diff --git a/netstack/src/router/mod.rs b/netstack/src/router/mod.rs
index 5e9dbc0b76..56c8a2a8a9 100644
--- a/netstack/src/router/mod.rs
+++ b/netstack/src/router/mod.rs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::cell::{Cell, RefCell};
 use std::rc::Rc;
 
 use smoltcp::phy::{Device, DeviceCapabilities, Medium};
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ pub struct Router {
     tx_buffer: PacketBuffer,
     devices: Rc<RefCell<DeviceList>>,
     route_table: Rc<RefCell<RouteTable>>,
+    pub ip_forward: Rc<Cell<bool>>,
 }
 
 impl Router {
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@ impl Router {
             tx_buffer,
             devices,
             route_table,
+            ip_forward: Rc::new(Cell::new(true)),
         }
     }
 
@@ -93,6 +95,9 @@ impl Router {
     }
 
     pub fn forward_packets(&mut self, filter_table: &Rc<RefCell<FilterTable>>, now: Instant) {
+        if !self.ip_forward.get() {
+            return;
+        }
         let mut forwarded: Vec<Vec<u8>> = Vec::new();
         let mut local: Vec<Vec<u8>> = Vec::new();
 
diff --git a/netstack/src/scheme/mod.rs b/netstack/src/scheme/mod.rs
index 9dff56271e..d2f641b9e1 100644
--- a/netstack/src/scheme/mod.rs
+++ b/netstack/src/scheme/mod.rs
@@ -116,6 +116,8 @@ impl Smolnetd {
             |_timestamp, printer| trace!("{}", printer),
         );
 
+        let ip_forward = network_device.get_mut().ip_forward.clone();
+
         let config = Config::new(HardwareAddress::Ip);
         let mut iface = SmoltcpInterface::new(config, &mut network_device, Instant::now());
         iface.update_ip_addrs(|ip_addrs| ip_addrs.extend(protocol_addrs));
@@ -190,6 +192,7 @@ impl Smolnetd {
                 Rc::clone(&route_table),
                 Rc::clone(&devices),
                 Rc::clone(&socket_set),
+                ip_forward,
             )?,
             netfilter_scheme: NetFilterScheme::new(
                 netfilter_file,
diff --git a/netstack/src/scheme/netcfg/mod.rs b/netstack/src/scheme/netcfg/mod.rs
index 038da7e625..0e8da29785 100644
--- a/netstack/src/scheme/netcfg/mod.rs
+++ b/netstack/src/scheme/netcfg/mod.rs
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ use redox_scheme::{
 };
 use scheme_utils::HandleMap;
 use smoltcp::wire::{EthernetAddress, IpAddress, IpCidr, Ipv4Address, Ipv6Address};
-use std::cell::RefCell;
+use std::cell::{Cell, RefCell};
 use std::collections::BTreeMap;
 use std::mem;
 use std::rc::Rc;
@@ -101,6 +101,7 @@ fn mk_root_node(
     route_table: Rc<RefCell<RouteTable>>,
     devices: Rc<RefCell<DeviceList>>,
     socket_set: Rc<RefCell<SocketSet>>,
+    ip_forward: Rc<Cell<bool>>,
 ) -> CfgNodeRef {
     cfg_node! {
         "sockets" => {
@@ -221,6 +222,33 @@ fn mk_root_node(
                 }
             },
         },
+        "sysctl" => {
+            "net" => {
+                "ipv4" => {
+                    "ip_forward" => {
+                        rw [ip_forward] (Option<bool>, None)
+                        || {
+                            let val: u8 = if ip_forward.get() { 1 } else { 0 };
+                            format!("{}\n", val)
+                        }
+                        |cur_value, line| {
+                            let val = line.trim().parse::<u8>()
+                                .map_err(|_| SyscallError::new(syscall::EINVAL))?;
+                            match val {
+                                0 => { ip_forward.set(false); }
+                                1 => { ip_forward.set(true); }
+                                _ => return Err(SyscallError::new(syscall::EINVAL)),
+                            }
+                            *cur_value = Some(val == 1);
+                            Ok(())
+                        }
+                        |_cur_value| {
+                            Ok(())
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        },
         "ifaces" => {
             "eth0" => {
                 "mac" => {
@@ -484,6 +512,7 @@ impl NetCfgScheme {
         route_table: Rc<RefCell<RouteTable>>,
         devices: Rc<RefCell<DeviceList>>,
         socket_set: Rc<RefCell<SocketSet>>,
+        ip_forward: Rc<Cell<bool>>,
     ) -> Result<NetCfgScheme> {
         let notifier = Notifier::new_ref();
         let dns_config = Rc::new(RefCell::new(DNSConfig {
@@ -500,6 +529,7 @@ impl NetCfgScheme {
                 route_table,
                 devices,
                 socket_set,
+                ip_forward,
             ),
             notifier,
         };