diff --git a/core/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/manager/VmwareManager.java b/core/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/manager/VmwareManager.java
index f87ce6b55be..696da143990 100755
--- a/core/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/manager/VmwareManager.java
+++ b/core/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/manager/VmwareManager.java
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import java.util.Map;
 
 //import com.cloud.cluster.CheckPointManager;
 import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.mo.HostMO;
-import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.mo.VirtualEthernetCardType;
 import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.util.VmwareContext;
 import com.cloud.utils.Pair;
 import com.vmware.vim25.ManagedObjectReference;
@@ -25,6 +24,8 @@ public interface VmwareManager {
 	String composeWorkerName();
 	
     String getSystemVMIsoFileNameOnDatastore();
+    String getSystemVMDefaultNicAdapterType();
+    
 	void prepareSecondaryStorageStore(String strStorageUrl);
 	
 	void setupResourceStartupParams(Map<String, Object> params);
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/configuration/Config.java b/server/src/com/cloud/configuration/Config.java
index 14703286fda..84bc83091fa 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/configuration/Config.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/configuration/Config.java
@@ -258,6 +258,7 @@ public enum Config {
     VmwareReserveCpu("Advanced", ManagementServer.class, Boolean.class, "vmware.reserve.cpu", "false", "Specify whether or not to reserve CPU based on CPU overprovisioning factor", null),
     VmwareReserveMem("Advanced", ManagementServer.class, Boolean.class, "vmware.reserve.mem", "false", "Specify whether or not to reserve memory based on memory overprovisioning factor", null),
     VmwareRootDiskControllerType("Advanced", ManagementServer.class, String.class, "vmware.root.disk.controller", "ide", "Specify the default disk controller for root volumes, valid values are scsi, ide", null),
+    VmwareSystemVmNicDeviceType("Advanced", ManagementServer.class, String.class, "vmware.systemvm.nic.device.type", "E1000", "Specify the default network device type for system VMs, valid values are E1000, PCNet32, Vmxnet2, Vmxnet3", null),
     
     // KVM
     KvmPublicNetwork("Advanced", ManagementServer.class, String.class, "kvm.public.network.device", null, "Specify the public bridge on host for public network", null),
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/guru/VMwareGuru.java b/server/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/guru/VMwareGuru.java
index 6babfa30b70..df9756fa33b 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/guru/VMwareGuru.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/guru/VMwareGuru.java
@@ -95,9 +95,8 @@ public class VMwareGuru extends HypervisorGuruBase implements HypervisorGuru {
         if(vm.getVirtualMachine() instanceof DomainRouterVO || vm.getVirtualMachine() instanceof ConsoleProxyVO 
         	|| vm.getVirtualMachine() instanceof SecondaryStorageVmVO) {
         	
-            // for system VMs, use Vmxnet3 as default
         	if(nicDeviceType == null) {
-        		details.put(VmDetailConstants.NIC_ADAPTER, VirtualEthernetCardType.Vmxnet3.toString());
+        		details.put(VmDetailConstants.NIC_ADAPTER, _vmwareMgr.getSystemVMDefaultNicAdapterType());
         	} else {
         		try {
         			VirtualEthernetCardType.valueOf(nicDeviceType);
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/VmwareManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/VmwareManagerImpl.java
index 19a4964dc8d..536d9b7e071 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/VmwareManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/hypervisor/vmware/VmwareManagerImpl.java
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.mo.HostMO;
 import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.mo.HostVirtualNicType;
 import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.mo.HypervisorHostHelper;
 import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.mo.TaskMO;
+import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.mo.VirtualEthernetCardType;
 import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.mo.VmwareHostType;
 import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.resource.SshHelper;
 import com.cloud.hypervisor.vmware.util.VmwareContext;
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ public class VmwareManagerImpl implements VmwareManager, VmwareStorageMount, Lis
     String _guestNetworkVSwitchName;
     String _serviceConsoleName;
     String _managemetPortGroupName;
+    String _defaultSystemVmNicAdapterType = VirtualEthernetCardType.E1000.toString();
     int _additionalPortRangeStart;
     int _additionalPortRangeSize;
     int _maxHostsPerCluster;
@@ -219,6 +221,10 @@ public class VmwareManagerImpl implements VmwareManager, VmwareStorageMount, Lis
         	_managemetPortGroupName = "Management Network";
         }
         
+        _defaultSystemVmNicAdapterType = configDao.getValue(Config.VmwareSystemVmNicDeviceType.key());
+        if(_defaultSystemVmNicAdapterType == null)
+            _defaultSystemVmNicAdapterType = VirtualEthernetCardType.E1000.toString();
+        
         _additionalPortRangeStart = NumbersUtil.parseInt(configDao.getValue(Config.VmwareAdditionalVncPortRangeStart.key()), 59000);
         if(_additionalPortRangeStart > 65535) {
         	s_logger.warn("Invalid port range start port (" + _additionalPortRangeStart + ") for additional VNC port allocation, reset it to default start port 59000");
@@ -544,6 +550,11 @@ public class VmwareManagerImpl implements VmwareManager, VmwareStorageMount, Lis
         return fileName.replace(':', '-');
     }
     
+    @Override
+    public String getSystemVMDefaultNicAdapterType() {
+        return this._defaultSystemVmNicAdapterType;
+    }
+    
     private File getSystemVMPatchIsoFile() {
         // locate systemvm.iso
         URL url = ComponentLocator.class.getProtectionDomain().getCodeSource().getLocation();
diff --git a/setup/db/db/schema-2213to2214.sql b/setup/db/db/schema-2213to2214.sql
index a437fc5f7d4..8f98a5e7f55 100644
--- a/setup/db/db/schema-2213to2214.sql
+++ b/setup/db/db/schema-2213to2214.sql
@@ -34,3 +34,4 @@ CREATE TABLE  `cloud`.`mshost_peer` (
   UNIQUE `i_mshost_peer__owner_peer_runid`(`owner_mshost`, `peer_mshost`, `peer_runid`)
 ) ENGINE=InnoDB DEFAULT CHARSET=utf8;
 
+INSERT IGNORE INTO configuration (category, instance, component, name, value, description) VALUES ('Advanced', 'DEFAULT', 'management-server', 'vmware.systemvm.nic.device.type', 'E1000', 'Specify the default network device type for system VMs, valid values are E1000, PCNet32, Vmxnet2, Vmxnet3');