diff --git a/initramfs-init.in b/initramfs-init.in
index 3c05f81..0050787 100755
--- a/initramfs-init.in
+++ b/initramfs-init.in
@@ -52,6 +52,11 @@ find_ovl() {
 	local ovl
 	local lines
 
+	if [ -n "$APKOVL" ]; then
+		[ -f "$mnt/$APKOVL" ] && echo "$mnt/$APKOVL"
+		return
+	fi
+
 	# look for apkovl's on mounted media
 	ovl=$( ls -1 "$mnt"/*.apkovl.tar.gz* 2>/dev/null ) || return 1
 	lines=$(echo "$ovl" | wc -l)
@@ -191,7 +196,7 @@ setup_inittab_console(){
 		esac
 		shift
 
-                # skip "current console" from beign added to inittab
+		# skip "current console" from being added to inittab
 		[ "$tty" = "tty0" ] && continue
 
 		# do nothing if inittab already have the tty set up
@@ -240,6 +245,81 @@ start_lvm() {
 		lvm vgchange --ignorelockingfailure -a y >/dev/null 2>&1
 }
 
+# determine the default interface to use if ip=dhcp is set
+# uses the first "eth" interface.
+ip_choose_if() {
+	for x in /sys/class/net/eth*; do
+		[ -e "$x" ] && echo ${x##*/} && return
+	done
+}
+
+# ip_set <device> <ip> <netmask> <gateway-ip>
+ip_set() {
+	ifconfig "$1" "$2" netmask "$3" || return $?
+	if [ -n "$4" ]; then
+		ip route add 0.0.0.0/0 via "$4" dev "$1" || return $?
+	fi
+}
+
+# if "ip=dhcp" is specified on the command line, we obtain an IP address
+# using udhcpc. we do this now and not by enabling kernel-mode DHCP because
+# kernel-model DHCP appears to require that network drivers be built into
+# the kernel rather than as modules. At this point all applicable modules
+# in the initrd should have been loaded.
+#
+# You need af_packet.ko available as well modules for your Ethernet card.
+#
+# Valid syntaxes:
+#   ip=client-ip:server-ip:gw-ip:netmask:hostname:device:autoconf
+#   ip=dhcp
+#   "server-ip" and "hostname" are not supported here.
+#
+configure_ip() {
+	[ -n "$KOPT_ip" ] || return
+	OIFS=$IFS
+	IFS=':'
+	eval set -- $KOPT_ip
+	IFS=$OIFS
+
+	local client_ip="$1"
+	local gw_ip="$3"
+	local netmask="$4"
+	local device="$6"
+	local autoconf="$7"
+	case "$client_ip" in
+		off|none|'') return;;
+		dhcp) autoconf="dhcp";;
+	esac
+
+	[ -n "$device" ] || device=$(ip_choose_if)
+	if [ -z "$device" ]; then
+		echo "ERROR: IP requested but no network device was found"
+		return 1
+	fi
+
+	if [ "$autoconf" = "dhcp" ]; then
+		if [ ! -e /usr/share/udhcpc/default.script ]; then
+			echo "ERROR: DHCP requested but not present in initrd"
+			return 1
+		fi
+		# automatic configuration
+		ebegin "Obtaining IP via DHCP ($device)..."
+		ifconfig $device 0.0.0.0
+		udhcpc -i $device -f -q
+		eend $?
+	else
+		# manual configuration
+		[ -n "$client_ip" -a -n "$netmask" ] || return
+		ebegin "Setting IP ($device)..."
+		ip_set "$device" "$client_ip" "$netmask" "$gw_ip"
+		eend $?
+	fi
+	MAC_ADDRESS=$(cat /sys/class/net/$device/address)
+	MACHINE_UUID=$(cat /sys/class/dmi/id/product_uuid)
+	OVL_DEV="${OVL_DEV/{MAC\}/$MAC_ADDRESS}"
+	OVL_DEV="${OVL_DEV/{UUID\}/$MACHINE_UUID}"
+}
+
 # resolve an uuid or symlink to the real device
 resolve_dev() {
 	case "$1" in
@@ -275,8 +355,12 @@ find_fs_type() {
 
 # find the dirs under ALPINE_MNT that are boot repositories
 find_boot_repositories() {
-	find $ALPINE_MNT -name .boot_repository -type f -maxdepth 3 \
-		| sed 's:/.boot_repository$::'
+	if [ -n "$ALPINE_REPO" ]; then
+		echo "$ALPINE_REPO"
+	else
+		find $ALPINE_MNT -name .boot_repository -type f -maxdepth 3 \
+			| sed 's:/.boot_repository$::'
+	fi
 }
 
 # gotta start from somewhere :)
@@ -286,8 +370,9 @@ echo "Alpine Init $VERSION"
 # acpi_osi="!Windows 2006"
 eval set -- `cat /proc/cmdline`
 
-myopts="alpine_dev autodetect autoraid chart cryptroot debug_init dma init_args
-	keep_apk_new modules ovl_dev pkgs quiet root_size root usbdelay"
+myopts="alpine_dev autodetect autoraid chart cryptroot cryptdm debug_init
+	dma init_args keep_apk_new modules ovl_dev pkgs quiet root_size root
+	usbdelay ip alpine_repo apkovl"
 
 for opt; do
 	case "$opt" in
@@ -340,6 +425,8 @@ ALPINE_DEV_FS=${KOPT_alpine_dev##*:}
 if [ "$ALPINE_DEV_FS" = "$ALPINE_DEV" ]; then
 	unset ALPINE_DEV_FS
 fi
+
+# /dev/blah:ext3
 if [ -n "$KOPT_ovl_dev" ] ; then
 	OVL_DEV=${KOPT_ovl_dev%%:*}
 	OVL_DEV_FS=${KOPT_ovl_dev##*:}
@@ -348,13 +435,44 @@ if [ -n "$KOPT_ovl_dev" ] ; then
 	fi
 fi
 
+# http://.../blah.apkovl.tar.gz
+case "$KOPT_apkovl" in
+	http://*|https://|ftp://*)
+		OVL_DEV="$KOPT_apkovl";;
+	*:*:*)	# apkovl=sda1:ext4:/subdir/host.apkovl.tar.gz
+		OVL_DEV="${KOPT_apkovl%%:*}"
+		OVL_DEV_FS="${KOPT_apkovl%:*}"
+		OVL_DEV_FS="${OVL_DEV_FS#*:}"
+		APKOVL="${KOPT_apkovl##*:}"
+		;;
+	*:*)	# apkovl=sda1:/subdir/host.apkovl.tar.gz
+		OVL_DEV=${KOPT_apkovl%%:*}
+		APKOVL=${KOPT_apkovl##*:}
+		;;
+	*)	# apkovl=subdir/host.apkovl.tar.gz
+		APKOVL="${KOPT_apkovl}"
+		;;
+esac
+
 case "$ALPINE_DEV" in
 	UUID=*|LABEL=*) ;;
+	nfs)
+		# nfs:IP:EXPORT
+		ALPINE_DEV_FS="$ALPINE_DEV"
+		ALPINE_DEV="${KOPT_alpine_dev:4}"
+		;;
 	*) ALPINE_DEV=/dev/$ALPINE_DEV ;;
 esac
 
+# The following values are supported:
+#   alpine_repo=auto         -- default, search for .boot_repository
+#   alpine_repo=http://...   -- network repository
+ALPINE_REPO=${KOPT_alpine_repo}
+[ "$ALPINE_REPO" = "auto" ] && ALPINE_REPO=
+
 # look for standard mountpoint locations
 ALPINE_MNT=$(find_mnt $ALPINE_DEV /etc/fstab)
+[ -z "$ALPINE_MNT" ] && [ "$ALPINE_DEV_FS" = nfs ] && ALPINE_MNT=/media/alpine
 [ -z "$ALPINE_MNT" ] && ALPINE_MNT=/media/${ALPINE_DEV##*/}
 
 # hide kernel messages
@@ -428,6 +546,9 @@ if [ -z "${ALPINE_DEV##*usb*}" ]; then
 	wait_usb
 fi
 
+# IP. This shouldn't be needed if root= is set.
+configure_ip
+
 # incase we have alpine_dev on raid device...
 start_raid
 start_cryptsetup
@@ -444,6 +565,7 @@ fi
 
 if [ -n "$ALPINE_DEV_FS" ]; then
 	mount_opts="-t $ALPINE_DEV_FS"
+	[ "$ALPINE_DEV_FS" = "nfs" ] && mount_opts="$mount_opts -o nolock"
 fi
 
 retry_mount -o ro $mount_opts $ALPINE_DEV $ALPINE_MNT >/dev/null 2>&1
@@ -462,19 +584,27 @@ if [ -n "$KOPT_root_size" ]; then
 fi
 mount -t tmpfs $root_opts tmpfs $sysroot
 
-if [ -n "$OVL_DEV" ]; then
-	mkdir -p /media/$OVL_DEV
-	unset mount_opts
-	if [ -n "$OVL_DEV_FS" ]; then
-		mount_opts="-t $OVL_DEV_FS"
-	fi
-	
-	retry_mount -o ro $mount_opts /dev/$OVL_DEV /media/$OVL_DEV \
-		>/dev/null 2>&1
-	ovl=$(find_ovl /media/$OVL_DEV)
-else
-	find_ovl_dev
-fi
+case "$OVL_DEV" in
+	'')
+		find_ovl_dev
+		;;
+	http://*|https://*|ftp://*)
+		ovl=/tmp/boot.apkovl.tar.gz
+		wget -O "$ovl" "$OVL_DEV" || ovl=
+		;;
+	*)
+		mkdir -p /media/$OVL_DEV
+		unset mount_opts
+		if [ -n "$OVL_DEV_FS" ]; then
+			mount_opts="-t $OVL_DEV_FS"
+		fi
+		
+		retry_mount -o ro $mount_opts /dev/$OVL_DEV /media/$OVL_DEV \
+			>/dev/null 2>&1
+		ovl=$(find_ovl /media/$OVL_DEV)
+		;;
+esac
+
 if ! [ -f "$ovl" ]; then
 	ovl=$(find_ovl $ALPINE_MNT)
 fi
@@ -508,7 +638,8 @@ if [ -f "$ovl" ]; then
 			-e 's|:/etc/init.d/rcK|:/sbin/rc shutdown|' \
 			"$sysroot"/etc/inittab
 	fi
-else
+fi
+if [ -f "$sysroot/etc/.default_boot_services" -o ! -f "$ovl" ]; then
 	# add some boot services by default
 	rc_add devfs sysinit
 	rc_add dmesg sysinit
@@ -524,6 +655,8 @@ else
 	rc_add mount-ro shutdown
 	rc_add killprocs shutdown
 	rc_add savecache shutdown
+
+	rm -f "$sysroot/etc/.default_boot_services"
 fi
 
 if [ -f $sysroot/etc/fstab ]; then
@@ -569,7 +702,14 @@ ebegin "Installing packages to root filesystem"
 if [ "$KOPT_chart" = yes ]; then
 	pkgs="$pkgs acct"
 fi
-apkflags="--initdb --progress --force --no-network"
+
+apkflags="--initdb --progress --force"
+if [ -z "$ALPINE_REPO" ]; then
+	apkflags="$apkflags --no-network"
+else
+	apkflags="$apkflags --update-cache"
+fi
+
 if [ -n "$KOPT_quiet" ]; then
 	apkflags="$apkflags --quiet"
 fi
@@ -580,7 +720,7 @@ if [ "$KOPT_keep_apk_new" != yes ]; then
 fi
 
 if [ -n "$ovlfiles" ]; then
-	apk add --root $sysroot $repo_opt $apkflags $pkgs <$ovlfiles>/dev/null 
+	apk add --root $sysroot $repo_opt $apkflags $pkgs <$ovlfiles>/dev/null
 else
 	apk add --root $sysroot $repo_opt $apkflags $pkgs >/dev/null
 fi
@@ -613,11 +753,14 @@ fi
 setup_inittab_console $CONSOLE
 
 # copy alpine release info
-if ! [ -f "$sysroot"/etc/alpine-release ]; then
+if ! [ -f "$sysroot"/etc/alpine-release ] && [ -f $ALPINE_MNT/.alpine-release ]; then
 	cp $ALPINE_MNT/.alpine-release $sysroot/
 	ln -sf /.alpine-release $sysroot/etc/alpine-release
 fi
 
+! [ -f "$sysroot"/etc/resolv.conf ] && [ -f /etc/resolv.conf ] && \
+  cp /etc/resolv.conf "$sysroot"/etc
+
 # setup bootchart for switch_root
 chart_init=""
 if [ "$KOPT_chart" = yes ]; then