diff --git a/benches/netbench/Cargo.toml b/benches/netbench/Cargo.toml
index bfaa86bd6..710bed9eb 100644
--- a/benches/netbench/Cargo.toml
+++ b/benches/netbench/Cargo.toml
@@ -29,6 +29,7 @@ fsgsbase = ["hermit-sys/fsgsbase"]
 smp = ["hermit-sys/smp"]
 tcp = ["hermit-sys/tcp"]
 instrument = ["hermit-sys/instrument"]
+rtl8139 = ["hermit-sys/rtl8139"]
 
 [[bin]]
 name = "server-bw"
diff --git a/examples/httpd/Cargo.toml b/examples/httpd/Cargo.toml
index 646649cb8..41b96eed0 100644
--- a/examples/httpd/Cargo.toml
+++ b/examples/httpd/Cargo.toml
@@ -27,4 +27,5 @@ smp = ["hermit-sys/smp"]
 tcp = ["hermit-sys/tcp"]
 instrument = ["hermit-sys/instrument"]
 trace = ["hermit-sys/trace"]
+rtl8139 = ["hermit-sys/rtl8139"]
 ci = []
diff --git a/hermit-sys/Cargo.toml b/hermit-sys/Cargo.toml
index 1687737e9..0a93f8338 100644
--- a/hermit-sys/Cargo.toml
+++ b/hermit-sys/Cargo.toml
@@ -39,6 +39,9 @@ tcp = []
 trace = []
 vga = []
 
+# if this feature isn't set, the Virtio interface will be used
+rtl8139 = ["tcp", "pci"]
+
 [build-dependencies]
 flate2 = "1"
 ureq = "2.4"
diff --git a/hermit-sys/build.rs b/hermit-sys/build.rs
index 8a2a1a419..64f650ec4 100644
--- a/hermit-sys/build.rs
+++ b/hermit-sys/build.rs
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ impl KernelSrc {
 			&mut cmd,
 			[
 				"acpi", "dhcpv4", "fsgsbase", "pci", "pci-ids", "smp", "tcp", "trace", "vga",
+				"rtl8139",
 			]
 			.into_iter(),
 		);