diff --git a/test/upstart-jobs/dhclient.nix b/test/upstart-jobs/dhclient.nix
index 3eb71f1745a..dae773ab717 100644
--- a/test/upstart-jobs/dhclient.nix
+++ b/test/upstart-jobs/dhclient.nix
@@ -10,9 +10,21 @@ start on network-interfaces/started
 stop on network-interfaces/stop
 
 script
+    # Determine the interface on which to start dhclient.
     interfaces=
-    for i in $(cd /sys/class/net && ls -d *); do
-        if test \"$i\" != \"lo\" -a \"$(cat /sys/class/net/$i/operstate)\" != 'down'; then
+
+    # !!! apparent race; operstate seems to have a slight delay, so
+    # if dhclient is started right after network-interfaces, we don't
+    # always see all the interfaces.
+
+    #for i in $(cd /sys/class/net && ls -d *); do
+    #    if test \"$i\" != \"lo\" -a \"$(cat /sys/class/net/$i/operstate)\" != 'down'; then
+    #        interfaces=\"$interfaces $i\"
+    #    fi
+    #done
+
+    for i in $(ifconfig | grep '^[^ ]' | sed 's/ .*//'); do
+        if test \"$i\" != \"lo\"; then
             interfaces=\"$interfaces $i\"
         fi
     done
diff --git a/test/upstart-jobs/network-interfaces.nix b/test/upstart-jobs/network-interfaces.nix
index 844ccd3f507..d85c7e02001 100644
--- a/test/upstart-jobs/network-interfaces.nix
+++ b/test/upstart-jobs/network-interfaces.nix
@@ -12,11 +12,12 @@ start script
     export MODULE_DIR=${kernel}/lib/modules/
 
     ${module_init_tools}/sbin/modprobe af_packet
-    
+
     for i in $(cd /sys/class/net && ls -d *); do
         echo \"Bringing up network device $i...\"
         ${nettools}/sbin/ifconfig $i up || true
     done
+
 end script
 
 # Hack: Upstart doesn't yet support what we want: a service that
@@ -25,7 +26,7 @@ respawn sleep 10000
 
 stop script
     for i in $(cd /sys/class/net && ls -d *); do
-        echo \"Bringing up network device $i...\"
+        echo \"Taking down network device $i...\"
         ${nettools}/sbin/ifconfig $i down || true
     done
 end script