diff --git a/net/isc-dhcp/Makefile b/net/isc-dhcp/Makefile
index c9eddf3a3e..86de3d67e2 100644
--- a/net/isc-dhcp/Makefile
+++ b/net/isc-dhcp/Makefile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ PKG_NAME:=isc-dhcp
 UPSTREAM_NAME:=dhcp
 PKG_REALVERSION:=4.4.3-P1
 PKG_VERSION:=4.4.3_p1
-PKG_RELEASE:=13
+PKG_RELEASE:=14
 
 PKG_LICENSE:=BSD-3-Clause
 PKG_LICENSE_FILES:=LICENSE
diff --git a/net/isc-dhcp/files/dhcpd.init b/net/isc-dhcp/files/dhcpd.init
index d7f24d9be0..6e1cb53f72 100755
--- a/net/isc-dhcp/files/dhcpd.init
+++ b/net/isc-dhcp/files/dhcpd.init
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ EOF
 }
 
 create_empty_zone() {
-	local zone error zpath
+	local zone error zpath command
 	zone="$1"
 	zpath="$dyndir/db.$zone"
 
@@ -167,7 +167,15 @@ create_empty_zone() {
 	chown bind:bind "$zpath" || return 1
 	chmod 0664 "$zpath" || return 1
 
-	if ! error=$(rndc modzone $zone "{
+	# if the zone doesn't exist, we need to add it, otherwise we need to
+	# create it.
+	if ! rndc zonestatus $zone >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+		command="addzone"
+	else
+		command="modzone"
+	fi
+
+	if ! error=$(rndc $command $zone "{
 		type primary;
 		file \"$zpath\";
 		update-policy {