diff --git a/src/config/network.rs b/src/config/network.rs
index ba97a71c..c5d32069 100644
--- a/src/config/network.rs
+++ b/src/config/network.rs
@@ -19,6 +19,14 @@ pub use parser::*;
 
 use crate::api2::types::{Interface, NetworkConfigMethod, NetworkInterfaceType, LinuxBondMode};
 
+lazy_static!{
+    static ref PHYSICAL_NIC_REGEX: Regex = Regex::new(r"^(?:eth\d+|en[^:.]+|ib\d+)$").unwrap();
+}
+
+pub fn is_physical_nic(iface: &str) -> bool {
+    PHYSICAL_NIC_REGEX.is_match(iface)
+}
+
 pub fn bond_mode_from_str(s: &str) -> Result<LinuxBondMode, Error> {
     LinuxBondMode::deserialize(s.into_deserializer())
         .map_err(|_: value::Error| format_err!("invalid bond_mode '{}'", s))
diff --git a/src/config/network/parser.rs b/src/config/network/parser.rs
index 7684d7bc..071bbcc7 100644
--- a/src/config/network/parser.rs
+++ b/src/config/network/parser.rs
@@ -366,7 +366,6 @@ impl <R: BufRead> NetworkParser<R> {
         }
 
         lazy_static!{
-            static ref PHYSICAL_NIC_REGEX: Regex = Regex::new(r"^(?:eth\d+|en[^:.]+|ib\d+)$").unwrap();
             static ref INTERFACE_ALIAS_REGEX: Regex = Regex::new(r"^\S+:\d+$").unwrap();
             static ref VLAN_INTERFACE_REGEX: Regex = Regex::new(r"^\S+\.\d+$").unwrap();
         }
@@ -375,10 +374,10 @@ impl <R: BufRead> NetworkParser<R> {
             for (iface, active) in existing_interfaces.iter()  {
                 if let Some(interface) = config.interfaces.get_mut(iface) {
                     interface.active = *active;
-                    if interface.interface_type == NetworkInterfaceType::Unknown && PHYSICAL_NIC_REGEX.is_match(iface) {
+                    if interface.interface_type == NetworkInterfaceType::Unknown && super::is_physical_nic(iface) {
                         interface.interface_type = NetworkInterfaceType::Eth;
                     }
-                } else if PHYSICAL_NIC_REGEX.is_match(iface) { // also add all physical NICs
+                } else if super::is_physical_nic(iface) { // also add all physical NICs
                     let mut interface = Interface::new(iface.clone());
                     interface.set_method_v4(NetworkConfigMethod::Manual)?;
                     interface.interface_type = NetworkInterfaceType::Eth;
@@ -403,7 +402,7 @@ impl <R: BufRead> NetworkParser<R> {
                 interface.interface_type = NetworkInterfaceType::Vlan;
                 continue;
             }
-            if PHYSICAL_NIC_REGEX.is_match(name) {
+            if super::is_physical_nic(name) {
                 interface.interface_type = NetworkInterfaceType::Eth;
                 continue;
             }