diff --git a/lib/if.c b/lib/if.c
index ebd8f5e02d..d49b5acad7 100644
--- a/lib/if.c
+++ b/lib/if.c
@@ -1081,6 +1081,24 @@ connected_same_prefix (struct prefix *p1, struct prefix *p2)
   return 0;
 }
 
+struct connected *
+connected_lookup_prefix_exact (struct interface *ifp, struct prefix *p)
+{
+  struct listnode *node;
+  struct listnode *next;
+  struct connected *ifc;
+
+  for (node = listhead (ifp->connected); node; node = next)
+    {
+      ifc = listgetdata (node);
+      next = node->next;
+
+      if (connected_same_prefix (ifc->address, p))
+        return ifc;
+    }
+  return NULL;
+}
+
 struct connected *
 connected_delete_by_prefix (struct interface *ifp, struct prefix *p)
 {
diff --git a/lib/if.h b/lib/if.h
index 78a73fadaf..4ec85bc841 100644
--- a/lib/if.h
+++ b/lib/if.h
@@ -352,6 +352,8 @@ extern struct connected  *connected_delete_by_prefix (struct interface *,
                                                struct prefix *);
 extern struct connected  *connected_lookup_prefix (struct interface *,
                                                    struct prefix *);
+extern struct connected  *connected_lookup_prefix_exact (struct interface *,
+                                                   struct prefix *);
 extern struct nbr_connected *nbr_connected_new (void);
 extern void nbr_connected_free (struct nbr_connected *);
 struct nbr_connected *nbr_connected_check (struct interface *, struct prefix *);
diff --git a/lib/zclient.c b/lib/zclient.c
index 4351a67bee..d1e9a96546 100644
--- a/lib/zclient.c
+++ b/lib/zclient.c
@@ -1138,17 +1138,14 @@ zebra_interface_address_read (int type, struct stream *s, vrf_id_t vrf_id)
 
   if (type == ZEBRA_INTERFACE_ADDRESS_ADD) 
     {
-      /* We have situations where the address may be replayed more than once.
-       * Check and delete older matching address, first.
-       */
-      ifc = connected_delete_by_prefix(ifp, &p);
-      if (ifc)
-        connected_free (ifc);
-
-       /* N.B. NULL destination pointers are encoded as all zeroes */
-       ifc = connected_add_by_prefix(ifp, &p,(memconstant(&d.u.prefix,0,plen) ?
-					      NULL : &d));
-       if (ifc != NULL)
+      ifc = connected_lookup_prefix_exact (ifp, &p);
+      if (!ifc)
+        {
+          /* N.B. NULL destination pointers are encoded as all zeroes */
+          ifc = connected_add_by_prefix(ifp, &p, (memconstant(&d.u.prefix,0,plen) ?
+					         NULL : &d));
+        }
+       if (ifc)
 	 {
 	   ifc->flags = ifc_flags;
 	   if (ifc->destination)