diff --git a/src/hci/commands/ifmgmt_cmd.c b/src/hci/commands/ifmgmt_cmd.c
index c89af2e81..2e976d3fb 100644
--- a/src/hci/commands/ifmgmt_cmd.c
+++ b/src/hci/commands/ifmgmt_cmd.c
@@ -193,6 +193,8 @@ static int ifstat_exec ( int argc, char **argv ) {
 
 /** "ifconf" options */
 struct ifconf_options {
+	/** Configuration timeout */
+	unsigned long timeout;
 	/** Configurator */
 	struct net_device_configurator *configurator;
 };
@@ -202,6 +204,9 @@ static struct option_descriptor ifconf_opts[] = {
 	OPTION_DESC ( "configurator", 'c', required_argument,
 		      struct ifconf_options, configurator,
 		      parse_netdev_configurator ),
+	OPTION_DESC ( "timeout", 't', required_argument,
+		      struct ifconf_options, timeout,
+		      parse_timeout ),
 };
 
 /**
@@ -216,7 +221,8 @@ static int ifconf_payload ( struct net_device *netdev,
 	int rc;
 
 	/* Attempt configuration */
-	if ( ( rc = ifconf ( netdev, opts->configurator ) ) != 0 ) {
+	if ( ( rc = ifconf ( netdev, opts->configurator,
+			     opts->timeout ) ) != 0 ) {
 
 		/* Close device on failure, to avoid memory exhaustion */
 		netdev_close ( netdev );
diff --git a/src/include/usr/ifmgmt.h b/src/include/usr/ifmgmt.h
index 5c386327b..52f88f957 100644
--- a/src/include/usr/ifmgmt.h
+++ b/src/include/usr/ifmgmt.h
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@ struct net_device_configurator;
 
 extern int ifopen ( struct net_device *netdev );
 extern int ifconf ( struct net_device *netdev,
-		    struct net_device_configurator *configurator );
+		    struct net_device_configurator *configurator,
+		    unsigned long timeout );
 extern void ifclose ( struct net_device *netdev );
 extern void ifstat ( struct net_device *netdev );
 extern int iflinkwait ( struct net_device *netdev, unsigned long timeout );
diff --git a/src/usr/autoboot.c b/src/usr/autoboot.c
index 106e0f879..51b07e125 100644
--- a/src/usr/autoboot.c
+++ b/src/usr/autoboot.c
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ int netboot ( struct net_device *netdev ) {
 	ifstat ( netdev );
 
 	/* Configure device */
-	if ( ( rc = ifconf ( netdev, NULL ) ) != 0 )
+	if ( ( rc = ifconf ( netdev, NULL, 0 ) ) != 0 )
 		goto err_dhcp;
 	route();
 
diff --git a/src/usr/ifmgmt.c b/src/usr/ifmgmt.c
index f367149f7..f1172bafb 100644
--- a/src/usr/ifmgmt.c
+++ b/src/usr/ifmgmt.c
@@ -264,10 +264,12 @@ static int ifconf_progress ( struct ifpoller *ifpoller ) {
  *
  * @v netdev		Network device
  * @v configurator	Network device configurator, or NULL to use all
+ * @v timeout		Timeout period, in ticks
  * @ret rc		Return status code
  */
 int ifconf ( struct net_device *netdev,
-	     struct net_device_configurator *configurator ) {
+	     struct net_device_configurator *configurator,
+	     unsigned long timeout ) {
 	int rc;
 
 	/* Ensure device is open and link is up */
@@ -296,5 +298,5 @@ int ifconf ( struct net_device *netdev,
 		 ( configurator ? configurator->name : "" ),
 		 ( configurator ? "] " : "" ),
 		 netdev->name, netdev->ll_protocol->ntoa ( netdev->ll_addr ) );
-	return ifpoller_wait ( netdev, configurator, 0, ifconf_progress );
+	return ifpoller_wait ( netdev, configurator, timeout, ifconf_progress );
 }