diff --git a/common/console.c b/common/console.c
index b6685ec..406722a 100644
--- a/common/console.c
+++ b/common/console.c
@@ -575,6 +575,7 @@
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(console_flush);
 
 static int ctrlc_abort;
+static int ctrlc_allowed;
 
 void ctrlc_handled(void)
 {
@@ -586,6 +587,9 @@
 {
 	int ret = 0;
 
+	if (!ctrlc_allowed)
+		return 0;
+
 	if (ctrlc_abort)
 		return 1;
 
@@ -605,5 +609,25 @@
 }
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(ctrlc);
 
+static int console_ctrlc_init(void)
+{
+	globalvar_add_simple_bool("console.ctrlc_allowed", &ctrlc_allowed);
+	return 0;
+}
+device_initcall(console_ctrlc_init);
+
+void console_ctrlc_allow(void)
+{
+	ctrlc_allowed = 1;
+}
+
+void console_ctrlc_forbid(void)
+{
+	ctrlc_allowed = 0;
+}
+
+BAREBOX_MAGICVAR_NAMED(global_console_ctrlc_allowed, global.console.ctrlc_allowed,
+		"If true, scripts can be aborted with ctrl-c");
+
 BAREBOX_MAGICVAR_NAMED(global_linux_bootargs_console, global.linux.bootargs.console,
 		"console= argument for Linux from the stdout-path property in /chosen node");
diff --git a/defaultenv/defaultenv-2-base/bin/init b/defaultenv/defaultenv-2-base/bin/init
index 8d02e3d..a5d3a98 100644
--- a/defaultenv/defaultenv-2-base/bin/init
+++ b/defaultenv/defaultenv-2-base/bin/init
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@
 	autoboot="$?"
 fi
 
+global.console.ctrlc_allowed=true
+
 if [ "${key}" = "q" ]; then
 	exit
 fi
diff --git a/include/console.h b/include/console.h
index 6739213..4062e5a 100644
--- a/include/console.h
+++ b/include/console.h
@@ -207,4 +207,7 @@
 
 bool console_allow_color(void);
 
+void console_ctrlc_allow(void);
+void console_ctrlc_forbid(void);
+
 #endif