diff --git a/plugin/net/driver.go b/plugin/net/driver.go
index 966fe98b..675ca93d 100644
--- a/plugin/net/driver.go
+++ b/plugin/net/driver.go
@@ -2,9 +2,11 @@ package plugin
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"strconv"
 	"sync"
 
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/drivers/remote/api"
+	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/netlabel"
 	"github.com/docker/libnetwork/types"
 
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
@@ -15,18 +17,28 @@ import (
 	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/plugin/skel"
 )
 
-type driver struct {
-	scope            string
-	noMulticastRoute bool
-	sync.RWMutex
-	endpoints map[string]struct{}
+const (
+	MulticastOption = "works.weave.multicast"
+)
+
+type network struct {
+	hasMulticastRoute bool
 }
 
-func New(client *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, scope string, noMulticastRoute bool) (skel.Driver, error) {
+type driver struct {
+	scope  string
+	docker *docker.Client
+	sync.RWMutex
+	endpoints map[string]struct{}
+	networks  map[string]network
+}
+
+func New(client *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, scope string) (skel.Driver, error) {
 	driver := &driver{
-		noMulticastRoute: noMulticastRoute,
-		scope:            scope,
-		endpoints:        make(map[string]struct{}),
+		scope:     scope,
+		docker:    client,
+		endpoints: make(map[string]struct{}),
+		networks:  make(map[string]network),
 	}
 
 	_, err := NewWatcher(client, weave, driver)
@@ -49,11 +61,33 @@ func (driver *driver) GetCapabilities() (*api.GetCapabilityResponse, error) {
 
 func (driver *driver) CreateNetwork(create *api.CreateNetworkRequest) error {
 	driver.logReq("CreateNetwork", create, create.NetworkID)
+	_, err := driver.setupNetworkInfo(create.NetworkID, stringOptions(create))
+	return err
+}
+
+// Deal with excessively-generic way the options get decoded from JSON
+func stringOptions(create *api.CreateNetworkRequest) map[string]string {
+	if create.Options != nil {
+		if data, found := create.Options[netlabel.GenericData]; found {
+			if options, ok := data.(map[string]interface{}); ok {
+				out := make(map[string]string, len(options))
+				for key, value := range options {
+					if str, ok := value.(string); ok {
+						out[key] = str
+					}
+				}
+				return out
+			}
+		}
+	}
 	return nil
 }
 
-func (driver *driver) DeleteNetwork(delete *api.DeleteNetworkRequest) error {
-	driver.logReq("DeleteNetwork", delete, delete.NetworkID)
+func (driver *driver) DeleteNetwork(delreq *api.DeleteNetworkRequest) error {
+	driver.logReq("DeleteNetwork", delreq, delreq.NetworkID)
+	driver.Lock()
+	delete(driver.networks, delreq.NetworkID)
+	driver.Unlock()
 	return nil
 }
 
@@ -96,6 +130,10 @@ func (driver *driver) EndpointInfo(req *api.EndpointInfoRequest) (*api.EndpointI
 func (driver *driver) JoinEndpoint(j *api.JoinRequest) (*api.JoinResponse, error) {
 	driver.logReq("JoinEndpoint", j, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s to %s", j.NetworkID, j.EndpointID, j.SandboxKey))
 
+	network, err := driver.findNetworkInfo(j.NetworkID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, driver.error("JoinEndpoint", "unable to find network info: %s", err)
+	}
 	name, peerName := vethPair(j.EndpointID)
 	if _, err := weavenet.CreateAndAttachVeth(name, peerName, weavenet.WeaveBridgeName, 0, nil); err != nil {
 		return nil, driver.error("JoinEndpoint", "%s", err)
@@ -107,7 +145,7 @@ func (driver *driver) JoinEndpoint(j *api.JoinRequest) (*api.JoinResponse, error
 			DstPrefix: weavenet.VethName,
 		},
 	}
-	if !driver.noMulticastRoute {
+	if network.hasMulticastRoute {
 		multicastRoute := api.StaticRoute{
 			Destination: "224.0.0.0/4",
 			RouteType:   types.CONNECTED,
@@ -118,6 +156,44 @@ func (driver *driver) JoinEndpoint(j *api.JoinRequest) (*api.JoinResponse, error
 	return response, nil
 }
 
+func (driver *driver) findNetworkInfo(id string) (network, error) {
+	driver.Lock()
+	network, found := driver.networks[id]
+	driver.Unlock()
+	if found {
+		return network, nil
+	}
+	info, err := driver.docker.NetworkInfo(id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return network, err
+	}
+	return driver.setupNetworkInfo(id, info.Options)
+}
+
+func (driver *driver) setupNetworkInfo(id string, options map[string]string) (network, error) {
+	var network network
+	for key, value := range options {
+		switch key {
+		case MulticastOption:
+			if value == "" { // interpret "--opt works.weave.multicast" as "turn it on"
+				network.hasMulticastRoute = true
+			} else {
+				var err error
+				if network.hasMulticastRoute, err = strconv.ParseBool(value); err != nil {
+					return network, fmt.Errorf("unrecognized value %q for option %s", value, key)
+				}
+
+			}
+		default:
+			driver.warn("setupNetworkInfo", "unrecognized option: %s", key)
+		}
+	}
+	driver.Lock()
+	driver.networks[id] = network
+	driver.Unlock()
+	return network, nil
+}
+
 func (driver *driver) LeaveEndpoint(leave *api.LeaveRequest) error {
 	driver.logReq("LeaveEndpoint", leave, fmt.Sprintf("%s:%s", leave.NetworkID, leave.EndpointID))
 
diff --git a/prog/plugin/main.go b/prog/plugin/main.go
index 3eb12a55..8ae47da1 100644
--- a/prog/plugin/main.go
+++ b/prog/plugin/main.go
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ func main() {
 	flag.StringVar(&logLevel, "log-level", "info", "logging level (debug, info, warning, error)")
 	flag.StringVar(&address, "socket", "/run/docker/plugins/weave.sock", "socket on which to listen")
 	flag.StringVar(&meshAddress, "meshsocket", "/run/docker/plugins/weavemesh.sock", "socket on which to listen in mesh mode")
-	flag.BoolVar(&noMulticastRoute, "no-multicast-route", false, "do not add a multicast route to network endpoints")
+	flag.BoolVar(&noMulticastRoute, "no-multicast-route", false, "deprecated (this is now the default)")
 
 	flag.Parse()
 
@@ -73,18 +73,21 @@ func main() {
 	}
 
 	Log.Println("Weave plugin", version, "Command line options:", os.Args[1:])
+	if noMulticastRoute {
+		Log.Warning("--no-multicast-route option has been removed; multicast is off by default")
+	}
 	Log.Info(dockerClient.Info())
 
-	err = run(dockerClient, weave, address, meshAddress, noMulticastRoute)
+	err = run(dockerClient, weave, address, meshAddress)
 	if err != nil {
 		Log.Fatal(err)
 	}
 }
 
-func run(dockerClient *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, address, meshAddress string, noMulticastRoute bool) error {
+func run(dockerClient *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, address, meshAddress string) error {
 	endChan := make(chan error, 1)
 	if address != "" {
-		globalListener, err := listenAndServe(dockerClient, weave, address, noMulticastRoute, endChan, "global", false)
+		globalListener, err := listenAndServe(dockerClient, weave, address, endChan, "global", false)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -92,7 +95,7 @@ func run(dockerClient *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, address, meshAddre
 		defer globalListener.Close()
 	}
 	if meshAddress != "" {
-		meshListener, err := listenAndServe(dockerClient, weave, meshAddress, noMulticastRoute, endChan, "local", true)
+		meshListener, err := listenAndServe(dockerClient, weave, meshAddress, endChan, "local", true)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -117,8 +120,8 @@ func run(dockerClient *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, address, meshAddre
 	}
 }
 
-func listenAndServe(dockerClient *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, address string, noMulticastRoute bool, endChan chan<- error, scope string, withIpam bool) (net.Listener, error) {
-	d, err := netplugin.New(dockerClient, weave, scope, noMulticastRoute)
+func listenAndServe(dockerClient *docker.Client, weave *weaveapi.Client, address string, endChan chan<- error, scope string, withIpam bool) (net.Listener, error) {
+	d, err := netplugin.New(dockerClient, weave, scope)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
diff --git a/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go b/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
index a13d85f8..74891a11 100644
--- a/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
+++ b/prog/weaveutil/plugin_network.go
@@ -4,7 +4,9 @@ package main
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
-	"github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
+	docker "github.com/fsouza/go-dockerclient"
+
+	"github.com/weaveworks/weave/plugin/net"
 )
 
 func createPluginNetwork(args []string) error {
@@ -23,6 +25,7 @@ func createPluginNetwork(args []string) error {
 			CheckDuplicate: true,
 			Driver:         driverName,
 			IPAM:           docker.IPAMOptions{Driver: driverName},
+			Options:        map[string]interface{}{plugin.MulticastOption: "true"},
 		})
 	if err != docker.ErrNetworkAlreadyExists && err != nil {
 		// Despite appearances to the contrary, CreateNetwork does
diff --git a/site/plugin/plugin-how-it-works.md b/site/plugin/plugin-how-it-works.md
index 6b5d8b96..b0561d05 100644
--- a/site/plugin/plugin-how-it-works.md
+++ b/site/plugin/plugin-how-it-works.md
@@ -26,6 +26,13 @@ store, but the first part of
 
 >**Note:** In the case of multiple networks using the `weave` driver, all containers are on the same virtual network but Docker allocates their addresses on different subnets so they cannot talk to each other directly.
 
+The plugin accepts the following options via `docker network create ... --opt`:
+
+ * `works.weave.multicast` -- tells weave to add a static IP
+   route for multicast traffic onto its interface.
+
+>**Note:** If you connect a container to multiple Weave networks, at
+   most one of them can have the multicast route enabled.
 
 **See Also**
 
diff --git a/test/195_no_multicast_route_1_test.sh b/test/195_no_multicast_route_1_test.sh
index a0d38ad7..0cbd46df 100755
--- a/test/195_no_multicast_route_1_test.sh
+++ b/test/195_no_multicast_route_1_test.sh
@@ -8,10 +8,13 @@ show_multicast_route_on() {
 
 start_suite "--no-multicast-route operation"
 
+# In case one is left around from a previous test
+$SSH $HOST1 docker network rm testmcasttrue testmcastfalse >/dev/null 2>&1 || true
+
 # Ensure containers run either way have no multicast route
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-router
 weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy --no-multicast-route
-weave_on $HOST1 launch-plugin --no-multicast-route
+weave_on $HOST1 launch-plugin # plugin defaults to multicast off except for 'net=weave'
 
 start_container $HOST1 --no-multicast-route --name c1
 proxy_start_container $HOST1 --name c2
@@ -19,7 +22,16 @@ start_container_local_plugin $HOST1 --name=c3
 
 assert "show_multicast_route_on $HOST1 c1"
 assert "show_multicast_route_on $HOST1 c2"
-assert "show_multicast_route_on $HOST1 c3"
+assert "show_multicast_route_on $HOST1 c3" "224.0.0.0/4 dev ethwe0 "
+
+# Now try via docker network options
+# using ssh rather than docker -H because CircleCI docker client is older
+$SSH $HOST1 docker network create --driver weavemesh --ipam-driver weavemesh --opt works.weave.multicast=false testmcastfalse
+$SSH $HOST1 docker run --net=testmcastfalse --name c4 -di $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
+assert "show_multicast_route_on $HOST1 c4"
+$SSH $HOST1 docker network create --driver weavemesh --ipam-driver weavemesh --opt works.weave.multicast testmcasttrue
+$SSH $HOST1 docker run --net=testmcasttrue --name c5 -di $SMALL_IMAGE /bin/sh
+assert "show_multicast_route_on $HOST1 c5" "224.0.0.0/4 dev ethwe0 "
 
 # Ensure current proxy options are obeyed on container start
 docker_on $HOST1 stop -t 1 c2
@@ -30,6 +42,7 @@ proxy docker_on $HOST1 start c2
 
 assert "show_multicast_route_on $HOST1 c2" "224.0.0.0/4 dev ethwe "
 
-docker_on $HOST1 rm -f c3
+docker_on $HOST1 rm -f c3 c4 c5
+$SSH $HOST1 docker network rm testmcasttrue testmcastfalse
 
 end_suite