diff --git a/plist b/plist
index ce834626f..ced13bcd5 100644
--- a/plist
+++ b/plist
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@
 /usr/local/etc/rc.syshook.d/05-beep.stop
 /usr/local/etc/rc.syshook.d/05-update.early
 /usr/local/etc/rc.syshook.d/10-configd.early
+/usr/local/etc/rc.syshook.d/15-php.early
 /usr/local/etc/rc.syshook.d/20-backup.early
 /usr/local/etc/rc.syshook.d/20-freebsd.start
 /usr/local/etc/rc.syshook.d/80-freebsd.stop
diff --git a/src/etc/rc b/src/etc/rc
index f178d52ed..8f9c8ed50 100755
--- a/src/etc/rc
+++ b/src/etc/rc
@@ -94,6 +94,7 @@ else
 fi
 
 # regenerate groups and users for base
+# XXX port this to POSIX shell:
 /usr/local/etc/rc.recover base > /dev/null
 
 # set keyboard map if needed
@@ -226,6 +227,7 @@ fi
 echo "done."
 
 # Regenerate groups and users for packages
+# XXX port this to POSIX shell:
 /usr/local/etc/rc.recover pkg > /dev/null 2> /dev/null
 
 # Recreate capabilities DB
@@ -234,6 +236,10 @@ echo "done."
 # Execute the early syshook / plugin commands
 /usr/local/etc/rc.syshook early
 
+# !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+# !!! PHP starts working here, not earlier !!!
+# !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+
 # Let the PHP-based configuration subsystem set up the system now
 echo -n "Launching the init system..."
 touch /var/run/booting
diff --git a/src/etc/rc.syshook.d/15-php.early b/src/etc/rc.syshook.d/15-php.early
new file mode 100755
index 000000000..5786f8c3f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/etc/rc.syshook.d/15-php.early
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+#!/bin/sh
+
+# php.ini is chained into this template, required by backend
+configctl template reload OPNsense/WebGui