diff --git a/include/net-lwip.h b/include/net-lwip.h
index 64e5c720560..0d3bb8a8bd8 100644
--- a/include/net-lwip.h
+++ b/include/net-lwip.h
@@ -10,7 +10,14 @@ enum proto_t {
 	TFTPGET
 };
 
-void net_lwip_set_current(void);
+static inline int eth_is_on_demand_init(void)
+{
+	return 1;
+}
+
+int eth_init_state_only(void); /* Set active state */
+
+int net_lwip_eth_start(void);
 struct netif *net_lwip_new_netif(struct udevice *udev);
 struct netif *net_lwip_new_netif_noip(struct udevice *udev);
 void net_lwip_remove_netif(struct netif *netif);
diff --git a/net/lwip/dhcp.c b/net/lwip/dhcp.c
index 3b7e4700c6e..92bd7067a7f 100644
--- a/net/lwip/dhcp.c
+++ b/net/lwip/dhcp.c
@@ -115,7 +115,8 @@ int do_dhcp(struct cmd_tbl *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *const argv[])
 	int ret;
 	struct udevice *dev;
 
-	net_lwip_set_current();
+	if (net_lwip_eth_start() < 0)
+		return CMD_RET_FAILURE;
 
 	dev = eth_get_dev();
 	if (!dev) {
diff --git a/net/lwip/dns.c b/net/lwip/dns.c
index 149bdb784dc..19172ac959a 100644
--- a/net/lwip/dns.c
+++ b/net/lwip/dns.c
@@ -121,7 +121,8 @@ int do_dns(struct cmd_tbl *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *const argv[])
 	if (argc == 3)
 		var = argv[2];
 
-	net_lwip_set_current();
+	if (net_lwip_eth_start() < 0)
+		return CMD_RET_FAILURE;
 
 	return dns_loop(eth_get_dev(), name, var);
 }
diff --git a/net/lwip/net-lwip.c b/net/lwip/net-lwip.c
index c00a7fe97cd..1e60fa31bfb 100644
--- a/net/lwip/net-lwip.c
+++ b/net/lwip/net-lwip.c
@@ -134,18 +134,27 @@ static int get_udev_ipv4_info(struct udevice *dev, ip4_addr_t *ip,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-/* Initialize the lwIP stack and the ethernet devices and set current device  */
-void net_lwip_set_current(void)
+/*
+ * Initialize the network stack if needed and start the current device if valid
+ */
+int net_lwip_eth_start(void)
 {
-	static bool init_done;
+	int ret;
 
-	if (!init_done) {
-		eth_init_rings();
-		eth_init();
-		lwip_init();
-		init_done = true;
+	net_init();
+	if (eth_is_on_demand_init()) {
+		eth_halt();
+		eth_set_current();
+		ret = eth_init();
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			eth_halt();
+			return ret;
+		}
+	} else {
+		eth_init_state_only();
 	}
-	eth_set_current();
+
+	return 0;
 }
 
 static struct netif *new_netif(struct udevice *udev, bool with_ip)
@@ -224,11 +233,20 @@ void net_lwip_remove_netif(struct netif *netif)
 	free(netif);
 }
 
+/*
+ * Initialize the network buffers, an ethernet device, and the lwIP stack
+ * (once).
+ */
 int net_init(void)
 {
-	eth_set_current();
+	static bool init_done;
 
-	net_lwip_new_netif(eth_get_dev());
+	if (!init_done) {
+		eth_init_rings();
+		eth_init();
+		lwip_init();
+		init_done = true;
+	}
 
 	return 0;
 }
diff --git a/net/lwip/ping.c b/net/lwip/ping.c
index c586a96806d..542ef2cb148 100644
--- a/net/lwip/ping.c
+++ b/net/lwip/ping.c
@@ -168,7 +168,8 @@ int do_ping(struct cmd_tbl *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *const argv[])
 	if (!ipaddr_aton(argv[1], &addr))
 		return CMD_RET_USAGE;
 
-	net_lwip_set_current();
+	if (net_lwip_eth_start() < 0)
+		return CMD_RET_FAILURE;
 
 	if (ping_loop(eth_get_dev(), &addr) < 0)
 		return CMD_RET_FAILURE;
diff --git a/net/lwip/tftp.c b/net/lwip/tftp.c
index 123d66b5dba..4f9b2049187 100644
--- a/net/lwip/tftp.c
+++ b/net/lwip/tftp.c
@@ -280,7 +280,10 @@ int do_tftpb(struct cmd_tbl *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *const argv[])
 		goto out;
 	}
 
-	net_lwip_set_current();
+	if (net_lwip_eth_start() < 0) {
+		ret = CMD_RET_FAILURE;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (tftp_loop(eth_get_dev(), laddr, fname, srvip, port) < 0)
 		ret = CMD_RET_FAILURE;
diff --git a/net/lwip/wget.c b/net/lwip/wget.c
index ec098148835..a3b82908877 100644
--- a/net/lwip/wget.c
+++ b/net/lwip/wget.c
@@ -471,7 +471,11 @@ static int wget_loop(struct udevice *udev, ulong dst_addr, char *uri)
 
 int wget_do_request(ulong dst_addr, char *uri)
 {
-	net_lwip_set_current();
+	int ret;
+
+	ret = net_lwip_eth_start();
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
 
 	if (!wget_info)
 		wget_info = &default_wget_info;
