\"(.*)\"$/!d;" -e 's//\1/;' $BR2_CONFIG)
+	export $PARAM=$TMP
+done
+
+
+function do_generate_interfaces
+{
+	echo "# interface file auto-generated by buildroot"
+	echo
+	echo "auto lo"
+	echo "iface lo inet loopback"
+	echo
+
+	if [ $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK ] ; then
+		if [ -z $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_NAME ] ; then
+			echo ERROR no name specified for first network interface
+			exit 1
+		fi
+		echo "auto  $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_NAME"
+		if [ $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_DHCP ] ; then
+			echo "iface $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_NAME inet dhcp"
+		elif [ $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_MANUAL ] ; then
+			echo "iface $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_NAME inet static"
+
+			if [ -z $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_ADDRESS ] ; then
+				echo ERROR BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_ADDRESS not set 1>&2
+				exit 1
+			fi
+			echo "	address $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_ADDRESS"
+
+
+			if [ -z $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_NETMASK ] ; then
+				echo ERROR BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_NETMASK not set 1>&2
+				exit 1
+			fi
+			echo "	netmask $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_NETMASK"
+
+			if [ $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_BROADCAST ] ; then
+				echo "	broadcast $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_BROADCAST"
+			fi
+			if [ $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_GATEWAY ] ; then
+				echo "	gateway $BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_GATEWAY"
+			fi
+		fi
+	fi
+}
+
+mkdir -p $TARGET_DIR/etc/network/
+do_generate_interfaces > $TARGET_DIR/etc/network/interfaces
diff --git a/system/Config.in b/system/Config.in
index 2465f79..92ee705 100644
--- a/system/Config.in
+++ b/system/Config.in
@@ -324,6 +324,72 @@ config BR2_TARGET_GENERIC_REMOUNT_ROOTFS_RW
 
 endif # BR2_ROOTFS_SKELETON_DEFAULT
 
+comment 'Simple network configuration is not supported with  networkd'
+	depends on BR2_PACKAGE_SYSTEMD_NETWORKD
+
+config BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK
+	bool "Generate simple network configuration"
+	depends on !BR2_PACKAGE_SYSTEMD_NETWORKD
+	default n
+	help
+	  Let buildroot create a simple  network configuration for a network
+	  interface. This will generate the corresponding lines in 
+	  /etc/network/interfaces which is used by ifupdown.
+ 
+	  The simple network configuration only supports  a single network
+	  interface using a static or DHCP-allocated IPv4 address. If you
+	  need something more complicate, create your own configuration file
+	  in the BR2_ROOTFS_OVERLAY.
+
+
+if BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK
+
+
+config BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_NAME
+	string "name of the physical network interface"
+	default "eth0"
+	help
+	  The name used to recognise the network interface as reported
+	  by the kernel
+	
+choice 
+	prompt "Configuration type"
+	default BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_DHCP
+	help
+	  The type of configuration to use for the physical interface
+
+config BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_DHCP
+	bool "IPv4 with DHCP"
+	help
+	  Use DHCP to configure this interface using the IPv4 protocol
+
+config BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_MANUAL
+	bool "IPv4 with static IP address"
+	help
+	  Configure IPv4 by specifying each parameter separately
+endchoice
+
+if BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_MANUAL
+config BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_ADDRESS
+	string "IP Address of the network interface"
+	default "0.0.0.0"
+
+config BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_NETMASK
+	string "Netmask of the network interface"
+	default "255.255.255.255"
+
+config BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_BROADCAST
+	string "Broadcast Address of the network interface"
+
+config BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_GATEWAY
+	string "Address of the gateway for the network interface"
+
+endif # BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK_IPV4_MANUAL
+
+endif # BR2_SIMPLE_NETWORK
+
+
+
 config BR2_TARGET_TZ_INFO
 	bool "Install timezone info"
 	# No timezone for musl; only for uClibc or (e)glibc.
diff --git a/system/system.mk b/system/system.mk
index 5802e2d..af2641c 100644
--- a/system/system.mk
+++ b/system/system.mk
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ ifneq ($(TARGET_GENERIC_ROOT_PASSWD),)
 TARGETS += host-mkpasswd
 endif
 
+define SIMPLE_NETWORK
+	$(TOPDIR)/support/scripts/generate-interfaces-ifconfig.sh $(TARGET_DIR)
+endef
+TARGET_FINALIZE_HOOKS += SIMPLE_NETWORK
+
 ifeq ($(BR2_ROOTFS_SKELETON_DEFAULT),y)
 
 define SYSTEM_ROOT_PASSWD
