diff --git a/devices/turris-omnia/default.nix b/devices/turris-omnia/default.nix
index 9bc4b4d..c146212 100644
--- a/devices/turris-omnia/default.nix
+++ b/devices/turris-omnia/default.nix
@@ -132,6 +132,9 @@
             PHY_MVEBU_A38X_COMPHY = "y"; # for eth2
             MARVELL_PHY = "y";
 
+            USB_XHCI_MVEBU = "y";
+            USB_XHCI_HCD = "y";
+
             MVPP2 = "y";
             MV_XOR = "y";
 
diff --git a/examples/recovery.nix b/examples/recovery.nix
index 8519776..ea742fb 100644
--- a/examples/recovery.nix
+++ b/examples/recovery.nix
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ in rec {
   imports = [
     ../modules/network
     ../modules/ssh
+    ../modules/usb.nix
     ../modules/schnapps
     ../modules/outputs/mtdimage.nix
     ../modules/outputs/mbrimage.nix
diff --git a/modules/usb.nix b/modules/usb.nix
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..93a4506
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/usb.nix
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+# support for USB block devices and the common filesystems
+# they're likely to provide
+
+{lib, config, ... }:
+{
+  kernel = {
+    config = {
+      USB = "y";
+      USB_EHCI_HCD = "y";
+      USB_EHCI_HCD_PLATFORM = "y";
+      USB_OHCI_HCD = "y";
+      USB_OHCI_HCD_PLATFORM = "y";
+      USB_SUPPORT = "y";
+      USB_COMMON = "y";
+      USB_STORAGE = "y";
+      USB_STORAGE_DEBUG = "n";
+      USB_UAS = "y";
+      USB_ANNOUNCE_NEW_DEVICES = "y";
+      SCSI = "y";
+      BLK_DEV_SD = "y";
+      USB_PRINTER = "y";
+      MSDOS_PARTITION = "y";
+      EFI_PARTITION = "y";
+      EXT4_FS = "y";
+      EXT4_USE_FOR_EXT2 = "y";
+      FS_ENCRYPTION = "y";
+
+
+    };
+  };
+}