diff --git a/roles/network/tasks/detected_network.yml b/roles/network/tasks/detected_network.yml
index f75ad3f06..5e95182d3 100644
--- a/roles/network/tasks/detected_network.yml
+++ b/roles/network/tasks/detected_network.yml
@@ -269,6 +269,11 @@
   register: FW_rejected_country
   ignore_errors: True
 
+- name: Detect country code passed from cmdline
+  shell: dmesg | awk -F cfg80211.ieee80211_regdom= '{print $2}'
+  register: cmdline_country_code
+  ignore_errors: True
+
 - name: In VM disable LAN - needs local_vars entry to activate
   set_fact:
     iiab_lan_iface: none
@@ -351,7 +356,7 @@
     value: "{{ item.value | string }}"
   with_items:
     - option: FW_rejected_country
-      value: "{{ host_country_code_found }}"
+      value: "{{ cmdline_country_code }}"
   when: FW_rejected_country.stdout is defined
 
 # well if there ever was a point to tell the user things are FUBAR this is it.