diff --git a/assemblies/features/framework/src/main/filtered-resources/resources/etc/org.apache.karaf.features.cfg b/assemblies/features/framework/src/main/filtered-resources/resources/etc/org.apache.karaf.features.cfg
index 8661c0b..6206e7a 100644
--- a/assemblies/features/framework/src/main/filtered-resources/resources/etc/org.apache.karaf.features.cfg
+++ b/assemblies/features/framework/src/main/filtered-resources/resources/etc/org.apache.karaf.features.cfg
@@ -18,6 +18,15 @@
 ################################################################################
 
 #
+# Defines if the startlvl should be respected during feature startup. The default value is true. The default
+# behavior for 2.x is false (!) for this property
+#
+# Be aware that this property is deprecated and will be removed in Karaf 4.0. So, if you need to
+# set this to false, please use this only as a temporary solution!
+#
+#respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup=true
+
+#
 # Comma separated list of features repositories to register by default
 #
 featuresRepositories=mvn:org.apache.karaf.features/standard/${project.version}/xml/features,mvn:org.apache.karaf.features/enterprise/${project.version}/xml/features
diff --git a/features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/internal/FeaturesServiceImpl.java b/features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/internal/FeaturesServiceImpl.java
index 4c5663b..b6b91e0 100644
--- a/features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/internal/FeaturesServiceImpl.java
+++ b/features/core/src/main/java/org/apache/karaf/features/internal/FeaturesServiceImpl.java
@@ -16,7 +16,28 @@
  */
 package org.apache.karaf.features.internal;
 
-import static java.lang.String.format;
+import org.apache.felix.utils.version.VersionRange;
+import org.apache.felix.utils.version.VersionTable;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.BundleInfo;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.Conditional;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.Dependency;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.Feature;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.FeatureEvent;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.FeaturesListener;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.FeaturesService;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.Repository;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.RepositoryEvent;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.Resolver;
+import org.apache.karaf.features.internal.BundleManager.BundleInstallerResult;
+import org.apache.karaf.util.collections.CopyOnWriteArrayIdentityList;
+import org.osgi.framework.Bundle;
+import org.osgi.framework.BundleException;
+import org.osgi.framework.Constants;
+import org.osgi.framework.Version;
+import org.osgi.framework.startlevel.BundleStartLevel;
+import org.osgi.util.tracker.ServiceTracker;
+import org.slf4j.Logger;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.io.Closeable;
 import java.io.File;
@@ -30,6 +51,7 @@ import java.net.URISyntaxException;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.Dictionary;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.Enumeration;
@@ -44,28 +66,7 @@ import java.util.TreeSet;
 import java.util.regex.Matcher;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
-import org.apache.felix.utils.version.VersionRange;
-import org.apache.felix.utils.version.VersionTable;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.BundleInfo;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.Conditional;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.Dependency;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.Feature;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.FeatureEvent;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.FeaturesListener;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.FeaturesService;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.Repository;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.RepositoryEvent;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.Resolver;
-import org.apache.karaf.features.internal.BundleManager.BundleInstallerResult;
-import org.apache.karaf.util.collections.CopyOnWriteArrayIdentityList;
-import org.osgi.framework.Bundle;
-import org.osgi.framework.BundleException;
-import org.osgi.framework.Constants;
-import org.osgi.framework.Version;
-import org.osgi.framework.startlevel.BundleStartLevel;
-import org.osgi.util.tracker.ServiceTracker;
-import org.slf4j.Logger;
-import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import static java.lang.String.format;
 
 /**
  * The Features service implementation.
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ public class FeaturesServiceImpl implements FeaturesService {
     private final BundleManager bundleManager;
     private final FeatureConfigInstaller configManager;
 
+    private boolean respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup;
     private long resolverTimeout = 5000;
     private Set<URI> uris;
     private Map<URI, Repository> repositories = new HashMap<URI, Repository>();
@@ -105,6 +107,10 @@ public class FeaturesServiceImpl implements FeaturesService {
         this.resolverTimeout = resolverTimeout;
     }
 
+    public void setRespectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup(boolean respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup) {
+        this.respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup = respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup;
+    }
+
     public void registerListener(FeaturesListener listener) {
         listeners.add(listener);
         for (Repository repository : listRepositories()) {
@@ -359,8 +365,8 @@ public class FeaturesServiceImpl implements FeaturesService {
      * @throws Exception in case of install failure.
      */
     public void installFeatures(Set<Feature> features, EnumSet<Option> options) throws Exception {
-        InstallationState state = new InstallationState();
-        InstallationState failure = new InstallationState();
+        final InstallationState state = new InstallationState();
+        final InstallationState failure = new InstallationState();
         boolean verbose = options.contains(FeaturesService.Option.Verbose);
         try {
             // Install everything
@@ -398,8 +404,18 @@ public class FeaturesServiceImpl implements FeaturesService {
             	}
             }
             bundleManager.refreshBundles(state.bundles, state.installed, options);
-            // Start all bundles
-            for (Bundle b : state.bundles) {
+            // start all bundles sorted by startlvl if wished for
+            List<Bundle> bundlesSortedByStartLvl = new ArrayList<Bundle>(state.bundles);
+            if (respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup) {
+                Collections.sort(bundlesSortedByStartLvl, new Comparator<Bundle>() {
+                    @Override
+                    public int compare(Bundle bundle, Bundle bundle1) {
+                        return state.bundleInfos.get(bundle.getBundleId()).getStartLevel() -
+                                state.bundleInfos.get(bundle1.getBundleId()).getStartLevel();
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+            for (Bundle b : bundlesSortedByStartLvl) {
                 LOGGER.debug("Starting bundle: {}", b.getSymbolicName());
                 startBundle(state, b);
             }
diff --git a/features/core/src/main/resources/OSGI-INF/blueprint/blueprint.xml b/features/core/src/main/resources/OSGI-INF/blueprint/blueprint.xml
index 87301ad..4e6153b 100644
--- a/features/core/src/main/resources/OSGI-INF/blueprint/blueprint.xml
+++ b/features/core/src/main/resources/OSGI-INF/blueprint/blueprint.xml
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ http://www.osgi.org/xmlns/blueprint-ext/v1.0.0 http://aries.apache.org/schemas/b
             <ext:property name="featuresRepositories" value=""/>
             <ext:property name="featuresBoot" value=""/>
             <ext:property name="resolverTimeout" value="5000"/>
+            <ext:property name="respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup" value="true"/>
         </ext:default-properties>
         <ext:location>file:$(karaf.base)/etc/org.apache.karaf.features.cfg</ext:location>
     </ext:property-placeholder>
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ http://www.osgi.org/xmlns/blueprint-ext/v1.0.0 http://aries.apache.org/schemas/b
     	<argument ref="bundleManager" />
     	<argument ref="configInstaller" />
         <property name="urls" value="$[featuresRepositories]" />
+        <property name="respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup" value="$[respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup]" />
         <property name="resolverTimeout" value="$[resolverTimeout]" />
     </bean>
     
diff --git a/manual/src/main/webapp/users-guide/provisioning.conf b/manual/src/main/webapp/users-guide/provisioning.conf
index 38bebc7..3391e05 100644
--- a/manual/src/main/webapp/users-guide/provisioning.conf
+++ b/manual/src/main/webapp/users-guide/provisioning.conf
@@ -160,6 +160,10 @@ The OSGI specification allows for installing a bundle without starting it. To us
   </feature> 
 {code}
 
+{warning}
+Before Karaf 3.0 the start-level was NOT considered during the feature startup, but only the order in which bundles are defined in your feature.xml. Starting with 3.0 the start-level is no considered correctly. If you need to use the old behavior you can uncomment and change the respectStartLvlDuringFeatureStartup variable in org.apache.karaf.features.xml to false. But please be aware that it will be removed in 4.0 and should therefore be used only temporarily.
+{warning}
+
 h4. Bundle 'dependency'
 
 A bundle can be flagged as being a dependency.  Such information can be used by resolvers to compute the full list of bundles to be installed.