diff -ruN netqmail-1.06-original/hier.c netqmail-1.06/hier.c
--- netqmail-1.06-original/hier.c	2023-06-17 20:07:57.777402075 +0200
+++ netqmail-1.06/hier.c	2023-08-20 09:56:04.761398937 +0200
@@ -1,8 +1,10 @@
+#include <unistd.h>
 #include "auto_qmail.h"
 #include "auto_split.h"
 #include "auto_uids.h"
 #include "fmt.h"
 #include "fifo.h"
 
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "channels.h"
@@ -33,6 +35,7 @@
 void hier()
 {
   int cc;
+  char tmpbuf[300];
 
   h(auto_qmail,auto_uido,auto_gidq,0755);
 
@@ -61,6 +64,11 @@
   d(auto_qmail,"queue/bounce",auto_uids,auto_gidq,0700);
 
   d(auto_qmail,"plugins",auto_uido,auto_gidq,0755);
+  // install control/smtpplugins file if not existent (unable to read control crash otherwise)
+  snprintf(tmpbuf, sizeof(tmpbuf), "%s/control/smtpplugins", auto_qmail);
+  if (!access(tmpbuf, F_OK)==0) {
+    c(auto_qmail,"control","smtpplugins",auto_uido,auto_gidq,0644);
+  }
 
   dsplit("queue/mess",auto_uidq,0750);
   dsplit("queue/todo",auto_uidq,0750);
diff -ruN netqmail-1.06-original/smtpplugins netqmail-1.06/smtpplugins
--- netqmail-1.06-original/smtpplugins	1970-01-01 01:00:00.000000000 +0100
+++ netqmail-1.06/smtpplugins	2023-08-20 09:30:28.652301909 +0200
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+# smtpplugins sample file
+[connection]
+
+[auth]
+
+[helo]
+
+[mail]
+
+[rcpt]
+
+[data]