diff --git a/init.d/networking b/init.d/networking
index b412f56..7e31d20 100644
--- a/init.d/networking
+++ b/init.d/networking
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ CONFIGURE_INTERFACES=yes
 EXCLUDE_INTERFACES=
 VERBOSE=no
 
+verbose=
+
 [ -f /etc/default/networking ] && . /etc/default/networking
 
 [ "$VERBOSE" = yes ] && verbose=-v
@@ -128,7 +130,7 @@ start)
 	set -f
 	exclusions=$(process_exclusions)
 	log_action_begin_msg "Configuring network interfaces"
-	if ifup -a $exclusions $verbose && ifup_hotplug $exclusions $verbose
+	if ifup -a $verbose --perfmode
 	then
 	    log_action_end_msg $?
 	else
@@ -144,7 +146,7 @@ stop)
 	check_network_swap
 
 	log_action_begin_msg "Deconfiguring network interfaces"
-	if ifdown -a --exclude=lo $verbose; then
+	if ifdown -a --exclude=lo $verbose --perfmode --force; then
 	    log_action_end_msg $?
 	else
 	    log_action_end_msg $?
@@ -156,7 +158,7 @@ reload)
 
 	log_action_begin_msg "Reloading network interfaces configuration"
 	state=$(cat /run/network/ifstate)
-	ifdown -a --exclude=lo $verbose || true
+	ifdown -a --exclude=lo $verbose  --perfmode --force || true
 	if ifup --exclude=lo $state $verbose ; then
 	    log_action_end_msg $?
 	else
@@ -172,10 +174,10 @@ force-reload|restart)
 
 	#log_warning_msg "Running $0 $1 is deprecated because it may not re-enable some interfaces"
 	log_action_begin_msg "Reconfiguring network interfaces"
-	ifdown -a --exclude=lo $verbose || true
+	ifdown -a --exclude=lo $verbose --perfmode --force || true
 	set -f
 	exclusions=$(process_exclusions)
-	if ifup -a --exclude=lo $exclusions $verbose && ifup_hotplug $exclusions $verbose
+	if ifup -a --exclude=lo $verbose --perfmode
 	then
 	    log_action_end_msg $?
 	else
diff --git a/pkg/ifupdownmain.py b/pkg/ifupdownmain.py
index 37d8e4c..1a8084c 100644
--- a/pkg/ifupdownmain.py
+++ b/pkg/ifupdownmain.py
@@ -259,7 +259,7 @@ class ifupdownMain():
                         continue
                     dlist = module.get_dependent_ifacenames(ifaceobj,
                                     self.ifaceobjdict.keys())
-                    if dlist:
+                    if dlist is not None:
                         self.logger.debug('%s: ' %ifaceobj.get_name() +
                                 'got dependency list: %s' %str(dlist))
                         break
diff --git a/pkg/networkinterfaces.py b/pkg/networkinterfaces.py
index 16d1bba..4bf3595 100644
--- a/pkg/networkinterfaces.py
+++ b/pkg/networkinterfaces.py
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ class networkInterfaces():
 
     def process_iface(self, lines, cur_idx, lineno):
         lines_consumed = 0
+        line_idx = cur_idx
 
         ifaceobj = iface()
 
@@ -174,47 +175,64 @@ class networkInterfaces():
 
         return classes
 
-
-    def read_file(self, filename=None):
+    def process_filedata(self, filedata):
         lineno = 0
         line_idx = 0
         lines_consumed = 0
 
+        raw_lines = filedata.split('\n')
+        lines = [l.strip(' \n') for l in raw_lines]
+
+        while (line_idx < len(lines)):
+            lineno = lineno + 1
+
+            if self.ignore_line(lines[line_idx]):
+                line_idx += 1
+                continue
+        
+            words = lines[line_idx].split()
+
+            # Check if first element is a supported keyword
+            if self.is_keyword(words[0]):
+                keyword_func = self.get_keyword_func(words[0])
+                lines_consumed = keyword_func(self, lines, line_idx, lineno)
+                line_idx += lines_consumed
+            else:
+                self.logger.warning('could not process line %s' %l + ' at' +
+                    ' lineno %d' %lineno)
+
+            line_idx += 1
+
+        return 0
+
+    def run_template_engine(self, textdata):
+        try:
+            from mako.template import Template
+        except:
+            self.logger.warning('template engine mako not found ' +
+                                'skipping template parsing');
+            return textdata
+
+        t = Template(text=textdata, output_encoding='utf-8')
+        return t.render()
+
+    def read_file(self, filename=None):
         ifaces_file = filename
         if ifaces_file == None:
             ifaces_file=self.ifaces_file
 
         self.logger.debug('reading ifaces_file %s' %ifaces_file)
+        f = open(ifaces_file)
+        filedata = f.read()
+        f.close()
 
-        with open(ifaces_file) as f:
-            raw_lines = f.readlines()
-            lines = [l.strip(' \n') for l in raw_lines]
+        # process line continuations
+        filedata = ' '.join(d.strip() for d in filedata.split('\\'))
 
-            while (line_idx < len(lines)):
-                lineno = lineno + 1
+        # run through template engine
+        filedata = self.run_template_engine(filedata)
 
-                if self.ignore_line(lines[line_idx]):
-                    line_idx += 1
-                    continue
-        
-                words = lines[line_idx].split()
-
-                # Check if first element is a supported keyword
-                if self.is_keyword(words[0]):
-                    keyword_func = self.get_keyword_func(
-                                words[0])
-                    lines_consumed = keyword_func(self,
-                                        lines, line_idx, lineno)
-
-                    line_idx += lines_consumed
-                else:
-                    self.logger.warning('could not ' +
-                        'process line %s' %l + ' at' +
-                        ' lineno %d' %lineno)
-
-                line_idx += 1
-
-        return 0
+        self.process_filedata(filedata)
 
 
     def load(self, filename=None):