diff --git a/pkg/vmprovider/providers/vsphere2/vmlifecycle/update_status.go b/pkg/vmprovider/providers/vsphere2/vmlifecycle/update_status.go
index ac97b9735..a7cd82992 100644
--- a/pkg/vmprovider/providers/vsphere2/vmlifecycle/update_status.go
+++ b/pkg/vmprovider/providers/vsphere2/vmlifecycle/update_status.go
@@ -81,9 +81,14 @@ func UpdateStatus(
 	vm.Status.UniqueID = vcVM.Reference().Value
 	vm.Status.BiosUUID = summary.Config.Uuid
 	vm.Status.InstanceUUID = summary.Config.InstanceUuid
-	vm.Status.Network = getGuestNetworkStatus(vmMO.Guest)
 	vm.Status.HardwareVersion = util.ParseVirtualHardwareVersion(summary.Config.HwVersion)
 
+	var networkInterfaces []vmopv1.VirtualMachineNetworkInterfaceSpec
+	if vmCtx.VM.Spec.Network != nil {
+		networkInterfaces = vmCtx.VM.Spec.Network.Interfaces
+	}
+	vm.Status.Network = getGuestNetworkStatus(networkInterfaces, vmMO.Guest)
+
 	vm.Status.Host, err = getRuntimeHostHostname(vmCtx, vcVM, summary.Runtime.Host)
 	if err != nil {
 		errs = append(errs, err)
@@ -136,7 +141,11 @@ func getRuntimeHostHostname(
 	return "", nil
 }
 
-func getGuestNetworkStatus(guestInfo *types.GuestInfo) *vmopv1.VirtualMachineNetworkStatus {
+func getGuestNetworkStatus(
+	networkInterfaces []vmopv1.VirtualMachineNetworkInterfaceSpec,
+	guestInfo *types.GuestInfo,
+) *vmopv1.VirtualMachineNetworkStatus {
+
 	if guestInfo == nil {
 		return nil
 	}
@@ -159,6 +168,14 @@ func getGuestNetworkStatus(guestInfo *types.GuestInfo) *vmopv1.VirtualMachineNet
 		}
 	}
 
+	// Hack: the exceedingly common case is just one nic - our boostrap effectively only works with one -
+	// so do the best effort here and apply the name in that common case. We have a long ways to go until
+	// we can always line up interfaces in the Spec with what both is observed in the VM hardware config
+	// and what the GuestNicInfo provides.
+	if len(networkInterfaces) == 1 && len(status.Interfaces) == 1 {
+		status.Interfaces[0].Name = networkInterfaces[0].Name
+	}
+
 	if len(guestInfo.IpStack) > 0 {
 		status.VirtualMachineNetworkIPStackStatus = guestIPStackInfoToIPStackStatus(&guestInfo.IpStack[0])
 	}
@@ -169,7 +186,7 @@ func getGuestNetworkStatus(guestInfo *types.GuestInfo) *vmopv1.VirtualMachineNet
 func guestNicInfoToInterfaceStatus(idx int, guestNicInfo *types.GuestNicInfo) vmopv1.VirtualMachineNetworkInterfaceStatus {
 	status := vmopv1.VirtualMachineNetworkInterfaceStatus{}
 
-	// TODO: What name exactly? The CRD name may be the most useful here but hard to line that up.
+	// Try to provide some default, useful name that can otherwise help identify the interface.
 	status.Name = fmt.Sprintf("nic-%d-%d", idx, guestNicInfo.DeviceConfigId)
 	status.IP.MACAddr = guestNicInfo.MacAddress
 
diff --git a/pkg/vmprovider/providers/vsphere2/vmlifecycle/update_status_test.go b/pkg/vmprovider/providers/vsphere2/vmlifecycle/update_status_test.go
index 900768f97..00c5426e5 100644
--- a/pkg/vmprovider/providers/vsphere2/vmlifecycle/update_status_test.go
+++ b/pkg/vmprovider/providers/vsphere2/vmlifecycle/update_status_test.go
@@ -73,6 +73,12 @@ var _ = Describe("UpdateStatus", func() {
 						},
 					},
 				}
+
+				vmCtx.VM.Spec.Network.Interfaces = []vmopv1.VirtualMachineNetworkInterfaceSpec{
+					{
+						Name: "eth42",
+					},
+				}
 			})
 
 			It("Skips pseudo devices", func() {
@@ -80,6 +86,7 @@ var _ = Describe("UpdateStatus", func() {
 
 				Expect(network.Interfaces).To(HaveLen(1))
 				Expect(network.Interfaces[0].IP.MACAddr).To(Equal("mac-4000"))
+				Expect(network.Interfaces[0].Name).To(Equal("eth42"))
 			})
 		})