diff --git a/repos/libports/run/nic_dump.run b/repos/libports/run/nic_dump.run
index 378a5bae4c..75d10db345 100644
--- a/repos/libports/run/nic_dump.run
+++ b/repos/libports/run/nic_dump.run
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ append config {
 		<config uplink="bridge"
 		        downlink="router"
 		        time="yes"
+		        default="name"
 		        eth="name"
 		        arp="all"
 		        ipv4="default"
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/README b/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/README
index fe2bc80a96..b3e7c21e1b 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/README
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/README
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ their default values (except config.uplink and config.downlink):
 ! <config uplink="uplink"
 !         downlink="downlink"
 !         time="no"
+!         default="default"
 !         eth="default"
 !         arp="default"
 !         ipv4="default"
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ accepts one of four possible values:
 * default - print a short summary of the most important header values
 * all     - print all available header values
 
+The 'default' attribute is useful to change the default value for protocol
+attributes that are not explicitely set.
+
 An example output snippet of the component might be:
 
 ! (olivia <- karl) ETH ... ARP ... time 4626 (15)
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/interface.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/interface.cc
index b1806ffd9a..8e3f522e5e 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/interface.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/interface.cc
@@ -99,20 +99,21 @@ Net::Interface::Interface(Entrypoint        &ep,
                           Allocator         &alloc,
                           Xml_node           config)
 :
-	_sink_ack      { ep, *this, &Interface::_ack_avail },
-	_sink_submit   { ep, *this, &Interface::_ready_to_submit },
-	_source_ack    { ep, *this, &Interface::_ready_to_ack },
-	_source_submit { ep, *this, &Interface::_packet_avail },
-	_alloc         { alloc },
-	_label         { label },
-	_timer         { timer },
-	_curr_time     { curr_time },
-	_log_time      { log_time },
-	_log_cfg       { config.attribute_value("eth",  Packet_log_style::DEFAULT),
-	                 config.attribute_value("arp",  Packet_log_style::DEFAULT),
-	                 config.attribute_value("ipv4", Packet_log_style::DEFAULT),
-	                 config.attribute_value("dhcp", Packet_log_style::DEFAULT),
-	                 config.attribute_value("udp",  Packet_log_style::DEFAULT),
-	                 config.attribute_value("icmp", Packet_log_style::DEFAULT),
-	                 config.attribute_value("tcp",  Packet_log_style::DEFAULT) }
+	_sink_ack          { ep, *this, &Interface::_ack_avail },
+	_sink_submit       { ep, *this, &Interface::_ready_to_submit },
+	_source_ack        { ep, *this, &Interface::_ready_to_ack },
+	_source_submit     { ep, *this, &Interface::_packet_avail },
+	_alloc             { alloc },
+	_label             { label },
+	_timer             { timer },
+	_curr_time         { curr_time },
+	_log_time          { log_time },
+	_default_log_style { config.attribute_value("default", Packet_log_style::DEFAULT) },
+	_log_cfg           { config.attribute_value("eth",     _default_log_style),
+	                     config.attribute_value("arp",     _default_log_style),
+	                     config.attribute_value("ipv4",    _default_log_style),
+	                     config.attribute_value("dhcp",    _default_log_style),
+	                     config.attribute_value("udp",     _default_log_style),
+	                     config.attribute_value("icmp",    _default_log_style),
+	                     config.attribute_value("tcp",     _default_log_style) }
 { }
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/interface.h b/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/interface.h
index 16149600e4..3d65dfa29d 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/interface.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_dump/interface.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ class Net::Interface
 		Timer::Connection       &_timer;
 		Genode::Duration        &_curr_time;
 		bool                     _log_time;
+		Packet_log_style  const  _default_log_style;
 		Packet_log_config const  _log_cfg;
 
 		void _send(Ethernet_frame &eth, Genode::size_t const eth_size);