diff --git a/src/lapv5.c b/src/lapv5.c
index c67c815..a77d258 100644
--- a/src/lapv5.c
+++ b/src/lapv5.c
@@ -190,14 +190,7 @@ int lapv5_ph_data_ind(struct lapv5_instance *li, struct msgb *msg, int *error)
 	/* write to PCAP file, if enabled. */
 	osmo_pcap_lapd_write(li->pcap_fd, OSMO_LAPD_PCAP_INPUT, msg);
 
-	if (!li->enabled) {
-		LOGLI(li, LOGL_DEBUG, "LAPV5 frame ignored, because DL is disabled.\n");
-		msgb_free(msg);
-		return -EINVAL;
-	}
-
 	msgb_pull(msg, msg->l2h - msg->data);
-
 	LOGLI(li, LOGL_DEBUG, "RX: %s\n", osmo_hexdump(msg->data, msg->len));
 	if (msg->len < 2) {
 		LOGLI(li, LOGL_ERROR, "LAPV5 frame receive len %d < 2, ignoring\n", msg->len);
@@ -206,11 +199,20 @@ int lapv5_ph_data_ind(struct lapv5_instance *li, struct msgb *msg, int *error)
 		return -EINVAL;
 	};
 
+	dladdr = ((msg->l2h[0] & 0xfe) << 5) | (msg->l2h[1] >> 1);
+
+	if (!li->enabled) {
+		LOGLI(li, LOGL_NOTICE, "LAPV5 frame ignored, because DL is disabled.\n");
+		if (dladdr == V5X_DLADDR_PSTN)
+			LOGLI(li, LOGL_NOTICE, "PLEASE ENABLE EARLY PSTN DATALINK ENABLE AT INTERFACE CONFIG!\n");
+		msgb_free(msg);
+		return -EINVAL;
+	}
+
 	memset(&lctx, 0, sizeof(lctx));
 
 	i = 0;
 	/* adress field */
-	dladdr = ((msg->l2h[0] & 0xfe) << 5) | (msg->l2h[1] >> 1);
 	lctx.lpd = 0;
 	lctx.sapi = dladdr >> 7;
 	lctx.tei = dladdr & 0x7f;
@@ -591,6 +593,9 @@ void lapv5_set_enabled(struct lapv5_instance *li, bool enabled)
 {
 	struct lapv5_sap *sap;
 
+	if (li->enabled == enabled)
+		return;
+
 	li->enabled = enabled;
 
 	/* reset DL instances */
diff --git a/src/v5le_vty.c b/src/v5le_vty.c
index c5b33df..74293b7 100644
--- a/src/v5le_vty.c
+++ b/src/v5le_vty.c
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ DEFUN(show_interface, show_interface_cmd,
 	vty_out(vty, "Interface %d %s:%s", v5if->id, (v5if->dialect == V5X_DIALECT_V51) ? "V5.1" : "V5.2", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " Trigger system restart: %s%s", (v5if->mgmt->auto_restart) ? "automatic" : "manual", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " Trigger data links: %s%s", (v5if->mgmt->do_est) ? "yes" : "no", VTY_NEWLINE);
+	vty_out(vty, " Enable PSTN datalink: %s statup)%s", (v5if->mgmt->pstn_enable_early) ? "early (before" : "late (after", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " Trigger user port alignment: %s%s", (v5if->mgmt->do_align) ? "yes" : "no", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	if (v5if->dialect == V5X_DIALECT_V52)
 		vty_out(vty, " Accelerated alignment: %s%s", (v5if->mgmt->acc_align) ? "yes" : "no", VTY_NEWLINE);
@@ -733,6 +734,16 @@ DEFUN(cfg_no_establish, cfg_no_establish_cmd,
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+DEFUN(cfg_pstn_enable, cfg_pstn_enable_cmd,
+	"pstn-enable (early|late)",
+	"Enable PSTN datalink before or after startup.\nEnable datalink before startup\nEnable datalink after startup")
+{
+	struct v5x_interface *v5if = vty->index;
+
+	v5if->mgmt->pstn_enable_early = (argv[0][0] == 'e');
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 DEFUN(cfg_alignment, cfg_alignment_cmd,
 	"alignment",
 	"Actively trigger alignment of user ports on startup")
@@ -1155,6 +1166,7 @@ static void config_write_interface_v51(struct vty *vty, struct v5x_interface *v5
 	vty_out(vty, "interface %d v5.1%s", v5if->id, VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " %sauto-restart%s", (v5if->mgmt->auto_restart) ? "" : "no ", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " %sestablish%s", (v5if->mgmt->do_est) ? "" : "no ", VTY_NEWLINE);
+	vty_out(vty, " pstn-enable %s %s", (v5if->mgmt->pstn_enable_early) ? "early" : "late", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " %salignment%s", (v5if->mgmt->do_align) ? "" : "no ", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " variant %d%s", v5if->variant, VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " link%s", VTY_NEWLINE);
@@ -1173,6 +1185,7 @@ static void config_write_interface_v52(struct vty *vty, struct v5x_interface *v5
 	vty_out(vty, "interface %d v5.2%s", v5if->id, VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " %sauto-restart%s", (v5if->mgmt->auto_restart) ? "" : "no ", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " %sestablish%s", (v5if->mgmt->do_est) ? "" : "no ", VTY_NEWLINE);
+	vty_out(vty, " pstn-enable %s %s", (v5if->mgmt->pstn_enable_early) ? "early" : "late", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " %salignment%s", (v5if->mgmt->do_align) ? "" : "no ", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " %saccelerated-alignment%s", (v5if->mgmt->acc_align) ? "" : "no ", VTY_NEWLINE);
 	vty_out(vty, " variant %d%s", v5if->variant, VTY_NEWLINE);
@@ -1240,6 +1253,7 @@ int v5le_vty_init(void)
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V51, &cfg_no_auto_restart_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V51, &cfg_establish_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V51, &cfg_no_establish_cmd);
+	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V51, &cfg_pstn_enable_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V51, &cfg_alignment_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V51, &cfg_no_alignment_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V51, &cfg_interface_variant_cmd);
@@ -1254,6 +1268,7 @@ int v5le_vty_init(void)
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V52, &cfg_no_auto_restart_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V52, &cfg_establish_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V52, &cfg_no_establish_cmd);
+	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V52, &cfg_pstn_enable_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V52, &cfg_alignment_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V52, &cfg_no_alignment_cmd);
 	install_element(CONFIG_INTERFACE_NODE_V52, &cfg_accelerated_cmd);
diff --git a/src/v5x_internal.h b/src/v5x_internal.h
index 15ea647..8c03a84 100644
--- a/src/v5x_internal.h
+++ b/src/v5x_internal.h
@@ -279,6 +279,7 @@ struct v5x_pstn_proto {
 struct v5x_mgmt_proto {
 	struct v5x_interface *interface;	/* back-pointer to instance we're part of */
 	bool auto_restart;			/* restart automatically after TC8/TC9 timeout */
+	bool pstn_enable_early;			/* enable datalink before startup */
 	bool pstn_rs_pending;			/* pending restart flag */
 	bool do_est;				/* actively establish datalinks */
 	bool do_align;				/* actively perform alignment */
diff --git a/src/v5x_le_management.c b/src/v5x_le_management.c
index 6176764..b54d22a 100644
--- a/src/v5x_le_management.c
+++ b/src/v5x_le_management.c
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ static void system_startup(struct v5x_mgmt_proto *mgmt)
 	/* enable LAPV5 DLs except PSTN */
 	lapv5_set_enabled(v5if->control.li, true);
 	if (v5if->pstn.li)
-	lapv5_set_enabled(v5if->pstn.li, false);
+		lapv5_set_enabled(v5if->pstn.li, mgmt->pstn_enable_early);
 	if (v5if->lcp.li)
 		lapv5_set_enabled(v5if->lcp.li, true);
 	if (v5if->bcc.li)
@@ -1014,6 +1014,11 @@ static void pstn_lepdl0_pstn_null(struct osmo_fsm_inst *fi, uint32_t event, void
 	case V5X_LE_PSTN_DL_E_START:
 		/* new state */
 		osmo_fsm_inst_state_chg(fi, V5X_LE_PSTN_DL_S_LEPDL1_ACTIVATE_PSTN, 0, 0);
+		/* if DL is already established */
+		if (mgmt->pstn_enable_early && v5if->pstn.established) {
+			osmo_fsm_inst_dispatch(fi, V5X_LE_PSTN_DL_E_PSTN_DL_ESTABLISHED, NULL);
+			break;
+		}
 		/* establish DL */
 		if (mgmt->do_est && !v5if->pstn.established)
 			lapv5_dl_est_req(v5if->pstn.li, V5X_DLADDR_PSTN);
@@ -1614,6 +1619,7 @@ struct v5x_mgmt_proto *v5x_le_mgmt_create(struct v5x_interface *v5if)
 		return NULL;
 	mgmt->interface = v5if;
 	mgmt->auto_restart = true;
+	mgmt->pstn_enable_early = false;
 
 	/* accellerated alignment when using V5.2 */
 	if (v5if->dialect == V5X_DIALECT_V52)