diff --git a/lib/vrf.c b/lib/vrf.c
index 6d9ac2e1e4..6ec3cc8e0d 100644
--- a/lib/vrf.c
+++ b/lib/vrf.c
@@ -904,10 +904,16 @@ vrf_id_t vrf_get_default_id(void)
 int vrf_bind(vrf_id_t vrf_id, int fd, const char *name)
 {
 	int ret = 0;
+	struct interface *ifp;
 
 	if (fd < 0 || name == NULL)
 		return fd;
-	if (vrf_is_backend_netns())
+	/* the device should exist
+	 * otherwise we should return
+	 * case ifname = vrf in netns mode => return
+	 */
+	ifp = if_lookup_by_name(name, vrf_id);
+	if (!ifp)
 		return fd;
 #ifdef SO_BINDTODEVICE
 	ret = setsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_BINDTODEVICE, name, strlen(name)+1);