diff --git a/cmd/net.c b/cmd/net.c
index dd50930a362..4227321871c 100644
--- a/cmd/net.c
+++ b/cmd/net.c
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@
  * Wolfgang Denk, DENX Software Engineering, wd@denx.de.
  */
 
+#define LOG_CATEGORY	UCLASS_ETH
+
 /*
  * Boot support
  */
@@ -13,6 +15,7 @@
 #include <dm.h>
 #include <env.h>
 #include <image.h>
+#include <log.h>
 #include <net.h>
 #include <net6.h>
 #include <net/udp.h>
@@ -120,6 +123,38 @@ U_BOOT_CMD(
 	"boot image via network using DHCP/TFTP protocol",
 	"[loadAddress] [[hostIPaddr:]bootfilename]"
 );
+
+int dhcp_run(ulong addr, const char *fname, bool autoload)
+{
+	char *dhcp_argv[] = {"dhcp", NULL, (char *)fname, NULL};
+	struct cmd_tbl cmdtp = {};	/* dummy */
+	char file_addr[17];
+	int old_autoload;
+	int ret, result;
+
+	log_debug("addr=%lx, fname=%s, autoload=%d\n", addr, fname, autoload);
+	old_autoload = env_get_yesno("autoload");
+	ret = env_set("autoload", autoload ? "y" : "n");
+	if (ret)
+		return log_msg_ret("en1", -EINVAL);
+
+	if (autoload) {
+		sprintf(file_addr, "%lx", addr);
+		dhcp_argv[1] = file_addr;
+	}
+
+	result = do_dhcp(&cmdtp, 0, !autoload ? 1 : fname ? 3 : 2, dhcp_argv);
+
+	ret = env_set("autoload", old_autoload == -1 ? NULL :
+		      old_autoload ? "y" : "n");
+	if (ret)
+		return log_msg_ret("en2", -EINVAL);
+
+	if (result)
+		return log_msg_ret("res", -ENOENT);
+
+	return 0;
+}
 #endif
 
 #if defined(CONFIG_CMD_NFS)
diff --git a/include/net.h b/include/net.h
index 759d4669df1..399af5e0645 100644
--- a/include/net.h
+++ b/include/net.h
@@ -65,6 +65,21 @@ struct in_addr {
  */
 int do_tftpb(struct cmd_tbl *cmdtp, int flag, int argc, char *const argv[]);
 
+/**
+ * dhcp_run() - Run DHCP on the current ethernet device
+ *
+ * This sets the autoload variable, then puts it back to similar to its original
+ * state (y, n or unset).
+ *
+ * @addr: Address to load the file into (0 if @autoload is false)
+ * @fname: Filename of file to load (NULL if @autoload is false or to use the
+ * default filename)
+ * @autoload: true to load the file, false to just get the network IP
+ * @return 0 if OK, -EINVAL if the environment failed, -ENOENT if ant file was
+ * not found
+ */
+int dhcp_run(ulong addr, const char *fname, bool autoload);
+
 /**
  * An incoming packet handler.
  * @param pkt    pointer to the application packet