diff --git a/src/initrd/nmi-cmdline-reader.c b/src/initrd/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
index 510e103cb9..c7a01aaea1 100644
--- a/src/initrd/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
+++ b/src/initrd/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
@@ -868,6 +868,18 @@ nmi_cmdline_reader_parse (const char *sysfs_dir, const char *const*argv)
 
 		connection = get_conn (connections, NULL, NM_SETTING_WIRED_SETTING_NAME);
 		s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
+
+		if (   nm_connection_get_interface_name (connection)
+		    || (   nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired)
+		        && !nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired), -1,
+		                                     bootif, -1))) {
+			connection = add_conn (connections, "bootif_connection", "BOOTIF Connection",
+			                       NULL, NM_SETTING_WIRED_SETTING_NAME,
+			                       NM_CONNECTION_MULTI_CONNECT_SINGLE);
+			s_wired = (NMSettingWired *) nm_setting_wired_new ();
+			nm_connection_add_setting (connection, (NMSetting *) s_wired);
+		}
+
 		g_object_set (s_wired,
 		              NM_SETTING_WIRED_MAC_ADDRESS, bootif,
 		              NULL);
diff --git a/src/initrd/tests/test-cmdline-reader.c b/src/initrd/tests/test-cmdline-reader.c
index 1a34afa87d..52183ae77a 100644
--- a/src/initrd/tests/test-cmdline-reader.c
+++ b/src/initrd/tests/test-cmdline-reader.c
@@ -268,8 +268,7 @@ test_multiple (void)
 {
 	gs_unref_hashtable GHashTable *connections = NULL;
 	const char *const*ARGV = NM_MAKE_STRV ("ip=192.0.2.2:::::eth0",
-	                                       "ip=[2001:db8::2]:::::eth0",
-	                                       "BOOTIF=00:53:AB:cd:02:03");
+	                                       "ip=[2001:db8::2]:::::eth0");
 	NMConnection *connection;
 	NMSettingWired *s_wired;
 	NMSettingIPConfig *s_ip4;
@@ -287,7 +286,6 @@ test_multiple (void)
 
 	s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
 	g_assert (s_wired);
-	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired), ==, "00:53:AB:CD:02:03");
 
 	s_ip4 = nm_connection_get_setting_ip4_config (connection);
 	g_assert (s_ip4);
@@ -347,7 +345,7 @@ test_some_more (void)
 	gs_unref_hashtable GHashTable *connections = NULL;
 	const char *const*ARGV = NM_MAKE_STRV ("bootdev=eth1", "hail", "nameserver=[2001:DB8:3::53]",
 	                                       "satan", "nameserver=192.0.2.53", "worship",
-	                                       "BOOTIF=01-00-53-AB-cd-02-03", "doom", "rd.peerdns=0",
+	                                       "doom", "rd.peerdns=0",
 	                                       "rd.route=[2001:DB8:3::/48]:[2001:DB8:2::1]:ens10");
 	NMConnection *connection;
 	NMSettingConnection *s_con;
@@ -373,7 +371,6 @@ test_some_more (void)
 
 	s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
 	g_assert (s_wired);
-	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired), ==, "00:53:AB:CD:02:03");
 
 	s_ip4 = nm_connection_get_setting_ip4_config (connection);
 	g_assert (s_ip4);
@@ -935,6 +932,98 @@ test_rd_znet_legacy (void)
 	nmtst_assert_connection_verifies_without_normalization (connection);
 }
 
+static void
+test_bootif (void)
+{
+	gs_unref_hashtable GHashTable *connections = NULL;
+	const char *const*ARGV = NM_MAKE_STRV ("BOOTIF=00:53:AB:cd:02:03",
+	                                       "ip=dhcp");
+	NMConnection *connection;
+	NMSettingWired *s_wired;
+	NMSettingIPConfig *s_ip4;
+	NMSettingIPConfig *s_ip6;
+
+	connections = nmi_cmdline_reader_parse (TEST_INITRD_DIR "/sysfs", ARGV);
+	g_assert (connections);
+	g_assert_cmpint (g_hash_table_size (connections), ==, 1);
+
+	connection = g_hash_table_lookup (connections, "default_connection");
+	g_assert (connection);
+	nmtst_assert_connection_verifies_without_normalization (connection);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_connection_get_id (connection), ==, "Wired Connection");
+
+	s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired), ==, "00:53:AB:CD:02:03");
+	g_assert (s_wired);
+
+	s_ip4 = nm_connection_get_setting_ip4_config (connection);
+	g_assert (s_ip4);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_ip_config_get_method (s_ip4), ==, NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_METHOD_AUTO);
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_ip_config_get_ignore_auto_dns (s_ip4));
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_ip_config_get_may_fail (s_ip4));
+
+	s_ip6 = nm_connection_get_setting_ip6_config (connection);
+	g_assert (s_ip6);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_ip_config_get_method (s_ip6), ==, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_DISABLED);
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_ip_config_get_ignore_auto_dns (s_ip6));
+}
+
+static void
+test_bootif_hwtype (void)
+{
+	gs_unref_hashtable GHashTable *connections = NULL;
+	const char *const*ARGV = NM_MAKE_STRV ("ip=eth0:dhcp",
+	                                       "BOOTIF=01-00-53-AB-cd-02-03");
+	NMConnection *connection;
+	NMSettingWired *s_wired;
+	NMSettingIPConfig *s_ip4;
+	NMSettingIPConfig *s_ip6;
+
+	connections = nmi_cmdline_reader_parse (TEST_INITRD_DIR "/sysfs", ARGV);
+	g_assert (connections);
+	g_assert_cmpint (g_hash_table_size (connections), ==, 2);
+
+	connection = g_hash_table_lookup (connections, "eth0");
+	g_assert (connection);
+	nmtst_assert_connection_verifies_without_normalization (connection);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_connection_get_id (connection), ==, "eth0");
+
+	s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired));
+	g_assert (s_wired);
+
+	s_ip4 = nm_connection_get_setting_ip4_config (connection);
+	g_assert (s_ip4);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_ip_config_get_method (s_ip4), ==, NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_METHOD_AUTO);
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_ip_config_get_ignore_auto_dns (s_ip4));
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_ip_config_get_may_fail (s_ip4));
+
+	s_ip6 = nm_connection_get_setting_ip6_config (connection);
+	g_assert (s_ip6);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_ip_config_get_method (s_ip6), ==, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_DISABLED);
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_ip_config_get_ignore_auto_dns (s_ip6));
+
+	connection = g_hash_table_lookup (connections, "bootif_connection");
+	g_assert (connection);
+	nmtst_assert_connection_verifies_without_normalization (connection);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_connection_get_id (connection), ==, "BOOTIF Connection");
+
+	s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired), ==, "00:53:AB:CD:02:03");
+	g_assert (s_wired);
+
+	s_ip4 = nm_connection_get_setting_ip4_config (connection);
+	g_assert (s_ip4);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_ip_config_get_method (s_ip4), ==, NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_METHOD_AUTO);
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_ip_config_get_ignore_auto_dns (s_ip4));
+	g_assert (nm_setting_ip_config_get_may_fail (s_ip4));
+
+	s_ip6 = nm_connection_get_setting_ip6_config (connection);
+	g_assert (s_ip6);
+	g_assert_cmpstr (nm_setting_ip_config_get_method (s_ip6), ==, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_AUTO);
+	g_assert (!nm_setting_ip_config_get_ignore_auto_dns (s_ip6));
+	g_assert (nm_setting_ip_config_get_may_fail (s_ip6));
+}
 
 NMTST_DEFINE ();
 
@@ -961,6 +1050,8 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 	g_test_add_func ("/initrd/cmdline/ignore_extra", test_ignore_extra);
 	g_test_add_func ("/initrd/cmdline/rd_znet", test_rd_znet);
 	g_test_add_func ("/initrd/cmdline/rd_znet/legacy", test_rd_znet_legacy);
+	g_test_add_func ("/initrd/cmdline/bootif", test_bootif);
+	g_test_add_func ("/initrd/cmdline/bootif/hwtype", test_bootif_hwtype);
 
 	return g_test_run ();
 }