diff --git a/net/chrony/Makefile b/net/chrony/Makefile
index 7225d09a36ca95..518372d1b3b278 100644
--- a/net/chrony/Makefile
+++ b/net/chrony/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=chrony
 PKG_VERSION:=4.9
-PKG_RELEASE:=2
+PKG_RELEASE:=3
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=https://chrony-project.org/releases/
@@ -97,11 +97,13 @@ define Package/chrony/install
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/etc/init.d
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/etc/config
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/etc/chrony
+	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/etc/uci-defaults
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) $(1)/etc/hotplug.d/iface
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/chrony.hotplug $(1)/etc/hotplug.d/iface/20-chrony
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/chronyd.init $(1)/etc/init.d/chronyd
 	$(INSTALL_CONF) ./files/chrony.config $(1)/etc/config/chrony
 	$(INSTALL_CONF) ./files/chrony.conf $(1)/etc/chrony/chrony.conf
+	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/chrony.defaults $(1)/etc/uci-defaults/chrony
 endef
 
 Package/chrony-nts/install= $(Package/chrony/install)
diff --git a/net/chrony/files/chrony.conf b/net/chrony/files/chrony.conf
index a4d24a7c6f5786..2c9d37d0712bb5 100644
--- a/net/chrony/files/chrony.conf
+++ b/net/chrony/files/chrony.conf
@@ -13,8 +13,5 @@ noclientlog
 # Mark the system clock as synchronized
 rtcsync
 
-# Record the clock's drift
-driftfile /var/run/chrony/drift
-
 # Save NTS keys and cookies
 ntsdumpdir /var/run/chrony
diff --git a/net/chrony/files/chrony.config b/net/chrony/files/chrony.config
index f9d838c2a487c4..852ae00dac17b4 100644
--- a/net/chrony/files/chrony.config
+++ b/net/chrony/files/chrony.config
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ config nts 'nts'
 	option rtccheck '1'
 	option systemcerts '1'
 
+config driftfile 'driftfile'
+	option restore_time '0'
+	option file '/var/run/chrony/drift'
+	# option interval ''
+
 #config smoothtime 'smoothtime'
 	# option maxppm '400'
 	# option maxwander '0.01'
diff --git a/net/chrony/files/chrony.defaults b/net/chrony/files/chrony.defaults
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000000..42ebda525d89bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/chrony/files/chrony.defaults
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+uci -q get chrony.driftfile >/dev/null && exit 0
+
+uci -q batch <<-EOF
+	set chrony.driftfile=driftfile
+	set chrony.driftfile.restore_time='0'
+	set chrony.driftfile.file='/var/run/chrony/drift'
+	commit chrony
+EOF
diff --git a/net/chrony/files/chronyd.init b/net/chrony/files/chronyd.init
index aa535b1989d699..2af95d9d5403ce 100644
--- a/net/chrony/files/chronyd.init
+++ b/net/chrony/files/chronyd.init
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ HOTPLUG=/usr/sbin/chrony-hotplug
 CONFIGFILE=/etc/chrony/chrony.conf
 INCLUDEFILE=/var/etc/chrony.d/10-uci.conf
 RTCDEVICE=/dev/rtc0
+DRIFTFILE=/var/run/chrony/drift
 
 handle_source() {
 	local cfg=$1 sourcetype=$2 disabled hostname minpoll maxpoll iburst nts
@@ -117,11 +118,36 @@ handle_logging() {
 	[ -n "$logchange" ] && echo logchange "$logchange"
 }
 
+handle_driftfile() {
+	local cfg=$1 file interval
+
+	config_get file "$cfg" file $DRIFTFILE
+	config_get interval "$cfg" interval
+
+	local dir=$(dirname "$file")
+	if [ ! -d $dir ]; then
+		mkdir -p "$dir"
+		chown chrony:chrony "$dir"
+	fi
+
+	if [ -n "$interval" ]; then
+		echo driftfile $file interval $interval
+	else
+		echo driftfile $file
+	fi
+}
+
 start_service() {
 	. /lib/functions/network.sh
 
+	config_load chrony
+	# Restoring time requires the -s command-line option; no configuration directive exists.
+	local restore_time
+	config_get_bool restore_time driftfile restore_time 0
+
 	procd_open_instance
 	procd_set_param command $PROG -n
+	[ "$restore_time" = "1" ] && procd_append_param command -s
 	procd_set_param file $CONFIGFILE
 	procd_set_param file $INCLUDEFILE
 	procd_close_instance
@@ -130,7 +156,6 @@ start_service() {
 	procd_set_param command $HOTPLUG
 	procd_close_instance
 
-	config_load chrony
 	mkdir -p $(dirname $INCLUDEFILE)
 
 	(
@@ -143,5 +168,6 @@ start_service() {
 		config_foreach handle_systemclock systemclock
 		config_foreach handle_nts nts
 		config_foreach handle_logging logging
+		config_foreach handle_driftfile driftfile
 	) > $INCLUDEFILE
 }