diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd-compat-units.bb b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd-compat-units.bb
index c47c14bf95..6eb5ffd985 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd-compat-units.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd-compat-units.bb
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@ SRC_URI = "file://*.service"
 do_install() {
 	install -d ${D}${systemd_unitdir}/system/basic.target.wants
 	install -d ${D}${systemd_unitdir}/system/sysinit.target.wants/
+	sed -i -e 's,@POSTINSTALL_INITPOSITION@,${POSTINSTALL_INITPOSITION},g' \
+			${WORKDIR}/run-postinsts.service
 	install -m 0644 ${WORKDIR}/run-postinsts.service ${D}${systemd_unitdir}/system
 	ln -sf ../run-postinsts.service ${D}${systemd_unitdir}/system/basic.target.wants/
 	ln -sf ../run-postinsts.service ${D}${systemd_unitdir}/system/sysinit.target.wants/
@@ -53,4 +55,8 @@ pkg_postinst_${PN} () {
 FILES_${PN} = "${systemd_unitdir}/system ${bindir}"
 RDPEPENDS_${PN} = "systemd"
 
-
+# Define a variable to allow distros to run configure earlier.
+# (for example, to enable loading of ethernet kernel modules before networking starts)
+# note: modifying name or default value for POSTINSTALL_INITPOSITION requires
+# changes in opkg.inc
+POSTINSTALL_INITPOSITION ?= "98"
diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd-compat-units/run-postinsts.service b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd-compat-units/run-postinsts.service
index 4ebc2344cf..35cf3d32de 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd-compat-units/run-postinsts.service
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd-compat-units/run-postinsts.service
@@ -1,12 +1,12 @@
 [Unit]
 Description=Run pending postinsts
 DefaultDependencies=no
-ConditionPathExists=|/etc/rcS.d/S99run-postinsts
+ConditionPathExists=|/etc/rcS.d/S@POSTINSTALL_INITPOSITION@run-postinsts
 After=systemd-remount-fs.service systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service tmp.mount
 Before=sysinit.target
 
 [Service]
-ExecStart=/etc/rcS.d/S99run-postinsts
+ExecStart=/etc/rcS.d/S@POSTINSTALL_INITPOSITION@run-postinsts
 RemainAfterExit=No
 Type=oneshot
 StandardOutput=syslog
diff --git a/meta/recipes-devtools/opkg/opkg.inc b/meta/recipes-devtools/opkg/opkg.inc
index 3d568867d4..78724f359b 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-devtools/opkg/opkg.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-devtools/opkg/opkg.inc
@@ -104,4 +104,6 @@ BBCLASSEXTEND = "native nativesdk"
 
 # Define a variable to allow distros to run configure earlier.
 # (for example, to enable loading of ethernet kernel modules before networking starts)
+# note: modifying name or default value for POSTINSTALL_INITPOSITION requires
+# changes in systemd-compat-units.bb
 POSTINSTALL_INITPOSITION ?= "98"