diff --git a/hieradata/common.yaml b/hieradata/common.yaml
index 42c9792..4a05016 100644
--- a/hieradata/common.yaml
+++ b/hieradata/common.yaml
@@ -111,9 +111,15 @@ lookup_options:
   networking::interfaces:
     merge:
       strategy: deep
+  networking::interface_defaults:
+    merge:
+      strategy: deep
   networking::routes:
     merge:
       strategy: deep
+  networking::route_defaults:
+    merge:
+      strategy: deep
   ssh::server::options:
     merge:
       strategy: deep
@@ -282,19 +288,17 @@ sudo::configs:
 profiles::accounts::sysadmin::sshkeys:
   - ssh-rsa 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 ben@unkin.net
 
-networking::interfaces:
-  eth0:
-    ensure: present
-    family: inet
-    method: static
-    netmask: 255.255.255.0
-    onboot: true
-networking::routes:
-  default:
-    ensure: present
-    interface: eth0
-    netmask: 0.0.0.0
-    network: default
+networking::interface_defaults:
+  ensure: present
+  family: inet
+  method: static
+  netmask: 255.255.255.0
+  onboot: true
+networking::route_defaults:
+  ensure: present
+  interface: eth0
+  netmask: 0.0.0.0
+  network: default
 
 profiles::ceph::client::fsid: 7f7f00cb-95de-498c-8dcc-14b54e4e9ca8
 profiles::ceph::client::mons:
diff --git a/hieradata/nodes/ausyd1nxvm1017.main.unkin.net.yaml b/hieradata/nodes/ausyd1nxvm1017.main.unkin.net.yaml
index 49565b5..de40d38 100644
--- a/hieradata/nodes/ausyd1nxvm1017.main.unkin.net.yaml
+++ b/hieradata/nodes/ausyd1nxvm1017.main.unkin.net.yaml
@@ -1,8 +1,11 @@
 ---
 profiles::cobbler::params::is_cobbler_master: true
 networking::interfaces:
-  eth0:
+  ens18:
     ipaddress: 198.18.13.27
 networking::routes:
   default:
     gateway: 198.18.13.254
+    interface: ens18
+
+profiles::almalinux::base::remove_ens18: false
diff --git a/modules/networking/manifests/init.pp b/modules/networking/manifests/init.pp
index f7239d5..f6c6931 100644
--- a/modules/networking/manifests/init.pp
+++ b/modules/networking/manifests/init.pp
@@ -1,20 +1,24 @@
 # unkin networking module
 class networking (
   Hash $interfaces = {},
+  Hash $interface_defaults = {},
   Hash $routes = {},
+  Hash $route_defaults = {},
 ){
 
   include network
   include networking::params
 
   $interfaces.each | $interface, $data | {
+    $merged_data = merge($interface_defaults, $data)
     network_config {$interface:
-      * => $data,
+      * => $merged_data,
     }
   }
   $routes.each | $route, $data | {
+    $merged_data = merge($route_defaults, $data)
     network_route {$route:
-      * => $data,
+      * => $merged_data,
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/site/profiles/manifests/almalinux/base.pp b/site/profiles/manifests/almalinux/base.pp
index ec83a0f..1304b27 100644
--- a/site/profiles/manifests/almalinux/base.pp
+++ b/site/profiles/manifests/almalinux/base.pp
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 # base almalinux settings
-class profiles::almalinux::base {
+class profiles::almalinux::base (
+  Boolean $remove_ens18 = true,
+) {
 
-  file {'/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-ens18':
-    ensure => absent,
+  if $remove_ens18 {
+    file {'/etc/sysconfig/network-scripts/ifcfg-ens18':
+      ensure => absent,
+    }
   }
-  -> service {'NetworkManager':
+  service {'NetworkManager':
     ensure  => false,
     enable  => false,
     require => Package['network-scripts'],