diff --git a/alfred/Makefile b/alfred/Makefile
index b9c2c33..c8e73c2 100644
--- a/alfred/Makefile
+++ b/alfred/Makefile
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 #
 PKG_NAME:=alfred
 PKG_VERSION:=2013.4.0
-PKG_RELEASE:=2
+PKG_RELEASE:=3
 PKG_MD5SUM:=3891697e127b1037cfc9349fd96e9993
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
diff --git a/alfred/files/alfred.init b/alfred/files/alfred.init
index b678d4c..b777b53 100755
--- a/alfred/files/alfred.init
+++ b/alfred/files/alfred.init
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ pid_file_alfred="/var/run/alfred.pid"
 pid_file_vis="/var/run/batadv-vis.pid"
 enable=0
 vis_enable=0
+batmanif=""
 SERVICE_DAEMONIZE=1
 SERVICE_WRITE_PID=1
 
@@ -23,7 +24,7 @@ alfred_start()
 {
 	local args=""
 	local section="$1"
-	local disabled interface mode batmanif
+	local disabled interface mode
 
 	# check if section is disabled
 	config_get_bool disabled "$section" disabled 0
@@ -62,6 +63,21 @@ start()
 	if [ "$enable" = "0" ]; then
 		exit 0
 	fi
+
+	mesh_dir="/sys/class/net/$batmanif/mesh/"
+	if ! [ -d "$mesh_dir" ] ; then
+		timeout=30
+		echo "${initscript}: waiting $timeout secs for $batmanif interface..."
+		for i in $(seq $timeout); do
+			sleep 1
+			[ -d "$mesh_dir" ] && break
+			if [ $i == $timeout ] ; then
+				echo "${initscript}: $batmanif not detected, alfred not starting."
+				exit 1
+			fi
+		done
+	fi
+
 	echo "${initscript}: starting alfred"
 	SERVICE_PID_FILE="$pid_file_alfred"
 	service_start /usr/sbin/alfred ${alfred_args}