diff --git a/lib/puppet/provider/service/runit.rb b/lib/puppet/provider/service/runit.rb
index c923bd28e..1c258b6e3 100644
--- a/lib/puppet/provider/service/runit.rb
+++ b/lib/puppet/provider/service/runit.rb
@@ -1,103 +1,110 @@
 # Daemontools service management
 #
 # author Brice Figureau <brice-puppet@daysofwonder.com>
 Puppet::Type.type(:service).provide :runit, :parent => :daemontools do
   desc <<-EOT
     Runit service management.
 
     This provider manages daemons running supervised by Runit.
     When detecting the service directory it will check, in order of preference:
 
     * `/service`
     * `/var/service`
     * `/etc/service`
 
     The daemon directory should be in one of the following locations:
 
     * `/etc/sv`
 
     or this can be overriden in the service resource parameters::
 
         service { "myservice":
           provider => "runit",
           path => "/path/to/daemons",
         }
 
     This provider supports out of the box:
 
     * start/stop
     * enable/disable
     * restart
     * status
 
 
   EOT
 
   commands :sv => "/usr/bin/sv"
 
   class << self
     # this is necessary to autodetect a valid resource
     # default path, since there is no standard for such directory.
     def defpath(dummy_argument=:work_arround_for_ruby_GC_bug)
       unless @defpath
         ["/etc/sv", "/var/lib/service"].each do |path|
           if FileTest.exist?(path)
             @defpath = path
             break
           end
         end
         raise "Could not find the daemon directory (tested [/var/lib/service,/etc])" unless @defpath
       end
       @defpath
     end
   end
 
   # find the service dir on this node
   def servicedir
     unless @servicedir
       ["/service", "/etc/service","/var/service"].each do |path|
         if FileTest.exist?(path)
           @servicedir = path
           break
         end
       end
       raise "Could not find service directory" unless @servicedir
     end
     @servicedir
   end
 
   def status
     begin
       output = sv "status", self.daemon
       return :running if output =~ /^run: /
     rescue Puppet::ExecutionFailure => detail
       unless detail.message =~ /(warning: |runsv not running$)/
         raise Puppet::Error.new( "Could not get status for service #{resource.ref}: #{detail}" )
       end
     end
     :stopped
   end
 
   def stop
     sv "stop", self.service
   end
 
   def start
-    enable unless enabled? == :true
+    if enabled? != :true
+        enable
+        # Work around issue #4480
+        # runsvdir takes up to 5 seconds to recognize
+        # the symlink created by this call to enable
+        Puppet.info "Waiting 5 seconds for runsvdir to discover service #{self.service}"
+        sleep 5
+    end
     sv "start", self.service
   end
 
   def restart
     sv "restart", self.service
   end
 
   # disable by removing the symlink so that runit
   # doesn't restart our service behind our back
   # note that runit doesn't need to perform a stop
   # before a disable
   def disable
     # unlink the daemon symlink to disable it
     File.unlink(self.service) if FileTest.symlink?(self.service)
   end
 end