diff --git a/meta/recipes-extended/shadow/shadow.inc b/meta/recipes-extended/shadow/shadow.inc
index fbb1d395ff..b2f82e9ac7 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-extended/shadow/shadow.inc
+++ b/meta/recipes-extended/shadow/shadow.inc
@@ -147,6 +147,13 @@ do_install:append() {
 	# Handle link properly after rename, otherwise missing files would
 	# lead rpm failed dependencies.
 	ln -sf newgrp.${BPN} ${D}${bindir}/sg
+
+	# usermod requires the subuid/subgid files to be in place before being
+	# able to use the -v/-V flags otherwise it fails:
+	# usermod: /etc/subuid does not exist, you cannot use the flags -v or -V
+	install -d ${D}${sysconfdir}
+	touch ${D}${sysconfdir}/subuid
+	touch ${D}${sysconfdir}/subgid
 }
 
 PACKAGES =+ "${PN}-base"