diff --git a/rc/bin/cpurc b/rc/bin/cpurc
index e32f05950..3f4187420 100755
--- a/rc/bin/cpurc
+++ b/rc/bin/cpurc
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ if(test -r /net/ipselftab){
 		ether=`{ndb/query sys $sysname ether}
 		if(~ $#ether 1){
 			# try /lib/ndb first, then do dhcp
-			ip/ipconfig -N >[2]/dev/null || ip/ipconfig
+			ip/ipconfig -N >[2]/dev/null || ip/ipconfig -h $sysname
 		}
 		rm -f /env/ether
 	}
diff --git a/rc/bin/inst/configether b/rc/bin/inst/configether
index 5435853e9..3487a8b80 100755
--- a/rc/bin/inst/configether
+++ b/rc/bin/inst/configether
@@ -16,28 +16,12 @@ case go
 	gwaddr=xxx
 	ipaddr=xxx
 	ipmask=xxx
-	switch($ethermethod){
-	case dhcp
-		echo
-		echo 'Some ISPs, notably @HOME, require a host name passed with DHCP'
-		echo 'requests.  An example for @HOME would be "cc1018221-a".  If your'
-		echo 'ISP supplied you such a name, enter it.'
-		echo
-		prompt -d none 'dhcp host name'; dhcphost=$rd
-		switch($dhcphost){
-		case none
-			dhcphost=();
-		case *
-			dhcphost=(-h $dhcphost)
-		}
-		export dhcphost
-	case manual
+	if(~ $ethermethod manual){
 		prompt 'ip address'; ipaddr=$rd
 		prompt 'network mask'; ipmask=$rd
 		prompt 'gateway address'; gwaddr=$rd
 		export ipaddr ipmask gwaddr
 	}
-	
 	export ethermethod gwaddr ipaddr ipmask dhcphost
 	exec startether go
 
diff --git a/rc/bin/inst/startether b/rc/bin/inst/startether
index bfe8764dd..2580add19 100755
--- a/rc/bin/inst/startether
+++ b/rc/bin/inst/startether
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ case go
 	case manual
 		ip/ipconfig -g $gwaddr ether /net/ether0 $ipaddr $ipmask >>[2]/srv/log
 	case dhcp
-		ip/ipconfig $dhcphost >>[2]/srv/log
+		ip/ipconfig >>[2]/srv/log
 	}
 
 case checkdone
diff --git a/rc/bin/termrc b/rc/bin/termrc
index 8a109274d..c54fa6f8a 100755
--- a/rc/bin/termrc
+++ b/rc/bin/termrc
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ if(test -r /net/ipselftab){
 		ether=`{ndb/query sys $sysname ether}
 		if(~ $#ether 1){
 			# try /lib/ndb first, then do dhcp
-			ip/ipconfig -N >[2]/dev/null || ip/ipconfig
+			ip/ipconfig -N >[2]/dev/null || ip/ipconfig -h $sysname
 		}
 		rm -f /env/ether
 	}