diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index f69d0969..8559d21b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@ $(WEAVER_EXE) $(WEAVEDNS_EXE) $(WEAVEPROXY_EXE) $(NETCHECK_EXE): common/*.go com
 $(WEAVER_EXE): router/*.go ipam/*.go ipam/*/*.go prog/weaver/main.go
 $(WEAVEDNS_EXE): nameserver/*.go prog/weavedns/main.go
 $(WEAVEPROXY_EXE): proxy/*.go prog/weaveproxy/main.go
+$(NETCHECK_EXE): prog/netcheck/netcheck.go
 
 # Sigproxy and weavewait need separate rules as they fail the netgo check in
 # the main build stanza due to not importing net package
diff --git a/net/route.go b/net/route.go
index 0d8a1bab..80df987a 100644
--- a/net/route.go
+++ b/net/route.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ func CheckNetworkFree(subnet *net.IPNet) error {
 	}
 	for _, route := range routes {
 		if route.Dst != nil && overlaps(route.Dst, subnet) {
-			return fmt.Errorf("network %s would overlap with route %s", subnet, route.Dst)
+			return fmt.Errorf("Network %s overlaps with existing route %s", subnet, route.Dst)
 		}
 	}
 	return nil
@@ -26,3 +26,18 @@ func CheckNetworkFree(subnet *net.IPNet) error {
 func overlaps(n1, n2 *net.IPNet) bool {
 	return n1.Contains(n2.IP) || n2.Contains(n1.IP)
 }
+
+// For a specific address, we only care if it is actually *inside* an
+// existing route, because weave-local traffic never hits IP routing.
+func CheckAddressOverlap(addr net.IP) error {
+	routes, err := netlink.RouteList(nil, netlink.FAMILY_V4)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	for _, route := range routes {
+		if route.Dst != nil && route.Dst.Contains(addr) {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Address %s overlaps with existing route %s", addr, route.Dst)
+		}
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/prog/netcheck/netcheck.go b/prog/netcheck/netcheck.go
index 383f5d9b..96a26ed4 100644
--- a/prog/netcheck/netcheck.go
+++ b/prog/netcheck/netcheck.go
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/* netcheck: check whether a given network overlaps with any existing routes */
+/* netcheck: check whether a given network or address overlaps with any existing routes */
 package main
 
 import (
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import (
 )
 
 func fatal(err error) {
-	fmt.Println(err)
+	fmt.Fprintln(os.Stderr, err)
 	os.Exit(1)
 }
 
@@ -19,12 +19,17 @@ func main() {
 		os.Exit(0)
 	}
 
-	ipRangeStr := os.Args[1]
-	_, ipnet, err := net.ParseCIDR(ipRangeStr)
+	cidrStr := os.Args[1]
+	addr, ipnet, err := net.ParseCIDR(cidrStr)
 	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
-	if err := weavenet.CheckNetworkFree(ipnet); err != nil {
+	if ipnet.IP.Equal(addr) {
+		err = weavenet.CheckNetworkFree(ipnet)
+	} else {
+		err = weavenet.CheckAddressOverlap(addr)
+	}
+	if err != nil {
 		fatal(err)
 	}
 	os.Exit(0)
diff --git a/weave b/weave
index 7d4c9f58..5bc53f69 100755
--- a/weave
+++ b/weave
@@ -858,6 +858,8 @@ ipam_cidrs() {
             IPAM_CIDRS="$IPAM_CIDRS $CIDR"
             ALL_CIDRS="$ALL_CIDRS $CIDR"
         else
+            # This is a plain IP address; warn if it clashes but carry on
+            command_exists netcheck && netcheck $1 || true
             ALL_CIDRS="$ALL_CIDRS $1"
         fi
         shift 1