diff --git a/prog/plugin/main.go b/prog/plugin/main.go
index 62623d84..0415f4c8 100644
--- a/prog/plugin/main.go
+++ b/prog/plugin/main.go
@@ -5,10 +5,8 @@ import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"os"
-	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/ipamapi"
-	go_docker "github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
 	. "github.com/weaveworks/weave/common"
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/common/docker"
 	ipamplugin "github.com/weaveworks/weave/plugin/ipam"
@@ -25,7 +23,6 @@ func main() {
 		nameserver       string
 		meshAddress      string
 		logLevel         string
-		meshNetworkName  string
 		noMulticastRoute bool
 	)
 
@@ -34,7 +31,6 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&address, "socket", "/run/docker/plugins/weave.sock", "socket on which to listen")
 	flag.StringVar(&nameserver, "nameserver", "", "nameserver to provide to containers")
 	flag.StringVar(&meshAddress, "meshsocket", "/run/docker/plugins/weavemesh.sock", "socket on which to listen in mesh mode")
-	flag.StringVar(&meshNetworkName, "mesh-network-name", "weave", "network name to create in mesh mode")
 	flag.BoolVar(&noMulticastRoute, "no-multicast-route", false, "do not add a multicast route to network endpoints")
 
 	flag.Parse()
@@ -72,10 +68,6 @@ func main() {
 		defer meshListener.Close()
 	}
 
-	if meshNetworkName != "" {
-		createNetwork(dockerClient, meshNetworkName, meshAddress)
-	}
-
 	err = <-endChan
 	if err != nil {
 		Log.Errorf("Error from listener: %s", err)
@@ -116,24 +108,3 @@ func listenAndServe(dockerClient *docker.Client, address, nameserver string, noM
 
 	return listener, nil
 }
-
-func createNetwork(dockerClient *docker.Client, networkName, address string) {
-	if _, err := dockerClient.Client.NetworkInfo(networkName); err == nil {
-		Log.Printf("Docker network '%s' already exists", networkName)
-	} else if _, ok := err.(*go_docker.NoSuchNetwork); ok {
-		driverName := strings.TrimSuffix(address, ".sock")
-		if i := strings.LastIndex(driverName, "/"); i >= 0 {
-			driverName = driverName[i+1:]
-		}
-		options := go_docker.CreateNetworkOptions{
-			Name:           networkName,
-			CheckDuplicate: true,
-			Driver:         driverName,
-			IPAM:           go_docker.IPAMOptions{Driver: driverName},
-		}
-		_, err := dockerClient.Client.CreateNetwork(options)
-		if err != nil {
-			Log.Fatalf("Error creating network: %s", err)
-		}
-	}
-}
diff --git a/prog/weaveutil/main.go b/prog/weaveutil/main.go
index ab2187b0..2cdf02d7 100644
--- a/prog/weaveutil/main.go
+++ b/prog/weaveutil/main.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ func init() {
 		"create-datapath":        createDatapath,
 		"delete-datapath":        deleteDatapath,
 		"add-datapath-interface": addDatapathInterface,
+		"create-plugin-network":  createPluginNetwork,
 		"remove-plugin-network":  removePluginNetwork,
 	}
 }
diff --git a/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go b/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
index 012a2af6..ef9ea04a 100644
--- a/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
+++ b/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
@@ -7,6 +7,36 @@ import (
 	"github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
 )
 
+func createPluginNetwork(args []string) error {
+	if len(args) != 2 {
+		cmdUsage("create-plugin-network", "<network-name> <driver-name>")
+	}
+	networkName := args[0]
+	driverName := args[1]
+	d, err := newDockerClient()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	_, err = d.NetworkInfo(networkName)
+	if err == nil {
+		return nil
+	}
+	if _, ok := err.(*docker.NoSuchNetwork); !ok {
+		return nil // TODO is this right?
+	}
+	_, err = d.CreateNetwork(
+		docker.CreateNetworkOptions{
+			Name:           networkName,
+			CheckDuplicate: true,
+			Driver:         driverName,
+			IPAM:           docker.IPAMOptions{Driver: driverName},
+		})
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("unable to create network: %s", err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
+
 func removePluginNetwork(args []string) error {
 	if len(args) != 1 {
 		cmdUsage("remove-plugin-network", "<network-name>")
diff --git a/site/plugin.md b/site/plugin.md
index 85ab3b2e..b5b449ee 100644
--- a/site/plugin.md
+++ b/site/plugin.md
@@ -73,8 +73,6 @@ The plugin command-line arguments are:
 
  * `--log-level=debug|info|warning|error`, which tells the plugin
    how much information to emit for debugging.
- * `--mesh-network-name=<name>`: set it to blank to disable creation
-   of a default network, or a name of your own choice.
  * `--no-multicast-route`: stop weave adding a static IP route for
    multicast traffic on its interface
 
diff --git a/weave b/weave
index 4ac0b049..2de5a231 100755
--- a/weave
+++ b/weave
@@ -1683,12 +1683,15 @@ launch_plugin_if_not_running() {
     # Any other kind of error code from check_not_running is a failure.
     [ $retval -gt 0 ] && return $retval
 
-    PLUGIN_CONTAINER=$(docker run --privileged -d --name=$PLUGIN_CONTAINER_NAME \
+    if ! PLUGIN_CONTAINER=$(docker run --privileged -d --name=$PLUGIN_CONTAINER_NAME \
         --restart=always \
         --net=host \
         $(docker_sock_options) \
         -v /run/docker/plugins:/run/docker/plugins \
-        $PLUGIN_IMAGE "$@")
+        $PLUGIN_IMAGE "$@") ; then
+        return 1
+    fi
+    util_op create-plugin-network weave weavemesh
 }
 
 plugin_disabled() {