diff --git a/Documentation/user/defaultenv-2.rst b/Documentation/user/defaultenv-2.rst
index db74176..7502d3d 100644
--- a/Documentation/user/defaultenv-2.rst
+++ b/Documentation/user/defaultenv-2.rst
@@ -93,6 +93,9 @@
   # timeout in seconds before the default boot entry is started
   #global.autoboot_timeout=3
 
+  # key to abort autoboot. Supported options are: "any" and "ctrl-c"
+  #global.autoboot_abort_key=any
+
   # list of boot entries. These are executed in order until one
   # succeeds. An entry can be:
   # - a filename in /env/boot/
diff --git a/defaultenv/defaultenv-2-base/bin/init b/defaultenv/defaultenv-2-base/bin/init
index 6f3a34d..8d02e3d 100644
--- a/defaultenv/defaultenv-2-base/bin/init
+++ b/defaultenv/defaultenv-2-base/bin/init
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 global hostname
 global user
 global autoboot_timeout
+global autoboot_abort_key
 global boot.default
 global linux.bootargs.base
 global linux.bootargs.console
@@ -18,6 +19,8 @@
 magicvar -a global.user "username (used in network filenames)"
 [ -z "${global.autoboot_timeout}" ] && global.autoboot_timeout=3
 magicvar -a global.autoboot_timeout "timeout in seconds before automatic booting"
+[ -z "${global.autoboot_abort_key}" ] && global.autoboot_abort_key=any
+magicvar -a global.autoboot_abort_key "key to abort automatic booting (valid options: any, ctrl-c)"
 [ -z "${global.boot.default}" ] && global.boot.default=net
 [ -z "${global.editcmd}" ] && global.editcmd=sedit
 
@@ -38,14 +41,22 @@
 	. $i
 done
 
-if [ -e /env/menu ]; then
-	echo -e -n "\nHit m for menu or any other key to stop autoboot: "
+if [ "${global.autoboot_abort_key}" = "ctrl-c" ]; then
+	abort_string="ctrl-c"
+	abort_args="-c"
 else
-	echo -e -n "\nHit any key to stop autoboot: "
+	abort_string="any key"
+	abort_args="-a"
+fi
+
+if [ -e /env/menu ]; then
+	echo -e -n "\nHit m for menu or $abort_string to stop autoboot: "
+else
+	echo -e -n "\nHit $abort_string to stop autoboot: "
 fi
 
 if [ "$autoboot" = 0 ]; then
-	timeout -a $global.autoboot_timeout -v key
+	timeout $abort_args $global.autoboot_timeout -v key
 	autoboot="$?"
 fi