diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java b/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
index 28f1dbfc5ee..b531edc07fd 100755
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/api/ApiConstants.java
@@ -331,6 +331,7 @@ public class ApiConstants {
     public static final String IS_SOURCE_NAT = "issourcenat";
     public static final String IS_STATIC_NAT = "isstaticnat";
     public static final String SORT_BY = "sortby";
+    public static final String CHANGE_CIDR = "changecidr";
     
     public enum HostDetails {
         all, capacity, events, stats, min;
diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/UpdateNetworkCmd.java b/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/UpdateNetworkCmd.java
index e734bd10d33..e8a7d4f3b78 100644
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/UpdateNetworkCmd.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/api/commands/UpdateNetworkCmd.java
@@ -59,6 +59,9 @@ public class UpdateNetworkCmd extends BaseAsyncCmd {
     @Parameter(name=ApiConstants.NETWORK_DOMAIN, type=CommandType.STRING, description="network domain")
     private String networkDomain;
     
+    @Parameter(name=ApiConstants.CHANGE_CIDR, type=CommandType.BOOLEAN, description="Force update even if cidr type is different")
+    private Boolean changeCidr;
+    
     @IdentityMapper(entityTableName="network_offerings")
     @Parameter(name=ApiConstants.NETWORK_OFFERING_ID, type=CommandType.LONG, description="network offering ID")
     private Long networkOfferingId;
@@ -86,7 +89,13 @@ public class UpdateNetworkCmd extends BaseAsyncCmd {
     private Long getNetworkOfferingId() {
         return networkOfferingId;
     }
-    
+
+    public Boolean getChangeCidr() {
+        if (changeCidr != null) {
+            return changeCidr;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
     /////////////// API Implementation///////////////////
     /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
@@ -110,7 +119,7 @@ public class UpdateNetworkCmd extends BaseAsyncCmd {
     public void execute() throws InsufficientCapacityException, ConcurrentOperationException{
         User callerUser = _accountService.getActiveUser(UserContext.current().getCallerUserId());
         Account callerAccount = _accountService.getActiveAccountById(callerUser.getAccountId());      
-        Network result = _networkService.updateGuestNetwork(getId(), getNetworkName(), getDisplayText(), callerAccount, callerUser, getNetworkDomain(), getNetworkOfferingId());
+        Network result = _networkService.updateGuestNetwork(getId(), getNetworkName(), getDisplayText(), callerAccount, callerUser, getNetworkDomain(), getNetworkOfferingId(), getChangeCidr());
         if (result != null) {
             NetworkResponse response = _responseGenerator.createNetworkResponse(result);
             response.setResponseName(getCommandName());
diff --git a/api/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkService.java b/api/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkService.java
index d66c4eae61d..07a15d5f677 100755
--- a/api/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkService.java
+++ b/api/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkService.java
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ public interface NetworkService {
 
     Long getDedicatedNetworkDomain(long networkId);
 
-    Network updateGuestNetwork(long networkId, String name, String displayText, Account callerAccount, User callerUser, String domainSuffix, Long networkOfferingId);
+    Network updateGuestNetwork(long networkId, String name, String displayText, Account callerAccount, User callerUser, String domainSuffix, Long networkOfferingId, Boolean changeCidr);
 
     Integer getNetworkRate(long networkId, Long vmId);
 
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManager.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManager.java
index 5dcb3bc50ba..e253a41aeac 100755
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManager.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManager.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import com.cloud.network.rules.StaticNat;
 import com.cloud.offering.NetworkOffering;
 import com.cloud.offerings.NetworkOfferingVO;
 import com.cloud.user.Account;
+import com.cloud.user.User;
 import com.cloud.utils.Pair;
 import com.cloud.vm.Nic;
 import com.cloud.vm.NicProfile;
diff --git a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
index 1d56a8d9d1a..cb4f5531a3a 100644
--- a/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
+++ b/server/src/com/cloud/network/NetworkManagerImpl.java
@@ -3852,7 +3852,7 @@ public class NetworkManagerImpl implements NetworkManager, NetworkService, Manag
     @Override
     @DB
     @ActionEvent(eventType = EventTypes.EVENT_NETWORK_UPDATE, eventDescription = "updating network", async = true)
-    public Network updateGuestNetwork(long networkId, String name, String displayText, Account callerAccount, User callerUser, String domainSuffix, Long networkOfferingId) {
+    public Network updateGuestNetwork(long networkId, String name, String displayText, Account callerAccount, User callerUser, String domainSuffix, Long networkOfferingId, Boolean changeCidr) {
         boolean restartNetwork = false;
 
         // verify input parameters
@@ -3908,8 +3908,9 @@ public class NetworkManagerImpl implements NetworkManager, NetworkService, Manag
             }
 
             if (networkOfferingId != oldNetworkOfferingId) {
-                if (networkOfferingIsConfiguredForExternalNetworking(networkOfferingId)) {
-                    throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Network offering " + networkOffering + " contained external network elements, can't be upgraded from a CIDR specify network!");
+                if (networkOfferingIsConfiguredForExternalNetworking(networkOfferingId) != networkOfferingIsConfiguredForExternalNetworking(oldNetworkOfferingId)
+                        && !changeCidr) {
+                    throw new InvalidParameterValueException("Network offerings contained external network elements, need user agree to change CIDR!");
                 }
                 // check if the network is upgradable
                 if (!canUpgrade(network, oldNetworkOfferingId, networkOfferingId)) {