diff --git a/site-modules/profile/manifests/network.pp b/site-modules/profile/manifests/network.pp
--- a/site-modules/profile/manifests/network.pp
+++ b/site-modules/profile/manifests/network.pp
@@ -4,6 +4,18 @@
 class profile::network {
   debnet::iface::loopback { 'lo': }
 
+  # The network description is expected to be a dict of key route_label
+  # (values: private, default) and value a dict describing the interface.
+  # The interface dict has the following possible keys:
+  # - interface: interface's name
+  # - address: ip address for the node
+  # - netmask: netmask
+  # - gateway: to use for the network
+  # - ups: Post instruction when the interface is up (should be set to [] when
+  # none)
+  # - downs: Post instructions to run when the interface is teared down (should
+  # be set to [] when none)
+
   $interfaces = lookup('networks')
   each($interfaces) |$label, $data| {
 
@@ -13,26 +25,46 @@
         line   => '42 private',
         path   => '/etc/iproute2/rt_tables',
       }
-      $ups = [
-        "ip route add 192.168.101.0/24 via ${data['gateway']}",
-        "ip route add 192.168.200.0/21 via ${data['gateway']}",
-        "ip rule add from ${data['address']} table private",
-        "ip route add 192.168.100.0/24 src ${data['address']} dev ${data['interface']} table private",
-        "ip route add default via ${data['gateway']} dev ${data['interface']} table private",
-        'ip route flush cache',
-      ]
-      $downs = [
-        "ip route del default via ${data['gateway']} dev ${data['interface']} table private",
-        "ip route del 192.168.100.0/24 src ${data['address']} dev ${data['interface']} table private",
-        "ip rule del from ${data['address']} table private",
-        "ip route del 192.168.200.0/24 via ${data['gateway']}",
-        "ip route del 192.168.101.0/24 via ${data['gateway']}",
-        'ip route flush cache',
-      ]
+
+      if $data['ups'] {
+        $ups = $data['ups']
+      } else {
+        $ups = [
+          "ip route add 192.168.101.0/24 via ${data['gateway']}",
+          "ip route add 192.168.200.0/21 via ${data['gateway']}",
+          "ip rule add from ${data['address']} table private",
+          "ip route add 192.168.100.0/24 src ${data['address']} dev ${data['interface']} table private",
+          "ip route add default via ${data['gateway']} dev ${data['interface']} table private",
+          'ip route flush cache',
+        ]
+      }
+
+      if $data['downs'] {
+        $downs =  $data['downs']
+      } else {
+        $downs = [
+          "ip route del default via ${data['gateway']} dev ${data['interface']} table private",
+          "ip route del 192.168.100.0/24 src ${data['address']} dev ${data['interface']} table private",
+          "ip rule del from ${data['address']} table private",
+          "ip route del 192.168.200.0/24 via ${data['gateway']}",
+          "ip route del 192.168.101.0/24 via ${data['gateway']}",
+          'ip route flush cache',
+        ]
+      }
+
       $gateway = undef
     } else {
-      $ups = []
-      $downs = []
+      if $data['ups'] {
+        $ups = $data['ups']
+      } else {
+        $ups = []
+      }
+
+      if $data['downs'] {
+        $downs = $data['downs']
+      } else {
+        $downs = []
+      }
       $gateway = $data['gateway']
     }