diff --git a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/sles.pm b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/sles.pm
index 71ff799ba..8cc23598a 100644
--- a/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/sles.pm
+++ b/xCAT-server/lib/xcat/plugins/sles.pm
@@ -408,17 +408,31 @@ sub mkinstall
               #  $kcmdline .= " netdevice=eth0";
               #}
 
-              #use mac.mac to set "netdevice=", if mac.mac exists
-              my $mactab = xCAT::Table->new('mac');
-              (my $macref) = $mactab->getAttribs({node => $node}, mac);
-              if ($macref) {
-                  $kcmdline .= " netdevice=$macref->{mac}";
-              }elsif ($ent->{installnic}) {
-                  $kcmdline .= " netdevice=" . $ent->{installnic};
-              }elsif ($ent->{primarynic}) {
-                  $kcmdline .= " netdevice=" . $ent->{primarynic};
-              }else {
-                  $kcmdline .= " netdevice=eth0";
+              if ($arch eq "ppc64") {
+                  #use mac.mac to set "netdevice=", if mac.mac exists
+                  my $mactab = xCAT::Table->new('mac');
+                  (my $macref) = $mactab->getAttribs({node => $node}, mac);
+                  if ($macref) {
+                      $kcmdline .= " netdevice=$macref->{mac}";
+                  } else {
+                      $callback->(
+                          {
+                              error => [
+                                "Unable to find the mac address for $node!"
+                              ],
+                              errorcode => [1]
+                          }
+                      );
+
+                  }
+              } else {  #mac.mac is not verified on system x, so it keeps the old way
+                  if ($ent->{installnic}) {
+                      $kcmdline .= " netdevice=" . $ent->{installnic};
+                  }elsif ($ent->{primarynic}) {
+                      $kcmdline .= " netdevice=" . $ent->{primarynic};
+                  }else {
+                      $kcmdline .= " netdevice=eth0";
+                  }
               }
 
             #TODO: driver disk handling should in SLES case be a mod of the install source, nothing to see here