diff --git a/src/helpers/nrf52/EthernetCLI.h b/src/helpers/nrf52/EthernetCLI.h
index 6a59bda6..9ccc34f4 100644
--- a/src/helpers/nrf52/EthernetCLI.h
+++ b/src/helpers/nrf52/EthernetCLI.h
@@ -36,13 +36,11 @@ static void ethernet_task(void* param) {
   (void)param;
 
   Serial.println("ETH: Initializing hardware");
-  pinMode(PIN_ETHERNET_POWER_EN, OUTPUT);
-  digitalWrite(PIN_ETHERNET_POWER_EN, HIGH);
-  vTaskDelay(pdMS_TO_TICKS(100));
-
+  // WB_IO2 (power enable) is already driven HIGH by early constructor
+  // in RAK4631Board.cpp to support POE boot.
+  // Skip hardware reset — the W5100S comes out of power-on reset cleanly,
+  // and toggling reset kills the PHY link which breaks POE power.
   pinMode(PIN_ETHERNET_RESET, OUTPUT);
-  digitalWrite(PIN_ETHERNET_RESET, LOW);
-  vTaskDelay(pdMS_TO_TICKS(100));
   digitalWrite(PIN_ETHERNET_RESET, HIGH);
 
   ETHERNET_SPI_PORT.begin();
diff --git a/src/helpers/nrf52/SerialEthernetInterface.cpp b/src/helpers/nrf52/SerialEthernetInterface.cpp
index 92001b1b..4288c0f7 100644
--- a/src/helpers/nrf52/SerialEthernetInterface.cpp
+++ b/src/helpers/nrf52/SerialEthernetInterface.cpp
@@ -22,20 +22,13 @@ bool SerialEthernetInterface::begin() {
 
   ETHERNET_DEBUG_PRINTLN("Ethernet initializing");
 
-#ifdef PIN_ETHERNET_POWER_EN
-        ETHERNET_DEBUG_PRINTLN("Ethernet power enable");
-        pinMode(PIN_ETHERNET_POWER_EN, OUTPUT);
-        digitalWrite(PIN_ETHERNET_POWER_EN, HIGH); // Power up.
-        delay(100);
-        ETHERNET_DEBUG_PRINTLN("Ethernet power enabled");
-#endif
-
+  // WB_IO2 (power enable) is already driven HIGH by early constructor
+  // in RAK4631Board.cpp to support POE boot.
+  // Skip hardware reset — the W5100S comes out of power-on reset cleanly,
+  // and toggling reset kills the PHY link which breaks POE power.
 #ifdef PIN_ETHERNET_RESET
         pinMode(PIN_ETHERNET_RESET, OUTPUT);
-        digitalWrite(PIN_ETHERNET_RESET, LOW); // Reset Time.
-        delay(100);
-        digitalWrite(PIN_ETHERNET_RESET, HIGH); // Reset Time.
-        ETHERNET_DEBUG_PRINTLN("Ethernet reset pulse");
+        digitalWrite(PIN_ETHERNET_RESET, HIGH);
 #endif
 
   uint8_t mac[6];
diff --git a/variants/rak4631/RAK4631Board.cpp b/variants/rak4631/RAK4631Board.cpp
index 08286604..1b5698d0 100644
--- a/variants/rak4631/RAK4631Board.cpp
+++ b/variants/rak4631/RAK4631Board.cpp
@@ -1,8 +1,21 @@
 #include <Arduino.h>
 #include <Wire.h>
+#include "nrf_gpio.h"
 
 #include "RAK4631Board.h"
 
+#ifdef ETHERNET_ENABLED
+// Drive WB_IO2 HIGH as early as possible using direct register access.
+// WB_IO2 (P1.02, Arduino pin 34) controls the WisBlock slot power switch.
+// With POE through RAK13800, this must be enabled before the framework
+// initializes or the board will brownout from insufficient power delivery.
+// Priority 102 runs just after SystemInit.
+static void __attribute__((constructor(102))) rak4631_early_poe_power() {
+  nrf_gpio_cfg_output(NRF_GPIO_PIN_MAP(1, 2));  // WB_IO2 = P1.02
+  nrf_gpio_pin_set(NRF_GPIO_PIN_MAP(1, 2));
+}
+#endif
+
 #ifdef NRF52_POWER_MANAGEMENT
 // Static configuration for power management
 // Values set in variant.h defines