diff --git a/sys/dev/virtual/vkernel/net/if_vke.c b/sys/dev/virtual/vkernel/net/if_vke.c
index 66ae46e..54c431c 100644
--- a/sys/dev/virtual/vkernel/net/if_vke.c
+++ b/sys/dev/virtual/vkernel/net/if_vke.c
@@ -683,33 +683,36 @@ vke_attach(const struct vknetif_info *info, int unit)
 	KKASSERT(info->tap_fd >= 0);
 	fd = info->tap_fd;
 
-	/*
-	 * This is only a TAP device if tap_unit is non-zero.  If
-	 * connecting to a virtual socket we generate a unique MAC.
-	 */
-	if (info->tap_unit >= 0) {
-		if (ioctl(fd, TAPGIFINFO, &tapinfo) < 0) {
-			kprintf(VKE_DEVNAME "%d: ioctl(TAPGIFINFO) "
-				"failed: %s\n", unit, strerror(errno));
-			return ENXIO;
-		}
+	if ((strcmp(info->ethstr, "needmac") == 0) ||
+	    (kether_aton(info->ethstr, enaddr) == NULL)) {
+		/*
+		 * This is only a TAP device if tap_unit is non-zero.  If
+		 * connecting to a virtual socket we generate a unique MAC.
+		 */
+		if (info->tap_unit >= 0) {
+			if (ioctl(fd, TAPGIFINFO, &tapinfo) < 0) {
+				kprintf(VKE_DEVNAME "%d: ioctl(TAPGIFINFO) "
+				    "failed: %s\n", unit, strerror(errno));
+				return ENXIO;
+			}
 
-		if (ioctl(fd, SIOCGIFADDR, enaddr) < 0) {
-			kprintf(VKE_DEVNAME "%d: ioctl(SIOCGIFADDR) "
-				"failed: %s\n", unit, strerror(errno));
-			return ENXIO;
-		}
-	} else {
-		int fd = open("/dev/urandom", O_RDONLY);
-		if (fd >= 0) {
-			read(fd, enaddr + 2, 4);
-			close(fd);
-		}
-		enaddr[4] = (int)getpid() >> 8;
-		enaddr[5] = (int)getpid() & 255;
+			if (ioctl(fd, SIOCGIFADDR, enaddr) < 0) {
+				kprintf(VKE_DEVNAME "%d: ioctl(SIOCGIFADDR) "
+				    "failed: %s\n", unit, strerror(errno));
+				return ENXIO;
+			}
+		} else {
+			int fd = open("/dev/urandom", O_RDONLY);
+			if (fd >= 0) {
+				read(fd, enaddr + 2, 4);
+				close(fd);
+			}
+			enaddr[4] = (int)getpid() >> 8;
+			enaddr[5] = (int)getpid() & 255;
 
+		}
+		enaddr[1] += 1;
 	}
-	enaddr[1] += 1;
 
 	sc = kmalloc(sizeof(*sc), M_DEVBUF, M_WAITOK | M_ZERO);
 
diff --git a/sys/platform/vkernel/include/md_var.h b/sys/platform/vkernel/include/md_var.h
index 2597bf4..4b211b1 100644
--- a/sys/platform/vkernel/include/md_var.h
+++ b/sys/platform/vkernel/include/md_var.h
@@ -41,6 +41,9 @@
 #ifndef _SYS_VKERNEL_H_
 #include <sys/vkernel.h>
 #endif
+#ifndef _NET_ETHERNET_H_
+#include <net/ethernet.h>
+#endif
 
 #define VKNETIF_MAX	16
 #define VKDISK_MAX	16
@@ -50,6 +53,7 @@ struct vknetif_info {
 	int		tap_unit;
 	in_addr_t	netif_addr;
 	in_addr_t	netif_mask;
+	char		ethstr[ETHER_ADDRSTRLEN + 1];
 };
 
 struct vkdisk_info {
diff --git a/sys/platform/vkernel64/include/md_var.h b/sys/platform/vkernel64/include/md_var.h
index 286b2fb..affded5 100644
--- a/sys/platform/vkernel64/include/md_var.h
+++ b/sys/platform/vkernel64/include/md_var.h
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@
 #ifndef _SYS_VKERNEL_H_
 #include <sys/vkernel.h>
 #endif
+#ifndef _NET_ETHERNET_H_
+#include <net/ethernet.h>
+#endif
 
 #define VKNETIF_MAX	16
 #define VKDISK_MAX	16
@@ -52,6 +55,7 @@ struct vknetif_info {
 	int		tap_unit;
 	in_addr_t	netif_addr;
 	in_addr_t	netif_mask;
+	char		ethstr[ETHER_ADDRSTRLEN + 1];
 };
 
 struct vkdisk_info {
diff --git a/sys/platform/vkernel64/platform/init.c b/sys/platform/vkernel64/platform/init.c
index 2b0ca2d..00d56bb 100644
--- a/sys/platform/vkernel64/platform/init.c
+++ b/sys/platform/vkernel64/platform/init.c
@@ -1178,6 +1178,7 @@ void
 init_netif(char *netifExp[], int netifExpNum)
 {
 	int i, s;
+	char *tmp;
 
 	if (netifExpNum == 0)
 		return;
@@ -1192,6 +1193,10 @@ init_netif(char *netifExp[], int netifExpNum)
 		int tap_fd, tap_unit;
 		char *netif;
 
+		/* Extract MAC address if there is one */
+		tmp = netifExp[i];
+		strsep(&tmp, "=");
+
 		netif = strtok(netifExp[i], ":");
 		if (netif == NULL) {
 			warnx("Invalid argument to '-I'");
@@ -1227,6 +1232,13 @@ init_netif(char *netifExp[], int netifExpNum)
 		info->tap_unit = tap_unit;
 		info->netif_addr = netif_addr;
 		info->netif_mask = netif_mask;
+		/*
+		 * Set our MAC in the case it was correctly passed.
+		 */
+		if (tmp != NULL)
+			strlcpy(info->ethstr, tmp, ETHER_ADDRSTRLEN + 1);
+		else
+			strlcpy(info->ethstr, "needmac", 7);
 
 		NetifNum++;
 		if (NetifNum >= VKNETIF_MAX)	/* XXX will this happen? */