diff --git a/lib/ohai/plugins/linux/network.rb b/lib/ohai/plugins/linux/network.rb
index 7501b0b..5f6820b 100644
--- a/lib/ohai/plugins/linux/network.rb
+++ b/lib/ohai/plugins/linux/network.rb
@@ -32,68 +32,72 @@ end

 iface = Mash.new
 net_counters = Mash.new
+ifconfig_a = nil
+
 popen4("ifconfig -a") do |pid, stdin, stdout, stderr|
   stdin.close
-  cint = nil
-  stdout.each do |line|
-    tmp_addr = nil
-    if line =~ /^([0-9a-zA-Z\.\:\-]+)\s+/
-      cint = $1
-      iface[cint] = Mash.new
-      if cint =~ /^(\w+)(\d+.*)/
-        iface[cint][:type] = $1
-        iface[cint][:number] = $2
-      end
-    end
-    if line =~ /Link encap:(Local Loopback)/ || line =~ /Link encap:(.+?)\s/
-      iface[cint][:encapsulation] = encaps_lookup($1)
-    end
-    if line =~ /HWaddr (.+?)\s/
-      iface[cint][:addresses] = Mash.new unless iface[cint][:addresses]
-      iface[cint][:addresses][$1] = { "family" => "lladdr" }
-    end
-    if line =~ /inet addr:(\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3})/
-      iface[cint][:addresses] = Mash.new unless iface[cint][:addresses]
-      iface[cint][:addresses][$1] = { "family" => "inet" }
-      tmp_addr = $1
-    end
-    if line =~ /inet6 addr: ([a-f0-9\:]+)\/(\d+) Scope:(\w+)/
-      iface[cint][:addresses] = Mash.new unless iface[cint][:addresses]
-      iface[cint][:addresses][$1] = { "family" => "inet6", "prefixlen" => $2, "scope" => ($3.eql?("Host") ? "Node" : $3) }
-    end
-    if line =~ /Bcast:(\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3})/
-      iface[cint][:addresses][tmp_addr]["broadcast"] = $1
-    end
-    if line =~ /Mask:(\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3})/
-      iface[cint][:addresses][tmp_addr]["netmask"] = $1
-    end
-    flags = line.scan(/(UP|BROADCAST|DEBUG|LOOPBACK|POINTTOPOINT|NOTRAILERS|RUNNING|NOARP|PROMISC|ALLMULTI|SLAVE|MASTER|MULTICAST|DYNAMIC)\s/)
-    if flags.length > 1
-      iface[cint][:flags] = flags.flatten
-    end
-    if line =~ /MTU:(\d+)/
-      iface[cint][:mtu] = $1
-    end
-    if line =~ /RX packets:(\d+) errors:(\d+) dropped:(\d+) overruns:(\d+) frame:(\d+)/
-      net_counters[cint] = Mash.new unless net_counters[cint]
-      net_counters[cint][:rx] = { "packets" => $1, "errors" => $2, "drop" => $3, "overrun" => $4, "frame" => $5 }
-    end
-    if line =~ /TX packets:(\d+) errors:(\d+) dropped:(\d+) overruns:(\d+) carrier:(\d+)/
-      net_counters[cint][:tx] = { "packets" => $1, "errors" => $2, "drop" => $3, "overrun" => $4, "carrier" => $5 }
-    end
-    if line =~ /collisions:(\d+)/
-      net_counters[cint][:tx]["collisions"] = $1
-    end
-    if line =~ /txqueuelen:(\d+)/
-      net_counters[cint][:tx]["queuelen"] = $1
-    end
-    if line =~ /RX bytes:(\d+) \((\d+?\.\d+ .+?)\)/
-      net_counters[cint][:rx]["bytes"] = $1
-    end
-    if line =~ /TX bytes:(\d+) \((\d+?\.\d+ .+?)\)/
-      net_counters[cint][:tx]["bytes"] = $1
+  ifconfig_a = stdout.string
+end
+
+cint = nil
+ifconfig_a.split("\n").each do |line|
+  tmp_addr = nil
+  if line =~ /^([0-9a-zA-Z\.\:\-]+)\s+/
+    cint = $1
+    iface[cint] = Mash.new
+    if cint =~ /^(\w+)(\d+.*)/
+      iface[cint][:type] = $1
+      iface[cint][:number] = $2
     end
   end
+  if line =~ /Link encap:(Local Loopback)/ || line =~ /Link encap:(.+?)\s/
+    iface[cint][:encapsulation] = encaps_lookup($1)
+  end
+  if line =~ /HWaddr (.+?)\s/
+    iface[cint][:addresses] = Mash.new unless iface[cint][:addresses]
+    iface[cint][:addresses][$1] = { "family" => "lladdr" }
+  end
+  if line =~ /inet addr:(\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3})/
+    iface[cint][:addresses] = Mash.new unless iface[cint][:addresses]
+    iface[cint][:addresses][$1] = { "family" => "inet" }
+    tmp_addr = $1
+  end
+  if line =~ /inet6 addr: ([a-f0-9\:]+)\/(\d+) Scope:(\w+)/
+    iface[cint][:addresses] = Mash.new unless iface[cint][:addresses]
+    iface[cint][:addresses][$1] = { "family" => "inet6", "prefixlen" => $2, "scope" => ($3.eql?("Host") ? "Node" : $3) }
+  end
+  if line =~ /Bcast:(\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3})/
+    iface[cint][:addresses][tmp_addr]["broadcast"] = $1
+  end
+  if line =~ /Mask:(\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3}\.\d{1,3})/
+    iface[cint][:addresses][tmp_addr]["netmask"] = $1
+  end
+  flags = line.scan(/(UP|BROADCAST|DEBUG|LOOPBACK|POINTTOPOINT|NOTRAILERS|RUNNING|NOARP|PROMISC|ALLMULTI|SLAVE|MASTER|MULTICAST|DYNAMIC)\s/)
+  if flags.length > 1
+    iface[cint][:flags] = flags.flatten
+  end
+  if line =~ /MTU:(\d+)/
+    iface[cint][:mtu] = $1
+  end
+  if line =~ /RX packets:(\d+) errors:(\d+) dropped:(\d+) overruns:(\d+) frame:(\d+)/
+    net_counters[cint] = Mash.new unless net_counters[cint]
+    net_counters[cint][:rx] = { "packets" => $1, "errors" => $2, "drop" => $3, "overrun" => $4, "frame" => $5 }
+  end
+  if line =~ /TX packets:(\d+) errors:(\d+) dropped:(\d+) overruns:(\d+) carrier:(\d+)/
+    net_counters[cint][:tx] = { "packets" => $1, "errors" => $2, "drop" => $3, "overrun" => $4, "carrier" => $5 }
+  end
+  if line =~ /collisions:(\d+)/
+    net_counters[cint][:tx]["collisions"] = $1
+  end
+  if line =~ /txqueuelen:(\d+)/
+    net_counters[cint][:tx]["queuelen"] = $1
+  end
+  if line =~ /RX bytes:(\d+) \((\d+?\.\d+ .+?)\)/
+    net_counters[cint][:rx]["bytes"] = $1
+  end
+  if line =~ /TX bytes:(\d+) \((\d+?\.\d+ .+?)\)/
+    net_counters[cint][:tx]["bytes"] = $1
+  end
 end

 popen4("arp -an") do |pid, stdin, stdout, stderr|