diff --git a/lib/jeannie/pipeline.sh b/lib/jeannie/pipeline.sh
index 8d0250c..17dbe60 100644
--- a/lib/jeannie/pipeline.sh
+++ b/lib/jeannie/pipeline.sh
@@ -1277,6 +1277,12 @@ ping -c 2 -W 2 '${lan_probe_host}'"
 
     script="$(cat <<EOF
 set -eu
+echo 'guest-check: initial links'
+ip -br link
+echo 'guest-check: initial addresses'
+ip -br addr || true
+echo 'guest-check: initial routes'
+ip route || true
 cat >/tmp/homelab-interfaces <<'INTERFACES'
 auto lo
 iface lo inet loopback
@@ -1297,14 +1303,17 @@ done
 sudo pkill -x dhclient >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 sudo pkill -x dhcpcd >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
 sudo systemctl enable networking >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
-sudo ifdown --force ${interface_name} 2>/dev/null || true
+if command -v timeout >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  sudo timeout 20 ifdown --force ${interface_name} 2>/dev/null || true
+else
+  sudo ifdown --force ${interface_name} 2>/dev/null || true
+fi
 sudo ip addr flush dev ${interface_name} scope global || true
 sudo ip route flush dev ${interface_name} || true
 sudo ip link set ${interface_name} up
 sudo ip addr add ${worker_ip} dev ${interface_name}
 sudo ip route replace default via ${gateway} dev ${interface_name} src ${worker_address}
 printf '%s\n' ${dns_servers} | awk '{ for (i = 1; i <= NF; i++) print "nameserver " \$i }' | sudo tee /etc/resolv.conf >/dev/null
-sudo ifup --force ${interface_name} 2>/dev/null || true
 sudo ssh-keygen -A
 sudo install -d -m 0755 /run/sshd
 sudo mkdir -p /etc/ssh/sshd_config.d