diff --git a/extraConfigDpu.py b/extraConfigDpu.py
index 244277d8..323ce8dc 100644
--- a/extraConfigDpu.py
+++ b/extraConfigDpu.py
@@ -151,11 +151,15 @@ def wait_vsp_ds_running(client: K8sClient) -> None:
 
 def ensure_p4_pod_running(lh: host.Host, acc: host.Host, imgReg: ImageRegistry) -> None:
     lh.run_or_die(f"podman pull --tls-verify=false {P4_IMG}")
-    lh.run_or_die(f"podman tag {P4_IMG} {imgReg.url()}/kubecon-aarch64")
-    lh.run_or_die(f"podman push {imgReg.url()}/kubecon-aarch64")
+    local_img = f"{imgReg.url()}/kubecon-aarch64:latest"
+    lh.run_or_die(f"podman tag {P4_IMG} {local_img}")
+    lh.run_or_die(f"podman push {local_img}")
     uname = acc.run("uname -r").out.strip()
+    # If p4 pod already exists from previous run, kill this first.
+    acc.run(f"podman ps --filter ancestor={local_img} --format '{{{{.ID}}}}' | xargs -r podman kill")
     logger.info("Manually starting P4 container")
-    cmd = f"podman run -d --privileged -v /lib/modules/{uname}:/lib/modules/{uname} -v /opt/p4/p4-cp-nws/var/run:/opt/p4/p4-cp-nws/var/run -v /sys:/sys -p 9559:9559 {imgReg.url()}/kubecon-aarch64"
+    acc.run_or_die("mkdir -p /opt/p4/p4-cp-nws/var/run/openvswitch")  # WA https://issues.redhat.com/browse/IIC-421
+    cmd = f"podman run -d --privileged -v /lib/modules/{uname}:/lib/modules/{uname} -v /opt/p4/p4-cp-nws/var/run:/opt/p4/p4-cp-nws/var/run -v /sys:/sys -p 9559:9559 {local_img}"
     acc.run_or_die(cmd)
     # Occasionally the P4 pod fails to start
     while True:
@@ -165,6 +169,14 @@ def ensure_p4_pod_running(lh: host.Host, acc: host.Host, imgReg: ImageRegistry)
         logger.info("Failed to start p4 container, retrying")
         acc.run_or_die(cmd)
 
+    logger.info("Waiting for P4 container to finish initialization")
+    container_id = acc.run_or_die(f"podman ps --filter ancestor={local_img} --format '{{{{.ID}}}}'").out.strip()
+    while True:
+        logs = acc.run_or_die(f"podman logs {container_id} 2>&1").out
+        if "Attempting P4RT communication" in logs:
+            break
+        time.sleep(5)
+
 
 def ExtraConfigDpu(cc: ClustersConfig, cfg: ExtraConfigArgs, futures: dict[str, Future[Optional[host.Result]]]) -> None:
     [f.result() for (_, f) in futures.items()]
diff --git a/ipu.py b/ipu.py
index 43d1f294..1085295d 100644
--- a/ipu.py
+++ b/ipu.py
@@ -159,7 +159,11 @@ def _prepare_imc(self, server_with_key: str) -> None:
 nohup sh -c '
     while true; do
         sleep 30
-        python /usr/bin/scripts/cfg_acc_apf_x2.py
+        if [ -f /work/scripts/ipu_p1_setup.sh ]; then
+            /work/scripts/ipu_p1_setup.sh
+        else
+            break
+        fi
         ping -c 1 192.168.0.2
         if [ $? -eq 0 ]; then
             break
@@ -184,6 +188,10 @@ def _prepare_imc(self, server_with_key: str) -> None:
         imc.run("cp /etc/imc-redfish-configuration.json /work/redfish/")
         imc.run(f"echo {self.password} | bash /usr/bin/ipu-redfish-generate-password-hash.sh")
 
+        # WA: We need to manually install this file to enable networking with the fxp-net_linux-networking.pkg
+        imc.copy_to("./manifests/dpu/ipu_port1_setup.sh", "/work/scripts/ipu_port1_setup.sh")
+        imc.run("chmod +x /work/scripts/ipu_port1_set.sh")
+
         imc.run("reboot")
         time.sleep(10)
         imc.wait_ping()
diff --git a/manifests/dpu/ipu_port1_setup.sh b/manifests/dpu/ipu_port1_setup.sh
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..9e344a1d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/manifests/dpu/ipu_port1_setup.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# This script needs to be run on reboot each time in order for P1 to be used as the primary interface via enp0s1f0d5
+echo "Configure enp0s1f0d5 as designated primary network interface to Microshift OVS"
+echo "#Add to VSI Group 1 :  enp0s1f0d5 [vsi: 0x0C]"
+devmem 0x20292002a0 64 0x800005000000000c
+devmem 0x2029200388 64 0x1
+devmem 0x20292002a0 64 0xa00005000000000c
\ No newline at end of file