diff --git a/internal/app/init/pkg/network/networkd.go b/internal/app/init/pkg/network/networkd.go
index d9f2c3654..c2af37c28 100644
--- a/internal/app/init/pkg/network/networkd.go
+++ b/internal/app/init/pkg/network/networkd.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func (svc *Service) Main(ctx context.Context, data *userdata.UserData, logWriter
 		wg.Add(1)
 		go func() {
 			defer wg.Done()
-			svc.DHCPd(ctx, DefaultInterface)
+			svc.DHCPd(ctx, defaultInterface())
 		}()
 	} else {
 		for _, netconf := range data.Networking.OS.Devices {
diff --git a/internal/app/init/pkg/network/setup.go b/internal/app/init/pkg/network/setup.go
index 53deb416b..9f824678e 100644
--- a/internal/app/init/pkg/network/setup.go
+++ b/internal/app/init/pkg/network/setup.go
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ import (
 	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+	"github.com/talos-systems/talos/internal/pkg/constants"
+	"github.com/talos-systems/talos/internal/pkg/kernel"
 	"github.com/talos-systems/talos/pkg/userdata"
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
 )
@@ -75,12 +77,12 @@ func defaultNetworkSetup() (err error) {
 	if err = StaticAddress(userdata.Device{Interface: "lo", CIDR: "127.0.0.1/8"}); err != nil && err != syscall.EEXIST {
 		return err
 	}
-	if err = ifup(DefaultInterface); err != nil {
+
+	if err = ifup(defaultInterface()); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-
 	// TODO: this calls out to 'networkd' inline
-	if _, err = NewService().Dhclient(context.Background(), DefaultInterface); err != nil {
+	if _, err = NewService().Dhclient(context.Background(), defaultInterface()); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -109,3 +111,12 @@ func ifup(ifname string) (err error) {
 
 	return nil
 }
+
+func defaultInterface() string {
+	netif := DefaultInterface
+	if option := kernel.Cmdline().Get(constants.KernelParamDefaultInterface).First(); option != nil {
+		netif = *option
+	}
+
+	return netif
+}
diff --git a/internal/pkg/constants/constants.go b/internal/pkg/constants/constants.go
index 9635d8d63..6d4379484 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/constants/constants.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/constants/constants.go
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@ const (
 	// hostname.
 	KernelParamHostname = "talos.hostname"
 
+	// KernelParamDefaultInterface is the kernel parameter for specifying the
+	// initial interface used to bootstrap the node
+	KernelParamDefaultInterface = "talos.interface"
+
 	// KernelCurrentRoot is the kernel parameter name for specifying the
 	// current root partition.
 	KernelCurrentRoot = "talos.root"