diff --git a/utils/collectd/Makefile b/utils/collectd/Makefile
index 5e80f6dd4..2dcc6c4e8 100644
--- a/utils/collectd/Makefile
+++ b/utils/collectd/Makefile
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ COLLECTD_PLUGINS_SELECTED:= \
 	logfile \
 	madwifi \
 	memory \
+	modbus \
 	mysql \
 	netlink \
 	network \
@@ -189,6 +190,11 @@ ifneq ($(CONFIG_PACKAGE_collectd-mod-netlink),)
   CONFIGURE_ARGS+= --with-libnetlink="$(STAGING_DIR)/usr"
 endif
 
+# exception: mod-modbus needs libmodbus
+ifneq ($(CONFIG_PACKAGE_collectd-mod-modbus),)
+  CONFIGURE_ARGS+= --with-libmodbus="$(STAGING_DIR)/usr"
+endif
+
 # exception: mod-onewire needs libow-capi
 ifneq ($(CONFIG_PACKAGE_collectd-mod-onewire),)
   CONFIGURE_ARGS+= --with-libowcapi="$(STAGING_DIR)/usr"
@@ -269,6 +275,7 @@ $(eval $(call BuildPlugin,logfile,log files output,logfile,))
 $(eval $(call BuildPlugin,madwifi,MadWifi status input,madwifi,))
 $(eval $(call BuildPlugin,mysql,MySQL status input,mysql,+PACKAGE_collectd-mod-mysql:libmysqlclient))
 $(eval $(call BuildPlugin,memory,physical memory usage input,memory,))
+$(eval $(call BuildPlugin,modbus,read variables through libmodbus,modbus,+PACKAGE_collectd-mod-modbus:libmodbus))
 $(eval $(call BuildPlugin,netlink,netlink input,netlink,+PACKAGE_collectd-mod-netlink:ip @(!LINUX_2_4||BROKEN)))
 $(eval $(call BuildPlugin,network,network input/output,network))
 $(eval $(call BuildPlugin,nginx,nginx status input,nginx,+PACKAGE_collectd-mod-nginx:libcurl))
diff --git a/utils/collectd/patches/300-fix-modbus.patch b/utils/collectd/patches/300-fix-modbus.patch
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b1c8861f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/utils/collectd/patches/300-fix-modbus.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+--- a/src/modbus.c	2011-03-28 14:51:41.000000000 +0200
++++ b/src/modbus.c	2011-03-28 14:52:12.000000000 +0200
+@@ -293,10 +293,8 @@
+       host->node, host->port);
+ 
+   modbus_init_tcp (&host->connection,
+-      /* host = */ host->node);
+-#if 0
++      /* host = */ host->node,
+       /* port = */ host->port);
+-#endif
+ 
+   status = modbus_connect (&host->connection);
+   if (status != 0)
+@@ -366,7 +367,7 @@
+   {
+     status = read_holding_registers (&host->connection,
+         /* slave = */ slave->id, /* start_addr = */ data->register_base,
+-        /* num_registers = */ values_num, /* buffer = */ values);
++        /* num_registers = */ values_num, /* buffer = */ (uint16_t*)values);
+     if (status > 0)
+       break;
+