diff --git a/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/af_packet.c b/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/af_packet.c
index 7464d4e..92bd109 100644
--- a/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/af_packet.c
+++ b/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/af_packet.c
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 #include <linux/if_ether.h>
 #include <linux/if_packet.h>
+#include <dirent.h>
 
 #include <vlib/vlib.h>
 #include <vlib/unix/unix.h>
@@ -82,26 +83,35 @@
 }
 
 static int
-create_packet_v2_sock (u8 * name, tpacket_req_t * rx_req,
+is_bridge (const u8 * host_if_name)
+{
+  u8 *s;
+  DIR *dir = NULL;
+
+  s = format (0, "/sys/class/net/%s/bridge%c", host_if_name, 0);
+  dir = opendir ((char *) s);
+  vec_free (s);
+
+  if (dir)
+    {
+      closedir (dir);
+      return 0;
+    }
+
+  return -1;
+}
+
+static int
+create_packet_v2_sock (int host_if_index, tpacket_req_t * rx_req,
 		       tpacket_req_t * tx_req, int *fd, u8 ** ring)
 {
   int ret, err;
   struct sockaddr_ll sll;
-  uint host_if_index;
   int ver = TPACKET_V2;
   socklen_t req_sz = sizeof (struct tpacket_req);
   u32 ring_sz = rx_req->tp_block_size * rx_req->tp_block_nr +
     tx_req->tp_block_size * tx_req->tp_block_nr;
 
-  host_if_index = if_nametoindex ((const char *) name);
-
-  if (!host_if_index)
-    {
-      DBG_SOCK ("Wrong host interface name");
-      ret = VNET_API_ERROR_INVALID_INTERFACE;
-      goto error;
-    }
-
   if ((*fd = socket (AF_PACKET, SOCK_RAW, htons (ETH_P_ALL))) < 0)
     {
       DBG_SOCK ("Failed to create socket");
@@ -190,6 +200,7 @@
   uword *p;
   uword if_index;
   u8 *host_if_name_dup = vec_dup (host_if_name);
+  int host_if_index = -1;
 
   p = mhash_get (&apm->if_index_by_host_if_name, host_if_name);
   if (p)
@@ -209,15 +220,29 @@
   tx_req->tp_block_nr = AF_PACKET_TX_BLOCK_NR;
   tx_req->tp_frame_nr = AF_PACKET_TX_FRAME_NR;
 
-  ret = create_packet_v2_sock (host_if_name, rx_req, tx_req, &fd, &ring);
+  host_if_index = if_nametoindex ((const char *) host_if_name);
+
+  if (!host_if_index)
+    {
+      DBG_SOCK ("Wrong host interface name");
+      return VNET_API_ERROR_INVALID_INTERFACE;
+    }
+
+  ret = create_packet_v2_sock (host_if_index, rx_req, tx_req, &fd, &ring);
 
   if (ret != 0)
     goto error;
 
+  ret = is_bridge (host_if_name);
+
+  if (ret == 0)			/* is a bridge, ignore state */
+    host_if_index = -1;
+
   /* So far everything looks good, let's create interface */
   pool_get (apm->interfaces, apif);
   if_index = apif - apm->interfaces;
 
+  apif->host_if_index = host_if_index;
   apif->fd = fd;
   apif->rx_ring = ring;
   apif->tx_ring = ring + rx_req->tp_block_size * rx_req->tp_block_nr;
@@ -341,6 +366,7 @@
 
   vec_free (apif->host_if_name);
   apif->host_if_name = NULL;
+  apif->host_if_index = -1;
 
   mhash_unset (&apm->if_index_by_host_if_name, host_if_name, &if_index);
 
diff --git a/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/af_packet.h b/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/af_packet.h
index 77a2c7a..194977f 100644
--- a/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/af_packet.h
+++ b/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/af_packet.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
   CLIB_CACHE_LINE_ALIGN_MARK (cacheline0);
   clib_spinlock_t lockp;
   u8 *host_if_name;
+  int host_if_index;
   int fd;
   struct tpacket_req *rx_req;
   struct tpacket_req *tx_req;
diff --git a/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/device.c b/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/device.c
index 2ba3f57..2a17e6b 100644
--- a/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/device.c
+++ b/src/vnet/devices/af_packet/device.c
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@
  */
 
 #include <linux/if_packet.h>
+#include <sys/ioctl.h>
+#include <net/if.h>
 
 #include <vlib/vlib.h>
 #include <vlib/unix/unix.h>
@@ -205,17 +207,51 @@
   af_packet_if_t *apif =
     pool_elt_at_index (apm->interfaces, hw->dev_instance);
   u32 hw_flags;
+  int rv, fd = socket (AF_UNIX, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
+  struct ifreq ifr;
+
+  /* if interface is a bridge ignore */
+  if (apif->host_if_index < 0)
+    return 0;			/* no error */
+
+  /* use host_if_index in case host name has changed */
+  ifr.ifr_ifindex = apif->host_if_index;
+  if ((rv = ioctl (fd, SIOCGIFNAME, &ifr)) < 0)
+    {
+      clib_unix_warning ("af_packet_%s ioctl could not retrieve eth name",
+			 apif->host_if_name);
+    }
 
   apif->is_admin_up = (flags & VNET_SW_INTERFACE_FLAG_ADMIN_UP) != 0;
 
+  if ((rv = ioctl (fd, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &ifr)) < 0)
+    {
+      clib_unix_warning ("af_packet_%s error: %d",
+			 apif->is_admin_up ? "up" : "down", rv);
+    }
+
   if (apif->is_admin_up)
-    hw_flags = VNET_HW_INTERFACE_FLAG_LINK_UP;
+    {
+      hw_flags = VNET_HW_INTERFACE_FLAG_LINK_UP;
+      ifr.ifr_flags |= IFF_UP;
+    }
   else
-    hw_flags = 0;
+    {
+      hw_flags = 0;
+      ifr.ifr_flags &= ~IFF_UP;
+    }
+
+  if ((rv = ioctl (fd, SIOCSIFFLAGS, &ifr)) < 0)
+    {
+      clib_unix_warning ("af_packet_%s error: %d",
+			 apif->is_admin_up ? "up" : "down", rv);
+    }
 
   vnet_hw_interface_set_flags (vnm, hw_if_index, hw_flags);
 
-  return 0;
+  close (fd);
+
+  return 0;			/* no error */
 }
 
 static clib_error_t *