diff --git a/net/openthread-br/Makefile b/net/openthread-br/Makefile
index 1b42cceee5..35c3b969dd 100644
--- a/net/openthread-br/Makefile
+++ b/net/openthread-br/Makefile
@@ -96,8 +96,7 @@ define Package/openthread-br/install
 	$(INSTALL_DIR) \
 		$(1)/etc/init.d \
 		$(1)/lib/netifd/proto \
-		$(1)/usr/sbin \
-		$(1)/var/lib/thread
+		$(1)/usr/sbin
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) ./files/openthread-proto.sh $(1)/lib/netifd/proto/openthread.sh
 	$(INSTALL_BIN) $(PKG_INSTALL_DIR)/usr/sbin/* $(1)/usr/sbin
 endef
diff --git a/net/openthread-br/files/openthread-proto.sh b/net/openthread-br/files/openthread-proto.sh
index 928bafe712..360786aaf8 100644
--- a/net/openthread-br/files/openthread-proto.sh
+++ b/net/openthread-br/files/openthread-proto.sh
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ proto_openthread_setup() {
 	}
 
 	json_for_each_item proto_openthread_add_prefix prefix
+	mkdir -p /var/lib/thread
 	ubus call otbr threadstart || proto_openthread_setup_error "$interface" MISSING_UBUS_OBJ
 	$OTCTL netdata register