diff --git a/xCAT/postscripts/confignetwork b/xCAT/postscripts/confignetwork
index 01c60e8c0..ab4a9b4ba 100755
--- a/xCAT/postscripts/confignetwork
+++ b/xCAT/postscripts/confignetwork
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ function get_nic_cfg_file_content {
 boot_install_nic=0
 str_ib_nics=''
 num_iba_ports=
+ignore_nicips=0
 for arg in "$@"
 do
     if [ "$arg" = "-s" ];then
@@ -88,6 +89,10 @@ do
     elif [ "${arg:0:10}" = "--ibaports" ];then
         num_iba_ports=${arg#--ibaports=}
     fi
+    # --allownoip means ignore if nicips are not configured or not
+    if [ "$arg" = "--allownoip" ]; then
+        ignore_nicips=1
+    fi
 done
 if [ "$SETINSTALLNIC" = "1" ] || [ "$SETINSTALLNIC" = "yes" ]; then
     bool_install_nic=1
@@ -336,8 +341,12 @@ function sort_nics_device_order {
                     echo $alonenic
                 fi
             else
-                errorcode=1
-                echo "Error: nicips,nictypes and nicnetworks should be configured in nics table for $alonenic."
+                if [ $ignore_nicips -eq 1 ] && [ -z "$alonenicips" ]; then
+                    echo "nic $alonenic found, but incomplete configuration in node definition."
+                else
+                    errorcode=1
+                    echo "Error: nicips,nictypes and nicnetworks should be configured in nics table for $alonenic."
+                fi
                 ((num1+=1))
                 continue
             fi
@@ -635,6 +644,9 @@ parser_nic_attribute "$NICTYPES" "nictypes"
 #make hash for nicips
 parser_nic_attribute "$NICIPS" "nicips"
 
+#make hash for nicnetworks
+parser_nic_attribute "$NICNETWORKS" "nicnetworks"
+
 #make hash for niccustomscripts
 parser_nic_attribute "$NICCUSTOMSCRIPTS" "niccustomscripts"
 
@@ -659,8 +671,14 @@ if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
     errorcode=1
 fi
 
+#when --allownoip is used, print incomplete nics
+nonicips_list=`echo "$sorted_nicdevice_list" | grep "incomplete"`
+if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
+    echo "$nonicips_list"| log_lines info
+fi
+
 #delete invalid nics device pair based on Error
-valid_sorted_nicdevice_list=`echo "$sorted_nicdevice_list" | sed '/Error/d'`
+valid_sorted_nicdevice_list=`echo "$sorted_nicdevice_list" | sed '/Error/d' | sed '/incomplete configuration/d'`
 if [ -n "$valid_sorted_nicdevice_list" ]; then 
     log_info "All valid nics and device list:"
     echo "$valid_sorted_nicdevice_list" |log_lines info