diff --git a/net/ntpd/Makefile b/net/ntpd/Makefile
index a82e270108..aa16dbf98a 100644
--- a/net/ntpd/Makefile
+++ b/net/ntpd/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ include $(TOPDIR)/rules.mk
 
 PKG_NAME:=ntp
 PKG_VERSION:=4.2.8p13
-PKG_RELEASE:=3
+PKG_RELEASE:=4
 
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=http://www.eecis.udel.edu/~ntp/ntp_spool/ntp4/ntp-4.2/
diff --git a/net/ntpd/files/ntpd.init b/net/ntpd/files/ntpd.init
index 6e73489d4a..0f0f577007 100644
--- a/net/ntpd/files/ntpd.init
+++ b/net/ntpd/files/ntpd.init
@@ -40,6 +40,8 @@ start_ntpd_instance() {
 	# since some of them might be dynamic interfaces (like IPsec
 	# tunnels) which aren't known by ubus.
 
+	mkdir -p "$(dirname "$config_file")"
+
 	trunc
 	emit "driftfile /var/lib/ntp/ntp.drift\n"