diff --git a/networking/zcip.c b/networking/zcip.c
index 45d1f7c1c..635d660b3 100644
--- a/networking/zcip.c
+++ b/networking/zcip.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 //usage:     "\n	-f		Run in foreground"
 //usage:     "\n	-q		Quit after obtaining address"
 //usage:     "\n	-r 169.254.x.x	Request this address first"
+//usage:     "\n	-l x.x.0.0	Use this range instead of 169.254"
 //usage:     "\n	-v		Verbose"
 //usage:     "\n"
 //usage:     "\nWith no -q, runs continuously monitoring for ARP conflicts,"
@@ -87,6 +88,7 @@ enum {
 struct globals {
 	struct sockaddr saddr;
 	struct ether_addr eth_addr;
+	uint32_t localnet_ip;
 } FIX_ALIASING;
 #define G (*(struct globals*)&bb_common_bufsiz1)
 #define saddr    (G.saddr   )
@@ -98,14 +100,14 @@ struct globals {
  * Pick a random link local IP address on 169.254/16, except that
  * the first and last 256 addresses are reserved.
  */
-static uint32_t pick(void)
+static uint32_t pick_nip(void)
 {
 	unsigned tmp;
 
 	do {
 		tmp = rand() & IN_CLASSB_HOST;
 	} while (tmp > (IN_CLASSB_HOST - 0x0200));
-	return htonl((LINKLOCAL_ADDR + 0x0100) + tmp);
+	return htonl((G.localnet_ip + 0x0100) + tmp);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -197,6 +199,7 @@ int zcip_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 {
 	int state;
 	char *r_opt;
+	const char *l_opt = "169.254.0.0";
 	unsigned opts;
 
 	// ugly trick, but I want these zeroed in one go
@@ -231,7 +234,7 @@ int zcip_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 	// parse commandline: prog [options] ifname script
 	// exactly 2 args; -v accumulates and implies -f
 	opt_complementary = "=2:vv:vf";
-	opts = getopt32(argv, "fqr:v", &r_opt, &verbose);
+	opts = getopt32(argv, "fqr:l:v", &r_opt, &l_opt, &verbose);
 #if !BB_MMU
 	// on NOMMU reexec early (or else we will rerun things twice)
 	if (!FOREGROUND)
@@ -246,9 +249,18 @@ int zcip_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 		openlog(applet_name, 0, LOG_DAEMON);
 		logmode |= LOGMODE_SYSLOG;
 	}
+	{ // -l n.n.n.n
+		struct in_addr net;
+		if (inet_aton(l_opt, &net) == 0
+		 || (net.s_addr & htonl(IN_CLASSB_NET)) != net.s_addr
+		) {
+			bb_error_msg_and_die("invalid network address");
+		}
+		G.localnet_ip = ntohl(net.s_addr);
+	}
 	if (opts & 4) { // -r n.n.n.n
 		if (inet_aton(r_opt, &ip) == 0
-		 || (ntohl(ip.s_addr) & IN_CLASSB_NET) != LINKLOCAL_ADDR
+		 || (ntohl(ip.s_addr) & IN_CLASSB_NET) != G.localnet_ip
 		) {
 			bb_error_msg_and_die("invalid link address");
 		}
@@ -295,7 +307,7 @@ int zcip_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 		srand(t);
 	}
 	if (ip.s_addr == 0)
-		ip.s_addr = pick();
+		ip.s_addr = pick_nip();
 
 	// FIXME cases to handle:
 	//  - zcip already running!
@@ -433,7 +445,7 @@ int zcip_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 			default:
 				// Invalid, should never happen.  Restart the whole protocol.
 				state = PROBE;
-				ip.s_addr = pick();
+				ip.s_addr = pick_nip();
 				timeout_ms = 0;
 				nprobes = 0;
 				nclaims = 0;
@@ -535,7 +547,7 @@ int zcip_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 					}
 
 					// restart the whole protocol
-					ip.s_addr = pick();
+					ip.s_addr = pick_nip();
 					timeout_ms = 0;
 					nprobes = 0;
 					nclaims = 0;
@@ -561,7 +573,7 @@ int zcip_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 					run(argv, "deconfig", &ip);
 
 					// restart the whole protocol
-					ip.s_addr = pick();
+					ip.s_addr = pick_nip();
 					timeout_ms = 0;
 					nprobes = 0;
 					nclaims = 0;
@@ -571,7 +583,7 @@ int zcip_main(int argc UNUSED_PARAM, char **argv)
 				// Invalid, should never happen.  Restart the whole protocol.
 				VDBG("invalid state -- starting over\n");
 				state = PROBE;
-				ip.s_addr = pick();
+				ip.s_addr = pick_nip();
 				timeout_ms = 0;
 				nprobes = 0;
 				nclaims = 0;