diff --git a/src/vnet/ipsec/ipsec_if.c b/src/vnet/ipsec/ipsec_if.c
index b8cba14..2e0dae0 100644
--- a/src/vnet/ipsec/ipsec_if.c
+++ b/src/vnet/ipsec/ipsec_if.c
@@ -170,33 +170,25 @@
 
   if (flags & VNET_SW_INTERFACE_FLAG_ADMIN_UP)
     {
-      ASSERT (im->cb.check_support_cb);
-
       sa = pool_elt_at_index (im->sad, t->input_sa_index);
 
-      err = im->cb.check_support_cb (sa);
+      err = ipsec_check_support_cb (im, sa);
       if (err)
 	return err;
 
-      if (im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb)
-	{
-	  err = im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb (t->input_sa_index, 1);
-	  if (err)
-	    return err;
-	}
+      err = ipsec_add_del_sa_sess_cb (im, t->input_sa_index, 1);
+      if (err)
+	return err;
 
       sa = pool_elt_at_index (im->sad, t->output_sa_index);
 
-      err = im->cb.check_support_cb (sa);
+      err = ipsec_check_support_cb (im, sa);
       if (err)
 	return err;
 
-      if (im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb)
-	{
-	  err = im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb (t->output_sa_index, 1);
-	  if (err)
-	    return err;
-	}
+      err = ipsec_add_del_sa_sess_cb (im, t->output_sa_index, 1);
+      if (err)
+	return err;
 
       vnet_hw_interface_set_flags (vnm, hw_if_index,
 				   VNET_HW_INTERFACE_FLAG_LINK_UP);
@@ -204,24 +196,14 @@
   else
     {
       vnet_hw_interface_set_flags (vnm, hw_if_index, 0 /* down */ );
-
       sa = pool_elt_at_index (im->sad, t->input_sa_index);
-
-      if (im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb)
-	{
-	  err = im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb (t->input_sa_index, 0);
-	  if (err)
-	    return err;
-	}
-
+      err = ipsec_add_del_sa_sess_cb (im, t->input_sa_index, 0);
+      if (err)
+	return err;
       sa = pool_elt_at_index (im->sad, t->output_sa_index);
-
-      if (im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb)
-	{
-	  err = im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb (t->output_sa_index, 0);
-	  if (err)
-	    return err;
-	}
+      err = ipsec_add_del_sa_sess_cb (im, t->output_sa_index, 0);
+      if (err)
+	return err;
     }
 
   return /* no error */ 0;
@@ -596,15 +578,11 @@
   if (ipsec_get_sa_index_by_sa_id (old_sa->id) == old_sa_index)
     hash_unset (im->sa_index_by_sa_id, old_sa->id);
 
-  if (im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb)
+  if (!ipsec_add_del_sa_sess_cb (im, old_sa_index, 0))
     {
-      clib_error_t *err;
-
-      err = im->cb.add_del_sa_sess_cb (old_sa_index, 0);
-      if (err)
-	return VNET_API_ERROR_SYSCALL_ERROR_1;
+      clib_warning ("IPsec backend add/del callback returned error");
+      return VNET_API_ERROR_SYSCALL_ERROR_1;
     }
-
   pool_put (im->sad, old_sa);
 
   return 0;