diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/anaconda.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/anaconda.pm
index 4cba7141d..c76cb0ff7 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/anaconda.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/anaconda.pm
@@ -776,18 +776,47 @@ sub mkinstall
             if ($maxmem) {
                 $kcmdline.=" mem=$maxmem";
             }
+            my $ksdev = "";
             if ($ent->{installnic})
             {
-                $kcmdline .= " ksdevice=" . $ent->{installnic};
+                if ($ent->{installnic} eq "mac")
+                {
+                    my $mactab = xCAT::Table->new("mac");
+                    my $macref = $mactab->getNodeAttribs($node, ['mac']);
+                    $ksdev = $macref->{mac};
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    $ksdev = $ent->{installnic};
+                }
             }
             elsif ($ent->{primarynic})
             {
-                $kcmdline .= " ksdevice=" . $ent->{primarynic};
+                if ($ent->{primarynic} eq "mac")
+                {
+                    my $mactab = xCAT::Table->new("mac");
+                    my $macref = $mactab->getNodeAttribs($node, ['mac']);
+                    $ksdev = $macref->{mac};
+                }
+                else
+                {
+                    $ksdev = $ent->{primarynic};
+                }
             }
             else
             {
-                $kcmdline .= " ksdevice=eth0";
+                $ksdev = "eth0";
             }
+            if ($ksdev eq "")
+            {
+                $callback->(
+                        {
+                         error => ["No MAC address defined for " . $node],
+                         errorcode => [1]
+                        }
+                        );
+             }
+             $kcmdline .= " ksdevice=" . $ksdev;
 
             #TODO: dd=<url> for driver disks
             if (defined($sent->{serialport}))
diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/sles.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/sles.pm
index 5dfc26344..f27aaae07 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/sles.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/sles.pm
@@ -653,18 +653,47 @@ sub mkinstall
             } 
             else 
             {
+                my $netdev = "";
                 if ($ent->{installnic})
                 {
-                    $kcmdline .= " netdevice=" . $ent->{installnic};
+                    if ($ent->{installnic} eq "mac")
+                    {
+                        my $mactab = xCAT::Table->new("mac");
+                        my $macref = $mactab->getNodeAttribs($node, ['mac']);
+                        $netdev = $macref->{mac};
+                     }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        $netdev = $ent->{installnic};
+                    }
                 }
                 elsif ($ent->{primarynic})
                 {
-                    $kcmdline .= " netdevice=" . $ent->{primarynic};
+                    if ($ent->{primarynic} eq "mac")
+                    {
+                        my $mactab = xCAT::Table->new("mac");
+                        my $macref = $mactab->getNodeAttribs($node, ['mac']);
+                        $netdev = $macref->{mac};
+                    }
+                    else
+                    {
+                        $netdev = $ent->{primarynic};
+                    }
                 }
                 else
                 {
-                    $kcmdline .= " netdevice=eth0";
+                    $netdev = "eth0";
                 }
+                if ($netdev eq "") #why it is blank, no mac defined?
+                {
+                    $callback->(
+                        {
+                            error => ["No mac.mac for $node defined"],
+                            errorcode => [1]
+                        }
+                    );
+                }
+                $kcmdline .= " netdevice=" . $netdev;
             }
 
             #TODO: driver disk handling should in SLES case be a mod of the install source, nothing to see here