diff --git a/commands/net.c b/commands/net.c
index c7418264d..c079af132 100644
--- a/commands/net.c
+++ b/commands/net.c
@@ -151,6 +151,9 @@ static int do_dhcp (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int size;
 
+	if (NetLoopInit(DHCP) < 0)
+		return 1;
+
 	if ((size = NetLoop(DHCP)) < 0)
 		return 1;
 
@@ -217,6 +220,9 @@ netboot_common (proto_t proto, cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int argc, char *argv[])
 
 	safe_strncpy (BootFile, remotefile, sizeof(BootFile));
 
+	if (NetLoopInit(proto) < 0)
+		goto out;
+
 	if ((size = NetLoop(proto)) < 0) {
 		rcode = size;
 		goto out;
@@ -256,6 +262,9 @@ static int do_cdp (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int argc, char *argv[])
 {
 	int r;
 
+	if (NetLoopInit(CDP) < 0)
+		return 1;
+
 	r = NetLoop(CDP);
 	if (r < 0) {
 		printf("cdp failed; perhaps not a CISCO switch?\n");
diff --git a/include/net.h b/include/net.h
index add62733c..86c334000 100644
--- a/include/net.h
+++ b/include/net.h
@@ -315,6 +315,9 @@ extern IPaddr_t	NetNtpServerIP;			/* the ip address to NTP 	*/
 extern int NetTimeOffset;			/* offset time from UTC		*/
 
 /* Initialize the network adapter */
+int	NetLoopInit(proto_t);
+
+/* Do the work */
 int	NetLoop(proto_t);
 
 /* Shutdown adapters and cleanup */
diff --git a/net/net.c b/net/net.c
index 5aa51a5e0..7d94a3f73 100644
--- a/net/net.c
+++ b/net/net.c
@@ -238,8 +238,7 @@ void ArpTimeoutCheck(void)
  *	Main network processing loop.
  */
 
-int
-NetLoop(proto_t protocol)
+int NetLoopInit(proto_t protocol)
 {
 	struct eth_device *eth_current = eth_get_current();
 	IPaddr_t ip;
@@ -292,6 +291,11 @@ NetLoop(proto_t protocol)
 	NetOurNativeVLAN = getenv_VLAN("nvlan");
 	NetServerIP = dev_get_param_ip(&eth_current->dev, "serverip");
 
+	return 0;
+}
+
+int NetLoop(proto_t protocol)
+{
 	/*
 	 *	Start the ball rolling with the given start function.  From
 	 *	here on, this code is a state machine driven by received
diff --git a/net/ping.c b/net/ping.c
index 1fef18ae0..26b777882 100644
--- a/net/ping.c
+++ b/net/ping.c
@@ -97,6 +97,9 @@ int do_ping (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int argc, char *argv[])
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	if (NetLoopInit(PING) < 0)
+		return 1;
+
 	if (NetLoop(PING) < 0) {
 		printf("ping failed; host %s is not alive\n", argv[1]);
 		return 1;
diff --git a/net/sntp.c b/net/sntp.c
index df22caef2..3be166a37 100644
--- a/net/sntp.c
+++ b/net/sntp.c
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ int do_sntp (cmd_tbl_t *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *argv[])
 	if (toff == NULL) NetTimeOffset = 0;
 	else NetTimeOffset = simple_strtol (toff, NULL, 10);
 
+	if (NetLoopInit(SNTP) < 0)
+		return 1;
+
 	if (NetLoop(SNTP) < 0) {
 		printf("SNTP failed: host %s not responding\n", argv[1]);
 		return 1;