diff --git a/agent/libexec/agent-runner.in b/agent/libexec/agent-runner.in
index 8983aeda738..c1dc4a91dfc 100755
--- a/agent/libexec/agent-runner.in
+++ b/agent/libexec/agent-runner.in
@@ -26,8 +26,8 @@ echo CLASSPATH to run the agent: "$CLASSPATH"
 export PATH=/sbin:/usr/sbin:"$PATH"
 SERVICEARGS=
 for x in private public ; do
-	configuration=`grep -q "^$x.network.device" "@AGENTSYSCONFDIR@"/agent.properties || true`
-	if [ -n "$CONFIGURATION" ] ; then
+	configuration=`grep -q "^$x.network.device" "@AGENTSYSCONFDIR@"/agent.properties`
+	if [ $? -eq 0 ] ; then
 		echo "Using manually-configured network device $CONFIGURATION"
 	else
 		defaultroute=`ip route | grep ^default | cut -d ' ' -f 5`
diff --git a/python/lib/cloud_utils.py b/python/lib/cloud_utils.py
index d9a825913ef..bcf31e23b3d 100644
--- a/python/lib/cloud_utils.py
+++ b/python/lib/cloud_utils.py
@@ -972,9 +972,9 @@ def setup_agent_config(configfile, host, zone, pod, cluster, guid, pubNic, prvNi
 		if prvNic == None or not device_exist(prvNic):
 			confopts["private.network.device"] = pubNic	
 		
-	if prvNic != None and device_exits(prvNic):
+	if prvNic != None and device_exist(prvNic):
 		confopts["private.network.device"] = prvNic	
-		if pubNic == None or not device_exits(pubNic):
+		if pubNic == None or not device_exist(pubNic):
 			confopts["public.network.device"] = prvNic	
 
 	stderr("Querying %s for zones and pods",host)