diff --git a/patches/systemvm/debian/config/etc/init.d/cloud-early-config b/patches/systemvm/debian/config/etc/init.d/cloud-early-config
index 1f0b9a7a187..2b99c5b6cf3 100755
--- a/patches/systemvm/debian/config/etc/init.d/cloud-early-config
+++ b/patches/systemvm/debian/config/etc/init.d/cloud-early-config
@@ -390,7 +390,28 @@ setup_common() {
       then
           ip route add default via $GW dev eth0
       else
-          ip route add default via $GW dev $3
+	  timer=0
+	  #default route add fails if we run before interface configured with ip
+	  while true
+	  do
+      	      ip=$(ifconfig $3 | grep "inet addr:" | awk '{print $2}' | awk -F: '{print $2}')
+	      if [ -z $ip ] 
+	      then
+		      sleep 1;
+		      #waiting for the interface to setup with ip
+		      echo "waiting for $3 interface setup with ip"
+	      else
+         	      ip route add default via $GW dev $3
+		      break
+	      fi
+	      
+	      if [ $timer -gt 5 ] 
+	      then
+	          echo "interface $3 is not set up with ip... configuring default route failed"
+		  break
+	  fi
+	  timer=`expr $timer + 1`
+	 done
       fi
   fi