diff --git a/src/ndhc.c b/src/ndhc.c
index 9145d01..fcbc778 100644
--- a/src/ndhc.c
+++ b/src/ndhc.c
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ static void do_ndhc_work(void)
 {
     struct epoll_event events[NDHC_NUM_EP_FDS];
     long long nowts;
-    int timeout = -1;
+    int timeout;
 
     cs.epollFd = epoll_create1(0);
     if (cs.epollFd < 0)
@@ -299,11 +299,9 @@ static void do_ndhc_work(void)
     epoll_add(cs.epollFd, sockdStream[0]);
     if (client_config.enable_rfkill && cs.rfkillFd != -1)
         epoll_add(cs.epollFd, cs.rfkillFd);
-    if (!cs.rfkill_set) {
-        start_dhcp_listen(&cs);
-        nowts = curms();
-        goto jumpstart;
-    }
+    start_dhcp_listen(&cs);
+    nowts = curms();
+    goto jumpstart;
 
     for (;;) {
         int r = epoll_wait(cs.epollFd, events, NDHC_NUM_EP_FDS, timeout);
@@ -482,6 +480,41 @@ void background(void)
         write_pid(pidfile);
 }
 
+static void wait_for_rfkill()
+{
+    cs.rfkill_set = 1;
+    struct epoll_event events[2];
+    int rfkfd = rfkill_open(&client_config.enable_rfkill);
+    if (rfkfd < 0)
+        suicide("can't wait for rfkill to end if /dev/rfkill can't be opened");
+    int epfd = epoll_create1(0);
+    if (epfd < 0)
+        suicide("epoll_create1 failed");
+    epoll_add(epfd, rfkfd);
+    for (;;) {
+        int r = epoll_wait(epfd, events, 2, -1);
+        if (r < 0) {
+            if (errno == EINTR)
+                continue;
+            else
+                suicide("epoll_wait failed");
+        }
+        for (int i = 0; i < r; ++i) {
+            int fd = events[i].data.fd;
+            if (fd == rfkfd) {
+                if (events[i].events & EPOLLIN) {
+                    if (!rfkill_wait_for_end(&cs, rfkfd))
+                        goto rfkill_gone;
+                }
+            } else
+                suicide("epoll_wait: unknown fd");
+        }
+    }
+rfkill_gone:
+    close(epfd);
+    close(rfkfd);
+}
+
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
     parse_cmdline(argc, argv);
@@ -502,11 +535,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
     switch (perform_ifup()) {
     case 1: cs.ifsPrevState = IFS_UP;
     case 0: break;
-    case -3:
-        cs.rfkill_set = 1;
-        cs.rfkill_at_init = 1;
-        cs.ifsPrevState = IFS_DOWN;
-        break;
+    case -3: wait_for_rfkill(); break;
     default: suicide("failed to set the interface to up state");
     }
 
diff --git a/src/ndhc.h b/src/ndhc.h
index 152362e..bb20992 100644
--- a/src/ndhc.h
+++ b/src/ndhc.h
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ struct client_state_t {
     struct nk_random_state_u32 rnd32_state;
     uint8_t routerArp[6], serverArp[6];
     uint8_t using_dhcp_bpf, init, got_router_arp, got_server_arp;
-    uint8_t rfkill_set, rfkill_at_init;
+    uint8_t rfkill_set;
 };
 
 struct client_config_t {
diff --git a/src/rfkill.c b/src/rfkill.c
index 1e2f155..d4a3b0d 100644
--- a/src/rfkill.c
+++ b/src/rfkill.c
@@ -52,56 +52,89 @@ int rfkill_open(char enable_rfkill[static 1])
     return r;
 }
 
-void handle_rfkill_notice(struct client_state_t cs[static 1], uint32_t rfkidx)
+static int rfkill_check(struct client_state_t cs[static 1], uint32_t rfkidx,
+                         int (*rfenable)(struct client_state_t[static 1]),
+                         int (*rfdisable)(struct client_state_t[static 1]))
 {
     struct rfkill_event event;
     ssize_t len = safe_read(cs->rfkillFd, (char *)&event, sizeof event);
     if (len < 0) {
         log_error("rfkill: safe_read failed: %s", strerror(errno));
-        return;
+        return -1;
     }
     if (len != RFKILL_EVENT_SIZE_V1) {
         log_error("rfkill: event has unexpected size: %d", len);
-        return;
+        return -1;
     }
     log_line("rfkill: idx[%u] type[%u] op[%u] soft[%u] hard[%u]",
              event.idx, event.type, event.op, event.soft, event.hard);
     if (event.idx != rfkidx)
-        return;
+        return 0;
     if (event.op != RFKILL_OP_CHANGE && event.op != RFKILL_OP_CHANGE_ALL)
-        return;
+        return 0;
     if (event.soft || event.hard) {
-        cs->rfkill_set = 1;
-        if (cs->ifsPrevState == IFS_UP) {
-            log_line("rfkill: radio now blocked; bringing interface down");
-            cs->ifsPrevState = IFS_DOWN;
-            ifnocarrier_action(cs);
-        } else
-            log_line("rfkill: radio now blocked, but interface isn't up");
+        return rfenable(cs);
     } else {
-        cs->rfkill_set = 0;
-        if (cs->ifsPrevState == IFS_DOWN) {
-            log_line("rfkill: radio now unblocked; bringing interface up");
-            if (cs->rfkill_at_init) {
-                cs->rfkill_at_init = 0;
-                switch (perform_ifup()) {
-                    case 1: case 0: break;
-                    case -3:
-                        cs->rfkill_set = 1;
-                        cs->rfkill_at_init = 1;
-                        log_line("rfkill: radio immediately blocked again; spurious?");
-                        return;
-                    default: suicide("failed to set the interface to up state");
-                }
-            }
-            cs->ifsPrevState = IFS_UP;
-            ifup_action(cs);
-        } else {
-            if (cs->ifsPrevState == IFS_SHUT)
-                log_line("rfkill: radio now unblocked, but interface was shut down by user");
-            else
-                log_line("rfkill: radio now unblocked, but interface is removed");
-        }
+        return rfdisable(cs);
     }
 }
 
+static int handle_rfkill_notice_enable(struct client_state_t cs[static 1])
+{
+    cs->rfkill_set = 1;
+    if (cs->ifsPrevState == IFS_UP) {
+        log_line("rfkill: radio now blocked; bringing interface down");
+        cs->ifsPrevState = IFS_DOWN;
+        ifnocarrier_action(cs);
+    } else
+        log_line("rfkill: radio now blocked, but interface isn't up");
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int handle_rfkill_notice_disable(struct client_state_t cs[static 1])
+{
+    cs->rfkill_set = 0;
+    if (cs->ifsPrevState == IFS_DOWN) {
+        log_line("rfkill: radio now unblocked; bringing interface up");
+        cs->ifsPrevState = IFS_UP;
+        ifup_action(cs);
+    } else {
+        if (cs->ifsPrevState == IFS_SHUT)
+            log_line("rfkill: radio now unblocked, but interface was shut down by user");
+        else
+            log_line("rfkill: radio now unblocked, but interface is removed");
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static int rfkill_wait_for_end_enable(struct client_state_t cs[static 1])
+{
+    (void)cs;
+    return -1;
+}
+
+static int rfkill_wait_for_end_disable(struct client_state_t cs[static 1])
+{
+    switch (perform_ifup()) {
+    case 1: case 0:
+        cs->rfkill_set = 0;
+        return 0;
+    case -3:
+        log_line("rfkill: radio immediately blocked again; spurious?");
+        return -1;
+    default: suicide("failed to set the interface to up state");
+    }
+}
+
+int handle_rfkill_notice(struct client_state_t cs[static 1], uint32_t rfkidx)
+{
+    return rfkill_check(cs, rfkidx, handle_rfkill_notice_enable,
+                        handle_rfkill_notice_disable);
+}
+
+int rfkill_wait_for_end(struct client_state_t cs[static 1], uint32_t rfkidx)
+{
+    return rfkill_check(cs, rfkidx, rfkill_wait_for_end_enable,
+                        rfkill_wait_for_end_disable);
+}
+
diff --git a/src/rfkill.h b/src/rfkill.h
index ac2ae18..96ab123 100644
--- a/src/rfkill.h
+++ b/src/rfkill.h
@@ -29,7 +29,8 @@
  */
 
 int rfkill_open(char enable_rfkill[static 1]);
-void handle_rfkill_notice(struct client_state_t cs[static 1], uint32_t rfkidx);
+int handle_rfkill_notice(struct client_state_t cs[static 1], uint32_t rfkidx);
+int rfkill_wait_for_end(struct client_state_t cs[static 1], uint32_t rfkidx);
 
 #endif