diff --git a/net/openvswitch/Makefile b/net/openvswitch/Makefile
index bbe8b46140..1fdc11c070 100644
--- a/net/openvswitch/Makefile
+++ b/net/openvswitch/Makefile
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ include ./openvswitch.mk
 #
 PKG_NAME:=openvswitch
 PKG_VERSION:=$(ovs_version)
-PKG_RELEASE:=8
+PKG_RELEASE:=9
 PKG_SOURCE:=$(PKG_NAME)-$(PKG_VERSION).tar.gz
 PKG_SOURCE_URL:=https://www.openvswitch.org/releases/
 PKG_HASH:=7d5797f2bf2449c6a266149e88f72123540f7fe7f31ad52902057ae8d8f88c38
diff --git a/net/openvswitch/README.md b/net/openvswitch/README.md
index cb7c3b4668..b5911a597f 100644
--- a/net/openvswitch/README.md
+++ b/net/openvswitch/README.md
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@ for initialising a virtual bridge with an OpenFlow controller.
 | controller    | string  | no       | (none)                         | The endpoint of an OpenFlow controller for this bridge     |
 | datapath_id   | string  | no       | (none)                         | The OpenFlow datapath ID for this bridge                   |
 | datapath_desc | string  | no       | (none)                         | The OpenFlow datapath description for this bridge          |
+| fail_mode     | string  | no       | standalone                     | The bridge failure mode                                    |
 
 The ovs_port section can be used to add ports to a bridge. It supports the options below.
 
diff --git a/net/openvswitch/files/openvswitch.config b/net/openvswitch/files/openvswitch.config
index a7222b7763..8fb9d1a799 100644
--- a/net/openvswitch/files/openvswitch.config
+++ b/net/openvswitch/files/openvswitch.config
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ config ovs_bridge
 	option controller 'tcp:192.168.0.1'
 	option datapath_desc ''
 	option datapath_id ''
+	option fail_mode 'standalone'
 
 config ovs_port
 	option disabled 1
diff --git a/net/openvswitch/files/openvswitch.init b/net/openvswitch/files/openvswitch.init
index 53259d5133..f4a88edcfa 100755
--- a/net/openvswitch/files/openvswitch.init
+++ b/net/openvswitch/files/openvswitch.init
@@ -198,6 +198,20 @@ ovs_bridge_validate_datapath_desc() {
 	fi
 }
 
+ovs_bridge_validate_fail_mode() {
+	local fail_mode="$1"
+
+	case "$fail_mode" in
+		secure|standalone)
+			return 0
+			;;
+		*)
+			logger -t openvswitch "invalid fail_mode: $fail_mode"
+			return 1
+			;;
+	esac
+}
+
 ovs_bridge_init() {
 	local cfg="$1"
 
@@ -226,6 +240,17 @@ ovs_bridge_init() {
 		}
 	}
 
+	config_get fail_mode "$cfg" fail_mode
+	[ -n "$fail_mode" ] && {
+		ovs_bridge_validate_fail_mode "$fail_mode" && {
+			ovs-vsctl set-fail-mode "$name" "$fail_mode" 2> /dev/null
+		} || {
+			ovs-vsctl del-fail-mode "$name" 2> /dev/null
+		}
+	} || {
+		ovs-vsctl del-fail-mode "$name" 2> /dev/null
+	}
+
 	config_list_foreach "$cfg" "ports" ovs_bridge_port_add
 	config_foreach ovs_bridge_port_add_complex ovs_port "$name"
 	config_get_bool drop "$cfg" "drop_unknown_ports" 0