diff --git a/src/finit.c b/src/finit.c
index 94f42ca2..bed491e1 100644
--- a/src/finit.c
+++ b/src/finit.c
@@ -157,54 +157,6 @@ static int fsck(int pass)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-static void networking(void)
-{
-	FILE *fp;
-
-	/* Run user network start script if enabled */
-	if (network) {
-		run_interactive(network, "Starting networking: %s", network);
-		goto done;
-	}
-
-	/* Debian/Ubuntu/Busybox/RH/Suse */
-	if (!whichp("ifup"))
-		goto done;
-
-	fp = fopen("/etc/network/interfaces", "r");
-	if (fp) {
-		int i = 0;
-		char buf[160];
-
-		/* Bring up all 'auto' interfaces */
-		while (fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), fp)) {
-			char cmd[80];
-			char *line, *ifname = NULL;
-
-			chomp(buf);
-			line = strip_line(buf);
-
-			if (!strncmp(line, "auto", 4))
-				ifname = &line[5];
-			if (!strncmp(line, "allow-hotplug", 13))
-				ifname = &line[14];
-
-			if (!ifname)
-				continue;
-
-			snprintf(cmd, 80, "ifup %s", ifname);
-			run_interactive(cmd, "Bringing up interface %s", ifname);
-			i++;
-		}
-
-		fclose(fp);
-	}
-
-done:
-	/* Fall back to bring up at least loopback */
-	ifconfig("lo", "127.0.0.1", "255.0.0.0", 1);
-}
-
 /*
  * If everything goes south we can use this to give the operator an
  * emergency shell to debug the problem -- Finit should not crash!
@@ -261,19 +213,6 @@ static void emergency_shell(void)
  */
 static void finalize(void)
 {
-	/*
-	 * Network stuff
-	 */
-	if (!rescue) {
-		_d("Setting up networking ...");
-		networking();
-
-		/* Hooks that rely on loopback, or basic networking being up. */
-		_d("Calling all network up hooks ...");
-		plugin_run_hooks(HOOK_NETWORK_UP);
-	}
-	umask(022);
-
 	/*
 	 * Run startup scripts in the runparts directory, if any.
 	 */
@@ -535,6 +474,7 @@ int main(int argc, char* argv[])
 
 	/* Start new initctl API responder */
 	api_init(&loop);
+	umask(022);
 
 	/*
 	 * Wait for all SVC_TYPE_RUNTASK to have completed their work in
diff --git a/src/helpers.c b/src/helpers.c
index dacb1881..f433652f 100644
--- a/src/helpers.c
+++ b/src/helpers.c
@@ -212,6 +212,77 @@ done:
 		sethostname(*hostname, strlen(*hostname));
 }
 
+static void ifup(char *ifname, int updown)
+{
+	char cmd[80];
+
+	if (updown) {
+		snprintf(cmd, sizeof(cmd), "ifup %s", ifname);
+		run_interactive(cmd, "Bringing up interface %s", ifname);
+	} else {
+		snprintf(cmd, sizeof(cmd), "ifdown -f %s", ifname);
+		run_interactive(cmd, "Taking down interface %s", ifname);
+	}
+}
+
+/*
+ * Bring up networking, but only if not single-user or rescue mode
+ */
+void networking(int updown)
+{
+	FILE *fp;
+
+	if (updown)
+		_d("Setting up networking ...");
+	else
+		_d("Taking down networking ...");
+
+	/* Run user network start script if enabled */
+	if (updown && network) {
+		run_interactive(network, "Starting networking: %s", network);
+		goto done;
+	}
+
+	/* Debian/Ubuntu/Busybox/RH/Suse */
+	if (!whichp("ifup"))
+		goto done;
+
+	fp = fopen("/etc/network/interfaces", "r");
+	if (fp) {
+		char buf[160];
+
+		/* Bring up, or down, all 'auto' interfaces */
+		while (fgets(buf, sizeof(buf), fp)) {
+			char *line, *ifname = NULL;
+
+			chomp(buf);
+			line = strip_line(buf);
+
+			if (!strncmp(line, "auto", 4))
+				ifname = &line[5];
+			if (!strncmp(line, "allow-hotplug", 13))
+				ifname = &line[14];
+
+			if (!ifname)
+				continue;
+
+			ifup(ifname, updown);
+		}
+
+		fclose(fp);
+	}
+
+done:
+	/* Fall back to bring up at least loopback */
+	ifconfig("lo", "127.0.0.1", "255.0.0.0", updown);
+
+	/* Hooks that rely on loopback, or basic networking being up. */
+	if (updown) {
+		_d("Calling all network up hooks ...");
+		plugin_run_hooks(HOOK_NETWORK_UP);
+	}
+}
+
 #ifndef HAVE_GETFSENT
 static lfile_t *fstab = NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/helpers.h b/src/helpers.h
index a3fd0c69..ee15f87b 100644
--- a/src/helpers.h
+++ b/src/helpers.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ int     print_result    (int fail);
 int     getuser         (char *username, char **home);
 int     getgroup        (char *group);
 void    set_hostname    (char **hostname);
+void    networking      (int updown);
 
 int     complete        (char *cmd, int pid);
 int     run             (char *cmd);
diff --git a/src/service.c b/src/service.c
index 9f73224b..6620d492 100644
--- a/src/service.c
+++ b/src/service.c
@@ -468,8 +468,14 @@ void service_reload_dynamic(void)
  */
 void service_runlevel(int newlevel)
 {
+	if (!rescue && runlevel <= 1 && newlevel > 1)
+		networking(1);
+
 	sm_set_runlevel(&sm, newlevel);
 	sm_step(&sm);
+
+	if (!rescue && runlevel <= 1)
+		networking(0);
 }
 
 /**