diff --git a/src/PVE/INotify.pm b/src/PVE/INotify.pm
index 65fa25f..0d82a52 100644
--- a/src/PVE/INotify.pm
+++ b/src/PVE/INotify.pm
@@ -904,12 +904,16 @@ sub __read_etc_network_interfaces {
     SECTION: while (defined ($line = <$fh>)) {
 	chomp ($line);
 	next if $line =~ m/^\s*#/;
-	next if $line =~ m/^\s*(allow-hotplug)\s+(.*)$/;
 
 	if ($line =~ m/^\s*(allow-auto|auto|allow-ovs)\s+(.*)$/) {
 
 	    $ifaces->{$_}->{autostart} = 1 for split (/\s+/, $2);
 
+	} elsif ($line =~ m/^\s*(allow-hotplug)\s+(.*)$/) {
+
+	    # FIXME: handle those differently? auto makes it required on-boot, vs. best-effort
+	    $ifaces->{$_}->{autostart} = 1 for split (/\s+/, $2);
+
 	} elsif ($line =~ m/^\s*iface\s+(\S+)\s+(inet6?)\s+(\S+)\s*$/) {
 	    my $i = $1;
 	    my $family = $2;
diff --git a/test/etc_network_interfaces/base-allow-hotplug b/test/etc_network_interfaces/base-allow-hotplug
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..967aeab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/etc_network_interfaces/base-allow-hotplug
@@ -0,0 +1,17 @@
+# network interface settings; autogenerated
+# Please do NOT modify this file directly, unless you know what
+# you're doing.
+#
+# If you want to manage parts of the network configuration manually,
+# please utilize the 'source' or 'source-directory' directives to do
+# so.
+# PVE will preserve these directives, but will NOT read its network
+# configuration from sourced files, so do not attempt to move any of
+# the PVE managed interfaces into external files!
+
+auto lo
+iface lo inet loopback
+
+allow-hotplug ens18
+iface ens18 inet dhcp
+
diff --git a/test/etc_network_interfaces/base-auto-allow-hotplug b/test/etc_network_interfaces/base-auto-allow-hotplug
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b3aae7f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/etc_network_interfaces/base-auto-allow-hotplug
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+# network interface settings; autogenerated
+# Please do NOT modify this file directly, unless you know what
+# you're doing.
+#
+# If you want to manage parts of the network configuration manually,
+# please utilize the 'source' or 'source-directory' directives to do
+# so.
+# PVE will preserve these directives, but will NOT read its network
+# configuration from sourced files, so do not attempt to move any of
+# the PVE managed interfaces into external files!
+
+auto lo
+iface lo inet loopback
+
+auto ens18
+allow-hotplug ens18
+iface ens18 inet dhcp
+
diff --git a/test/etc_network_interfaces/t.base-auto-allow-hotplug.pl b/test/etc_network_interfaces/t.base-auto-allow-hotplug.pl
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..772da83
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/etc_network_interfaces/t.base-auto-allow-hotplug.pl
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+my $active_ifaces = ['lo', 'ens18', 'ens'];
+my $proc_net = load('proc_net_dev');
+$proc_net =~ s/eth0/ens18/;
+
+my $wanted = load('base-allow-hotplug');
+
+# parse the config
+r($wanted, $proc_net, $active_ifaces);
+
+$wanted =~ s/allow-hotplug ens18/auto ens18/; # FIXME: hack! rather we need to keep allow-hotplug!
+
+expect $wanted;
+
+# idempotency (save, re-parse, and re-check)
+r(w(), $proc_net, $active_ifaces);
+expect $wanted;
+
+# parse one with both, "auto" and "allow-hotplug"
+my $bad = load('base-auto-allow-hotplug');
+r($bad, $proc_net, $active_ifaces);
+
+# should drop the first occuring one of the conflicting options ("auto" currently)
+expect $wanted;
+
+1;