diff --git a/misc/bird.init b/misc/bird.init
index 23d6d8af..93aa83d6 100755
--- a/misc/bird.init
+++ b/misc/bird.init
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@
 BIRD4="yes"
 BIRD6="yes"
 
+BIRD4ARGS=
+BIRD6ARGS=
+
 [ -f /etc/bird.conf ] || BIRD4="no"
 [ -f /usr/sbin/bird ] || BIRD4="no"
 [ "${NETWORKING}" = "yes" ] || BIRD4="no"
@@ -30,6 +33,8 @@ BIRD6="yes"
 [ -f /usr/sbin/bird6 ] || BIRD6="no"
 [ "${NETWORKING_IPV6}" = "yes" ] || BIRD6="no"
 
+[ -e /etc/sysconfig/bird ] && . /etc/sysconfig/bird
+
 RETVAL=0
 
 # See how we were called.
@@ -38,7 +43,7 @@ case "$1" in
 	if [ "$BIRD4" = "yes" ]
 	then
 		echo -n "Starting BIRD for IPv4: "
-		daemon bird
+		daemon bird ${BIRD4ARGS}
 		RETVAL=$?
 		echo
 		[ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch /var/lock/subsys/bird
@@ -46,7 +51,7 @@ case "$1" in
 	if [ "$BIRD6" = "yes" ]
 	then
 		echo -n "Starting BIRD for IPv6: "
-		daemon bird6
+		daemon bird6 ${BIRD6ARGS}
 		RETVAL=$?
 		echo
 		[ $RETVAL -eq 0 ] && touch /var/lock/subsys/bird6