diff --git a/pkgs/servers/network-script/network b/pkgs/servers/network-script/network
index 8319e8e45fce..e676ff55a04c 100755
--- a/pkgs/servers/network-script/network
+++ b/pkgs/servers/network-script/network
@@ -15,17 +15,22 @@ source @initscripts@/functions
 
 RETVAL=0
 prog="network"
+INTERFACE=eth0
 
 startService()
 {
 	# just do networking
-	echo -n $"Starting $prog:"
-	@dhcp@/sbin/dhclient
+	echo -n "Starting $prog:"
+	@dhcp@/sbin/dhclient $INTERFACE
+
+	RETVAL=$?
+	echo "retval $RETVAL"
+	return $RETVAL
 }
 
 stopService()
 {
-	echo -n $"Stopping $prog:"
+	echo "BLAAT"
 }
 
 reload()
diff --git a/pkgs/servers/server-scripts/generic/functions b/pkgs/servers/server-scripts/generic/functions
index 3fac760b9e02..d67370388f03 100644
--- a/pkgs/servers/server-scripts/generic/functions
+++ b/pkgs/servers/server-scripts/generic/functions
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ NIXPKGS=@nixpkgs@
 
 start_deps() {
 	for i in $deps; do
+		echo $i
 		name=`$i/control name`
 
 		if ! test -a "$RCDIR/$name"; then
@@ -57,12 +58,28 @@ start() {
 	# if not, continue
 	# launch all hard dependencies
 	start_deps
+
+	RETVAL=$?
+
+	if test $RETVAL != 0; then
+		echo $prog failed
+		exit $RETVAL
+	fi
+
 	# launch all preferred dependencies
 	echo "softdeps" $softdeps
 	start_softdeps
 	# launch our own program
 	startService
 	# if successful, then register
+
+	RETVAL=$?
+
+	if test $RETVAL != 0; then
+		echo $prog failed
+		exit $RETVAL
+	fi
+
 	register
 }
 
@@ -74,6 +91,7 @@ stop() {
 	fi
 	# stop our own program
 	stopService
+	echo "unregistering"
 	unregister
 }