diff --git a/boot/boot.sh b/boot/boot.sh
index 3f17ea32ac00..191c081c7539 100644
--- a/boot/boot.sh
+++ b/boot/boot.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! @bash@/bin/sh -e
 
-export PATH=@nix@/bin:@bash@/bin:@coreutils@/bin:@findutils@/bin:@utillinux@/bin:@utillinux@/sbin:@sysvinit@/bin:@sysvinit@/sbin:@e2fsprogs@/bin:@e2fsprogs@/sbin
+. @out@/bin/env.sh
 
 echo "--- Nix ---"
 
@@ -16,4 +16,16 @@ mount -n -o remount,rw /dev/root /
 echo "mounting /mnt/host..."
 mount -n -t hostfs none /mnt/host
 
+echo "setting up hostname..."
+hostname uml
+
+echo "enabling loopback interface..."
+ifconfig lo 127.0.0.1
+
+echo "enabling ethernet interface..."
+ifconfig eth0 $(cat /etc/networking/local-ip) up
+
+echo "setting up routing table..."
+route add default gw $(cat /etc/networking/gateway-ip)
+
 echo "boot done."
diff --git a/boot/builder.sh b/boot/builder.sh
index 902940dc9075..8748d8875e5d 100755
--- a/boot/builder.sh
+++ b/boot/builder.sh
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 mkdir $out
 mkdir $out/bin
 
-for i in $boot $halt $login; do
+for i in $boot $halt $login $env; do
     dst=$out/bin/$(basename $i | cut -c34-)
     sed \
         -e "s^@bash\@^$bash^g" \
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ for i in $boot $halt $login; do
         -e "s^@utillinux\@^$utillinux^g" \
         -e "s^@sysvinit\@^$sysvinit^g" \
         -e "s^@e2fsprogs\@^$e2fsprogs^g" \
+        -e "s^@nettools\@^$nettools^g" \
         -e "s^@nix\@^$nix^g" \
+        -e "s^@out\@^$out^g" \
         < $i > $dst
     chmod +x $dst
-done
\ No newline at end of file
+done
diff --git a/boot/default.nix b/boot/default.nix
index 8f6820c5e4ac..6ecd30758b8a 100644
--- a/boot/default.nix
+++ b/boot/default.nix
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
-{stdenv, bash, coreutils, findutils, utillinux, sysvinit, e2fsprogs, nix}:
+{ stdenv, bash, coreutils, findutils, utillinux, sysvinit, e2fsprogs
+, nettools, nix}:
 
 derivation {
   name = "boot";
@@ -7,5 +8,7 @@ derivation {
   boot = ./boot.sh;
   halt = ./halt.sh;
   login = ./login.sh;
-  inherit stdenv bash coreutils findutils utillinux sysvinit e2fsprogs nix;
+  env = ./env.sh;
+  inherit stdenv bash coreutils findutils utillinux sysvinit
+          e2fsprogs nettools nix;
 }
diff --git a/boot/env.sh b/boot/env.sh
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..75504da38b7d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/boot/env.sh
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export PATH=@nix@/bin:@bash@/bin:@coreutils@/bin:@findutils@/bin:@utillinux@/bin:@utillinux@/sbin:@sysvinit@/bin:@sysvinit@/sbin:@e2fsprogs@/bin:@e2fsprogs@/sbin:@nettools@/bin:@nettools@/sbin:
diff --git a/boot/halt.sh b/boot/halt.sh
index 19e890458547..8ec9e64535be 100644
--- a/boot/halt.sh
+++ b/boot/halt.sh
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 #! @bash@/bin/sh -e
 
-export PATH=@nix@/bin:@bash@/bin:@coreutils@/bin:@findutils@/bin:@utillinux@/bin:@utillinux@/sbin:@sysvinit@/bin:@sysvinit@/sbin:@e2fsprogs@/bin:@e2fsprogs@/sbin
+. @out@/bin/env.sh
 
 echo "remounting / read-only..."
 mount -n -o remount,rw /dev/root / || echo "(failed)" # ignore errors
diff --git a/boot/login.sh b/boot/login.sh
index 74e14b64de6d..9222b2aba132 100644
--- a/boot/login.sh
+++ b/boot/login.sh
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 #! @bash@/bin/sh -e
 
+. @out@/bin/env.sh
+
 tty=$1
 
 exec < $tty > $tty 2>&1
 
-export PATH=@nix@/bin:@bash@/bin:@coreutils@/bin:@findutils@/bin:@utillinux@/bin:@utillinux@/sbin:@sysvinit@/bin:@sysvinit@/sbin:@e2fsprogs@/bin:@e2fsprogs@/sbin
-
 echo
 echo "=== Welcome to Nix! ==="
 
diff --git a/fill-disk.sh b/fill-disk.sh
index b50088e16e08..6dc0449f73e1 100755
--- a/fill-disk.sh
+++ b/fill-disk.sh
@@ -69,7 +69,16 @@ echo "id:2:initdefault:" >> $root/etc/inittab
 echo "si::bootwait:$bootPath/bin/boot.sh" >> $root/etc/inittab
 echo "ht:06:wait:$bootPath/bin/halt.sh" >> $root/etc/inittab
 echo "1:2345:respawn:$bootPath/bin/login.sh /dev/ttys/0" >> $root/etc/inittab
-echo "2:2345:respawn:$bootPath/bin/login.sh /dev/ttys/1" >> $root/etc/inittab
+#echo "2:2345:respawn:$bootPath/bin/login.sh /dev/ttys/1" >> $root/etc/inittab
+
+echo setting up networking information...
+make_dir 00755 /etc/networking
+echo 192.168.150.1 > $root/etc/networking/local-ip
+echo 192.168.150.3 > $root/etc/networking/gateway-ip
+cp /etc/resolv.conf $root/etc
+rm -f $root/etc/hosts
+echo "127.0.0.1 localhost" >> $root/etc/hosts
+echo "192.168.150.1 uml" >> $root/etc/hosts
 
 echo unmounting...
 umount $root
diff --git a/pkgs.nix b/pkgs.nix
index d0df974d9024..3b6fcb7646e1 100644
--- a/pkgs.nix
+++ b/pkgs.nix
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 rec {
   inherit (import pkgs/system/i686-linux.nix)
-    stdenv bash coreutils findutils utillinux sysvinit e2fsprogs nix;
+    stdenv bash coreutils findutils utillinux sysvinit e2fsprogs
+    nettools nix;
 
-  boot = (import ./boot)
-    {inherit stdenv bash coreutils findutils utillinux sysvinit e2fsprogs nix;};
+  boot = (import ./boot) {inherit stdenv bash coreutils findutils
+    utillinux sysvinit e2fsprogs nettools nix;};
 
   everything = [boot sysvinit];
 }
diff --git a/run.sh b/run.sh
index 5f6a9e34fe98..9a51834e0d2f 100755
--- a/run.sh
+++ b/run.sh
@@ -2,4 +2,6 @@
 
 image=/tmp/disk.img
 
-linux ubd0="$image" mem=256M init="/init"
+linux ubd0="$image" mem=256M \
+  eth0=tuntap,tap4,,192.168.150.1 \
+  init="/init"