diff --git a/hermit/arch/x86/include/asm/pci.h b/hermit/arch/x86/include/asm/pci.h
index fbf2ea55c..26d4b0860 100644
--- a/hermit/arch/x86/include/asm/pci.h
+++ b/hermit/arch/x86/include/asm/pci.h
@@ -57,12 +57,13 @@ int pci_init(void);
  * @param vendor_id The device's vendor ID
  * @param device_id the device's ID
  * @param info Pointer to the record pci_info_t where among other the IObase address will be stored
+ * @param enable_bus_master If true, the bus mastering will be enabled.
  *
  * @return 
  * - 0 on success
  * - -EINVAL (-22) on failure
  */
-int pci_get_device_info(uint32_t vendor_id, uint32_t device_id, pci_info_t* info);
+int pci_get_device_info(uint32_t vendor_id, uint32_t device_id, pci_info_t* info, int8_t enble_bus_master);
 
 /** @brief Print information of existing pci adapters
  *
diff --git a/hermit/arch/x86/kernel/pci.c b/hermit/arch/x86/kernel/pci.c
index 330f1fe84..e9a697241 100644
--- a/hermit/arch/x86/kernel/pci.c
+++ b/hermit/arch/x86/kernel/pci.c
@@ -110,6 +110,14 @@ static inline uint32_t pci_what_iobase(uint32_t bus, uint32_t slot, uint32_t nr)
 	return pci_conf_read(bus, slot, PCI_CBIO + nr*4) & 0xFFFFFFFC;
 }
 
+static inline void pci_bus_master(uint32_t bus, uint32_t slot)
+{
+	// set the device to a bus master
+
+	uint32_t cmd = pci_conf_read(bus, slot, PCI_CFCS) | 0x4;
+	pci_conf_write(bus, slot, PCI_CFCS, cmd);
+}
+
 static inline uint32_t pci_what_size(uint32_t bus, uint32_t slot, uint32_t nr)
 {
 	uint32_t tmp, ret;
@@ -138,7 +146,7 @@ int pci_init(void)
 	return 0;
 }
 
-int pci_get_device_info(uint32_t vendor_id, uint32_t device_id, pci_info_t* info)
+int pci_get_device_info(uint32_t vendor_id, uint32_t device_id, pci_info_t* info, int8_t bus_master)
 {
 	uint32_t slot, bus, i;
 
@@ -155,9 +163,11 @@ int pci_get_device_info(uint32_t vendor_id, uint32_t device_id, pci_info_t* info
 				   (((adapters[bus][slot] & 0xffff0000) >> 16) == device_id)) {
 					for(i=0; i<6; i++) {
 						info->base[i] = pci_what_iobase(bus, slot, i);
-						info->size[i] = (info->base[i]) ? pci_what_size(bus, slot, i) : 0;	
+						info->size[i] = (info->base[i]) ? pci_what_size(bus, slot, i) : 0;
 					}
 					info->irq = pci_what_irq(bus, slot);
+					if (bus_master)
+						pci_bus_master(bus, slot);
 					return 0;
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/hermit/drivers/net/e1000.c b/hermit/drivers/net/e1000.c
index 0800ce923..a2774947a 100644
--- a/hermit/drivers/net/e1000.c
+++ b/hermit/drivers/net/e1000.c
@@ -335,7 +335,7 @@ err_t e1000if_init(struct netif* netif)
 
 	tmp8 = 0;
 	while (board_tbl[tmp8].vendor_str) {
-		if (pci_get_device_info(board_tbl[tmp8].vendor, board_tbl[tmp8].device, &pci_info) == 0)
+		if (pci_get_device_info(board_tbl[tmp8].vendor, board_tbl[tmp8].device, &pci_info, 1) == 0)
 			break;
 		tmp8++;
 	}
diff --git a/hermit/drivers/net/rtl8139.c b/hermit/drivers/net/rtl8139.c
index f2ca669c0..561b3f108 100644
--- a/hermit/drivers/net/rtl8139.c
+++ b/hermit/drivers/net/rtl8139.c
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ err_t rtl8139if_init(struct netif* netif)
 
 	tmp8 = 0;
 	while (board_tbl[tmp8].vendor_str) {
-		if (pci_get_device_info(board_tbl[tmp8].vendor, board_tbl[tmp8].device, &pci_info) == 0)
+		if (pci_get_device_info(board_tbl[tmp8].vendor, board_tbl[tmp8].device, &pci_info, 1) == 0)
 			break;
 		tmp8++;
 	}
@@ -312,6 +312,8 @@ err_t rtl8139if_init(struct netif* netif)
 	if (!board_tbl[tmp8].vendor_str)
 		return ERR_ARG;
 
+	//kprintf("Found %s %s\n", board_tbl[tmp8].vendor_str, board_tbl[tmp8].device_str);
+
 	rtl8139if = kmalloc(sizeof(rtl1839if_t));
 	if (!rtl8139if) {
 		LWIP_DEBUGF(NETIF_DEBUG, ("rtl8139if_init: out of memory\n"));
@@ -340,9 +342,9 @@ err_t rtl8139if_init(struct netif* netif)
 		return ERR_MEM;
 	}
 	memset(rtl8139if->tx_buffer[0], 0x00, 4*TX_BUF_LEN);
-	rtl8139if->tx_buffer[1] = rtl8139if->tx_buffer[0] + TX_BUF_LEN;
-	rtl8139if->tx_buffer[2] = rtl8139if->tx_buffer[1] + TX_BUF_LEN;
-	rtl8139if->tx_buffer[3] = rtl8139if->tx_buffer[2] + TX_BUF_LEN;
+	rtl8139if->tx_buffer[1] = rtl8139if->tx_buffer[0] + 1*TX_BUF_LEN;
+	rtl8139if->tx_buffer[2] = rtl8139if->tx_buffer[0] + 2*TX_BUF_LEN;
+	rtl8139if->tx_buffer[3] = rtl8139if->tx_buffer[0] + 3*TX_BUF_LEN;
 
 	netif->state = rtl8139if;
 	mynetif = netif;
@@ -480,5 +482,6 @@ err_t rtl8139if_init(struct netif* netif)
 	/* broadcast capability */
 	netif->flags |= NETIF_FLAG_BROADCAST | NETIF_FLAG_ETHARP | NETIF_FLAG_IGMP;
 
+vma_dump();
 	return ERR_OK;
 }