diff --git a/src/vnet/vxlan-gpe/vxlan_gpe.c b/src/vnet/vxlan-gpe/vxlan_gpe.c
index 89e7a3c..ca17c12 100644
--- a/src/vnet/vxlan-gpe/vxlan_gpe.c
+++ b/src/vnet/vxlan-gpe/vxlan_gpe.c
@@ -743,6 +743,17 @@
   if (sw_if_indexp)
     *sw_if_indexp = sw_if_index;
 
+  if (a->is_add)
+    {
+      /* register udp ports */
+      if (!is_ip6 && !udp_is_valid_dst_port (UDP_DST_PORT_VXLAN_GPE, 1))
+	udp_register_dst_port (ngm->vlib_main, UDP_DST_PORT_VXLAN_GPE,
+			       vxlan4_gpe_input_node.index, 1 /* is_ip4 */ );
+      if (is_ip6 && !udp_is_valid_dst_port (UDP_DST_PORT_VXLAN6_GPE, 0))
+	udp_register_dst_port (ngm->vlib_main, UDP_DST_PORT_VXLAN6_GPE,
+			       vxlan6_gpe_input_node.index, 0 /* is_ip4 */ );
+    }
+
   return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1253,11 +1264,6 @@
 				       sizeof (mcast_shared_t));
   ngm->vtep6 = hash_create_mem (0, sizeof (ip6_address_t), sizeof (uword));
 
-  udp_register_dst_port (vm, UDP_DST_PORT_VXLAN_GPE,
-			 vxlan4_gpe_input_node.index, 1 /* is_ip4 */ );
-  udp_register_dst_port (vm, UDP_DST_PORT_VXLAN6_GPE,
-			 vxlan6_gpe_input_node.index, 0 /* is_ip4 */ );
-
   /* Register the list of standard decap protocols supported */
   vxlan_gpe_register_decap_protocol (VXLAN_GPE_PROTOCOL_IP4,
 				     VXLAN_GPE_INPUT_NEXT_IP4_INPUT);