diff --git a/recipes/net/strongswan.yaml b/recipes/net/strongswan.yaml
index 03b2864b..dd1de533 100644
--- a/recipes/net/strongswan.yaml
+++ b/recipes/net/strongswan.yaml
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-inherit: [autotools]
+inherit: [autotools, init]
 
 metaEnvironment:
     PKG_VERSION: "6.0.0"
@@ -30,6 +30,11 @@ buildScript: |
         --enable-botan=yes \
         --enable-forecast=yes
 
+    # add init script
+    if initIsAnySysvinit; then
+        install -D -m 0755 $<@strongswan/S41strongswan.sh@> install/etc/init.d/S41strongswan.sh
+    fi
+
 packageScript: |
     autotoolsPackageTgt
 
diff --git a/recipes/net/strongswan/S41strongswan.sh b/recipes/net/strongswan/S41strongswan.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..aabca7a9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/recipes/net/strongswan/S41strongswan.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+### BEGIN INIT INFO
+# Short-Description: Start strongSwan VPN service
+# Description:       Start strongSwan and charon with swanctl configuration and delay.
+### END INIT INFO
+
+DAEMON=/usr/libexec/ipsec/charon
+SWANCTL=/usr/sbin/swanctl
+NAME=strongswan
+PIDFILE=/var/run/$NAME.pid
+DELAY=10 # Delay in seconds
+
+#optional
+# . /lib/lsb/init-functions
+
+do_start() {
+    log_daemon_msg "Starting $NAME service"
+    start-stop-daemon --start --quiet --background --pidfile $PIDFILE --exec $DAEMON || return 2
+    
+    log_daemon_msg "Applying delay of $DELAY seconds"
+    sleep $DELAY
+    
+    log_daemon_msg "Loading swanctl configurations"
+    $SWANCTL --load-all || return 2
+    
+    log_daemon_msg "Starting VPN connections"
+    $SWANCTL --initiate || return 2
+    
+    log_end_msg 0
+}
+
+do_stop() {
+    log_daemon_msg "Stopping $NAME service"
+    start-stop-daemon --stop --quiet --pidfile $PIDFILE || return 2
+    log_end_msg 0
+}
+
+case "$1" in
+    start)
+        do_start
+        ;;
+    stop)
+        do_stop
+        ;;
+    restart|force-reload)
+        do_stop
+        do_start
+        ;;
+    status)
+        status_of_proc -p $PIDFILE $DAEMON && exit 0 || exit $?
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Usage: /etc/init.d/$NAME {start|stop|restart|force-reload|status}"
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+
+exit 0