diff --git a/include/metalsvm/tasks_types.h b/include/metalsvm/tasks_types.h
index 1d9c4c27..49f7a612 100644
--- a/include/metalsvm/tasks_types.h
+++ b/include/metalsvm/tasks_types.h
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ extern "C" {
 #define TASK_RUNNING	2
 #define TASK_BLOCKED	3
 #define TASK_FINISHED	4
+#define TASK_IDLE	5
 
 typedef void* (STDCALL *entry_point_t)(void*);
 typedef unsigned int tid_t;
@@ -47,7 +48,6 @@ typedef struct {
 	unsigned char blocked_tasks[MAX_TASKS];
 	void* return_value;
 	unsigned char status;
-	unsigned char idle;
 } task_t;
 
 #ifdef __cplusplus
diff --git a/kernel/main.c b/kernel/main.c
index 1428984e..6e98509c 100644
--- a/kernel/main.c
+++ b/kernel/main.c
@@ -32,7 +32,10 @@
 #include <lwip/stats.h>
 #include <lwip/udp.h>
 #include <lwip/tcp.h>
+#include <lwip/dhcp.h>
+#include <lwip/netif.h>
 #include <netif/etharp.h>
+//#include <drivers/pcnet.h>
 #endif
 
 static sem_t 		consuming, producing;
@@ -116,6 +119,15 @@ void* STDCALL join_test(void* arg)
 #ifdef USE_LWIP
 void* STDCALL lwip_task(void* arg)
 {
+	struct netif 	netif;
+	struct ip_addr	ipaddr;
+	struct ip_addr	netmask;
+	struct ip_addr	gw;
+	err_t	err;
+
+	sleep(10);
+	kputs("LWIP task is started\n");
+
 	stats_init();   /* Clears the structure where runtime statistics are gathered */
 	sys_init();
 	mem_init();     /* Initializes the dynamic memory heap defined by MEM_SIZE. */
@@ -126,10 +138,26 @@ void* STDCALL lwip_task(void* arg)
 	udp_init();     /* Clears the UDP PCB list */
 	tcp_init();     /* Clears the TCP PCB list and clears some internal TCP timers. */
 
-	kputs("LWIP task is started\n");
+	/* Bring up the network interface */
+	//if (!netif_add(&netif, &ipaddr, &netmask, &gw, NULL, pcnetif_init, ethernet_input)) {
+	//	kputs("Unable to add network interface\n");
+	//	return NULL;
+	//}
 
-	while(1) {
-	}
+	/* This will bring the interface up and set its IP address when it can acquire one. */
+	//err = dhcp_start(&netif);
+	//if (err != ERR_OK) {
+	//	kprintf("Unable to get IP via DHCP: %s\n", lwip_strerr(err));
+	//	return NULL;
+	//}
+
+	//if (netif_is_up(&netif)) {
+	//	kputs("Network interface is not up\n");
+	//	return NULL;
+	//}
+
+	//while(1) {
+	//}
 
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -175,7 +203,7 @@ int main(void)
 	create_kernel_task(&id1, foo, "Hello from foo1\n", 8192);
 	create_kernel_task(&id2, join_test, NULL, 0);
 	create_kernel_task(&id3, producer, NULL, 0);
-	current_task->idle = 1;
+	current_task->status = TASK_IDLE;
 	schedule();
 
 	while(1) { 
diff --git a/kernel/tasks.c b/kernel/tasks.c
index 5f5d02fd..32dc09ac 100644
--- a/kernel/tasks.c
+++ b/kernel/tasks.c
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ int multitasking_init(void) {
 	task_table[0].stack = NULL;
 	task_table[0].stack_size = 8192;
 	task_table[0].status = TASK_RUNNING;
-	task_table[0].idle = 0;
 	current_task = task_table;
 	return 0;
 }
@@ -122,7 +121,6 @@ int create_kernel_task(tid_t* id, entry_point_t ep, void* arg, size_t stack_size
 			memset(task_table[i].blocked_tasks, 0x00, sizeof(unsigned char)*MAX_TASKS);
 			task_table[i].return_value = NULL;
 			task_table[i].status = TASK_READY;
-			task_table[i].idle = 0;
 		
 			if (id)
 				*id = i;	
@@ -145,7 +143,7 @@ int join_kernel_task(tid_t id, void** result)
 	 * idle tasks are not allowed to wait for another task 
 	 * they should always run...
 	 */
-	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(current_task->idle, 0))
+	if (BUILTIN_EXPECT(current_task->status, TASK_IDLE))
 		goto join_out;
 
 	/* a task is not able to wait for itself */
@@ -215,7 +213,7 @@ task_t* get_new_task(void)
 	for(i=1; i <= MAX_TASKS; i++) {
 		new_id  = (current_task->id + i) % MAX_TASKS;
 
-		if (!task_table[new_id].idle && task_table[new_id].status == TASK_READY) {
+		if (task_table[new_id].status == TASK_READY) {
 			if (current_task->status == TASK_RUNNING)
 				current_task->status = TASK_READY;
 			task_table[new_id].status = TASK_RUNNING;
@@ -225,7 +223,7 @@ task_t* get_new_task(void)
 		}
 	}
 
-	if (!(current_task->idle) && (current_task->status == TASK_RUNNING)) {
+	if (current_task->status == TASK_RUNNING) {
 		ret = current_task;
 		goto get_task_out;
 	 }
@@ -234,8 +232,6 @@ task_t* get_new_task(void)
 	 * we switch to the idle task (id=0), if the current task terminates 
 	 * and no other is ready
 	 */
-	task_table[0].status = TASK_RUNNING;
-
 	ret = task_table+0;
 
 get_task_out: