diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/component.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/component.cc
index 210282cb5d..a38d9670c9 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/component.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/component.cc
@@ -124,7 +124,9 @@ Net::Root::Root(Entrypoint        &ep,
 	Root_component<Session_component>(&ep.rpc_ep(), &alloc), _timer(timer),
 	_ep(ep), _router_mac(router_mac), _config(config), _buf_ram(buf_ram),
 	_region_map(region_map), _interfaces(interfaces)
-{ }
+{
+	Mac_allocator::mac_addr_base = config.mac_first();
+}
 
 
 Session_component *Net::Root::_create_session(char const *args)
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/config.xsd b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/config.xsd
index d8a6a45d37..89025f923a 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/config.xsd
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/config.xsd
@@ -40,6 +40,13 @@
 		</xs:restriction>
 	</xs:simpleType><!-- Domain_name -->
 
+	<xs:simpleType name="Mac_address">
+		<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
+			<xs:minLength value="11"/>
+			<xs:maxLength value="17"/>
+		</xs:restriction>
+	</xs:simpleType><!-- Mac_address -->
+
 	<xs:simpleType name="Session_label">
 		<xs:restriction base="xs:string">
 			<xs:minLength value="1"/>
@@ -151,6 +158,7 @@
 				</xs:element><!-- domain -->
 
 			</xs:choice>
+			<xs:attribute name="mac_first"                 type="Mac_address" />
 			<xs:attribute name="verbose"                   type="Boolean" />
 			<xs:attribute name="verbose_packets"           type="Boolean" />
 			<xs:attribute name="verbose_domain_state"      type="Boolean" />
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.cc
index db0b6f7cc9..b9c7cd5975 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.cc
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ Configuration::Configuration(Env               &env,
 	_udp_idle_timeout     (read_sec_attr(node, "udp_idle_timeout_sec",      DEFAULT_UDP_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SEC     )),
 	_tcp_idle_timeout     (read_sec_attr(node, "tcp_idle_timeout_sec",      DEFAULT_TCP_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SEC     )),
 	_tcp_max_segm_lifetime(read_sec_attr(node, "tcp_max_segm_lifetime_sec", DEFAULT_TCP_MAX_SEGM_LIFETIME_SEC)),
+	_mac_first            (mac_from_string(node.attribute_value("mac_first", Mac_string("02:02:02:02:02:00")).string())),
 	_node(node)
 {
 	/* read domains */
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.h b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.h
index a560d77b6e..cc1fa94e21 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ class Net::Configuration
 {
 	private:
 
+		using Mac_string = Genode::String<17>;
+
 		Genode::Allocator          &_alloc;
 		bool                 const  _verbose                 { false };
 		bool                 const  _verbose_packets         { false };
@@ -41,6 +43,7 @@ class Net::Configuration
 		Genode::Microseconds const  _udp_idle_timeout        { DEFAULT_UDP_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SEC      };
 		Genode::Microseconds const  _tcp_idle_timeout        { DEFAULT_TCP_IDLE_TIMEOUT_SEC      };
 		Genode::Microseconds const  _tcp_max_segm_lifetime   { DEFAULT_TCP_MAX_SEGM_LIFETIME_SEC };
+		Mac_address          const  _mac_first               { mac_from_string("02:02:02:02:02:00") };
 		Pointer<Report>             _report                  { };
 		Pointer<Genode::Reporter>   _reporter                { };
 		Domain_tree                 _domains                 { };
@@ -86,6 +89,7 @@ class Net::Configuration
 		Domain_tree          &domains()                     { return _domains; }
 		Report               &report()                      { return _report(); }
 		Genode::Xml_node      node()                  const { return _node; }
+		Mac_address    const &mac_first()             const { return _mac_first; }
 };
 
 #endif /* _CONFIGURATION_H_ */