diff --git a/src/vm/VirtualMachine.cc b/src/vm/VirtualMachine.cc
index d68155453c..bc5526fa37 100644
--- a/src/vm/VirtualMachine.cc
+++ b/src/vm/VirtualMachine.cc
@@ -787,7 +787,6 @@ error_cleanup:
 static void parse_context_network(const char* vars[][2], int num_vars,
         VectorAttribute * context, VectorAttribute * nic)
 {
-    string name   = nic->vector_value("NETWORK");
     string nic_id = nic->vector_value("NIC_ID");
 
     for (int i=0; i < num_vars; i++)
@@ -810,7 +809,7 @@ static void parse_context_network(const char* vars[][2], int num_vars,
         {
             ostringstream cval_ss;
 
-            cval_ss << "$NETWORK["<< vars[i][1] <<", NETWORK=\""<< name <<"\"]";
+            cval_ss << "$NETWORK["<< vars[i][1] <<", NIC_ID=\""<< nic_id <<"\"]";
             cval = cval_ss.str();
         }
 
diff --git a/src/vm/vm_var_syntax.cc b/src/vm/vm_var_syntax.cc
index 3306364a0b..63f0a42f51 100644
--- a/src/vm/vm_var_syntax.cc
+++ b/src/vm/vm_var_syntax.cc
@@ -231,7 +231,8 @@ void get_network_attribute(VirtualMachine * vm,
 
     attr_value.clear();
 
-    if ( net_name.empty() || (net_name!="NETWORK" && net_name!="NETWORK_ID") )
+    if ( net_name.empty() ||
+        (net_name!="NETWORK" && net_name!="NETWORK_ID" && net_name!="NIC_ID"))
     {
         return;
     }
diff --git a/src/vm/vm_var_syntax.y b/src/vm/vm_var_syntax.y
index e531adaa2d..b071f79b25 100644
--- a/src/vm/vm_var_syntax.y
+++ b/src/vm/vm_var_syntax.y
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ void get_network_attribute(VirtualMachine * vm,
 
     attr_value.clear();
 
-    if ( net_name.empty() || (net_name!="NETWORK" && net_name!="NETWORK_ID") )
+    if ( net_name.empty() ||
+        (net_name!="NETWORK" && net_name!="NETWORK_ID" && net_name!="NIC_ID"))
     {
         return;
     }