diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/README.rst b/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/README.rst
index a84006a6..e45e5bdd 100644
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/README.rst
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/README.rst
@@ -69,7 +69,14 @@ Networking
 
 By default ``/etc/network/interfaces.d/eth[0|1]`` files will be
 created and enabled with DHCP networking.  If you do not wish this to
-be done, set ``DIB_APT_MINIMAL_CREATE_INTERFACES`` to ``0``.
+be done, set ``DIB_APT_MINIMAL_CREATE_INTERFACES`` to ``0``.  If you
+need different interface names than ``eth[0|1]`` set
+``DIB_NETWORK_INTERFACE_NAMES`` to a space separated list of network
+interface names like:
+
+.. code-block:: bash
+
+   export DIB_NETWORK_INTERFACE_NAMES="ens3 ens4"
 
 -------------------
 Note on ARM systems
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/environment.d/20-network-interface-names b/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/environment.d/20-network-interface-names
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..3605a1c9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/environment.d/20-network-interface-names
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+export DIB_NETWORK_INTERFACE_NAMES=${DIB_NETWORK_INTERFACE_NAMES:-eth0 eth1}
diff --git a/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/install.d/10-debian-networking b/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/install.d/10-debian-networking
index 420e7413..09941ede 100755
--- a/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/install.d/10-debian-networking
+++ b/diskimage_builder/elements/debootstrap/install.d/10-debian-networking
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ if [[ "${DIB_APT_MINIMAL_CREATE_INTERFACES:-1}" -eq "1" ]]; then
         echo "source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*" >> /etc/network/interfaces
         echo 'Network configuration set to source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*'
     fi
-    for interface in eth0 eth1; do
+    for interface in ${DIB_NETWORK_INTERFACE_NAMES}; do
         cat << EOF | tee /etc/network/interfaces.d/$interface
 auto $interface
 iface $interface inet dhcp