diff --git a/include/env_flags.h b/include/env_flags.h
index 3ef631105f13ce40112bc90c1386043b15533120..fc6d0d842f3d1c1a53d251f34deab9709d5f3fa4 100644
--- a/include/env_flags.h
+++ b/include/env_flags.h
@@ -38,13 +38,18 @@ enum env_flags_varaccess {
 #endif
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_CMD_NET
+#ifdef CONFIG_REGEX
+#define ETHADDR_WILDCARD "\\d?"
+#else
+#define ETHADDR_WILDCARD
+#endif
 #ifdef CONFIG_ENV_OVERWRITE
-#define ETHADDR_FLAGS "ethaddr:ma,"
+#define ETHADDR_FLAGS "eth" ETHADDR_WILDCARD "addr:ma,"
 #else
 #ifdef CONFIG_OVERWRITE_ETHADDR_ONCE
-#define ETHADDR_FLAGS "ethaddr:mc,"
+#define ETHADDR_FLAGS "eth" ETHADDR_WILDCARD "addr:mc,"
 #else
-#define ETHADDR_FLAGS "ethaddr:mo,"
+#define ETHADDR_FLAGS "eth" ETHADDR_WILDCARD "addr:mo,"
 #endif
 #endif
 #else
diff --git a/test/dm/eth.c b/test/dm/eth.c
index 196eba85a2bbc860ce3ded5bf94ed1c7a7f4305b..f31f6b322d7c64cf1725b1ac6a1caeb05e1e4ad8 100644
--- a/test/dm/eth.c
+++ b/test/dm/eth.c
@@ -89,6 +89,8 @@ static int dm_test_eth_rotate(struct dm_test_state *dms)
 	/* Invalidate eth1's MAC address */
 	net_ping_ip = string_to_ip("1.1.2.2");
 	strcpy(ethaddr, getenv("eth1addr"));
+	/* Must disable access protection for eth1addr before clearing */
+	setenv(".flags", "eth1addr");
 	setenv("eth1addr", NULL);
 
 	/* Make sure that the default is to rotate to the next interface */
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ static int dm_test_eth_rotate(struct dm_test_state *dms)
 
 	/* Invalidate eth0's MAC address */
 	strcpy(ethaddr, getenv("ethaddr"));
+	/* Must disable access protection for ethaddr before clearing */
 	setenv(".flags", "ethaddr");
 	setenv("ethaddr", NULL);