diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 42b2542d7..577728f7c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -153,6 +153,8 @@ For network support, you have to link the Go application with the flag `-lnetgo`
 2. If Qemu is started by our proxy and the environment variable `HERMIT_KVM` is set to `0`, the virtual machine will be not accelerated by KVM.
    In this case, the configuration flag `--with-mtune=name` should be avoided.
    With the environment variable `HERMIT_APP_PORT`, an additional port can be open to establish an TCP/IP connection with your application.
-3. By setting the environment variable `HERMIT_VERBOSE` to `1`, the proxy prints at termination the kernel log messages onto the screen.
+3. By setting the environment variable `HERMIT_VERBOSE` to `1`, the proxy prints at termination the kernel log messages onto the screen. 
 4. If `HERMIT_DEBUG` is set to `1`, Qemu will establish an gdbserver, which will be listen port 1234.
    Afterwards you are able debug HermitCore applications remotely.
+5. By setting the environment variable `HERMIT_CAPTURE_NET' to `1` and `HERMIT_ISLE` to `qemu`, Qemu captures the network traffic and
+   creates the trace file *qemu-vlan0.pcap*. For instance with [Wireshark](https://www.wireshark.org) you are able to analyze the file.
diff --git a/tools/proxy.c b/tools/proxy.c
index 7f4e1de90..f8a101948 100644
--- a/tools/proxy.c
+++ b/tools/proxy.c
@@ -393,6 +393,17 @@ static int init_qemu(char *path)
 		qemu_argv[i] = "-s";
 	}
 
+	str = getenv("HERMIT_CAPTURE_NET");
+	if (str && (strcmp(str, "0") != 0))
+	{
+		for(i=0; qemu_argv[i] != NULL; i++)
+			;
+
+		// add flags to capture the network traffic
+		qemu_argv[i] = "-net";
+		qemu_argv[i+1] = "dump";
+	}
+
 	str = getenv("HERMIT_VERBOSE");
 	if (str && (strcmp(str, "0") != 0))
 	{
@@ -401,11 +412,6 @@ static int init_qemu(char *path)
 		for(i=0; qemu_argv[i] != NULL; i++)
 			printf("%s ", qemu_argv[i]);
 
-		// add flags to create dump of the network traffic
-		//qemu_argv[i] = "-net";
-		//qemu_argv[i+1] = "dump";
-		//printf("%s %s\n", qemu_argv[i], qemu_argv[i+1]);
-
 		fflush(stdout);
 	}