diff --git a/ospf6d/ospf6_route.c b/ospf6d/ospf6_route.c
index db94b85b1b..1cc1fcb47b 100644
--- a/ospf6d/ospf6_route.c
+++ b/ospf6d/ospf6_route.c
@@ -702,6 +702,27 @@ struct ospf6_route *ospf6_route_add(struct ospf6_route *route,
 	}
 
 	if (old) {
+		/* if route does not actually change, return unchanged */
+		if (ospf6_route_is_identical(old, route)) {
+			if (IS_OSPF6_DEBUG_ROUTE(MEMORY))
+				zlog_debug(
+					"%s %p: route add %p: needless update of %p old cost %u",
+					ospf6_route_table_name(table),
+					(void *)table, (void *)route,
+					(void *)old, old->path.cost);
+			else if (IS_OSPF6_DEBUG_ROUTE(TABLE))
+				zlog_debug("%s: route add: needless update",
+					   ospf6_route_table_name(table));
+
+			ospf6_route_delete(route);
+			SET_FLAG(old->flag, OSPF6_ROUTE_ADD);
+			ospf6_route_table_assert(table);
+
+			/* to free the lookup lock */
+			route_unlock_node(node);
+			return old;
+		}
+
 		if (IS_OSPF6_DEBUG_ROUTE(MEMORY))
 			zlog_debug(
 				"%s %p: route add %p cost %u paths %u nh %u: update of %p cost %u paths %u nh %u",
diff --git a/ospf6d/ospf6_route.h b/ospf6d/ospf6_route.h
index bb5827a176..c8411c015f 100644
--- a/ospf6d/ospf6_route.h
+++ b/ospf6d/ospf6_route.h
@@ -297,6 +297,14 @@ extern const char *const ospf6_path_type_substr[OSPF6_PATH_TYPE_MAX];
 	 && (ra)->path.origin.type == (rb)->path.origin.type                   \
 	 && (ra)->path.origin.id == (rb)->path.origin.id                       \
 	 && (ra)->path.origin.adv_router == (rb)->path.origin.adv_router)
+#define ospf6_route_is_identical(ra, rb)                                       \
+	((ra)->type == (rb)->type &&                                           \
+	 prefix_same(&(ra)->prefix, &(rb)->prefix) &&                          \
+	 (ra)->path.type == (rb)->path.type &&                                 \
+	 (ra)->path.cost == (rb)->path.cost &&                                 \
+	 (ra)->path.u.cost_e2 == (rb)->path.u.cost_e2 &&                       \
+	 listcount(ra->paths) == listcount(rb->paths) &&                       \
+	 ospf6_route_cmp_nexthops(ra, rb) == 0)
 
 #define ospf6_route_is_best(r) (CHECK_FLAG ((r)->flag, OSPF6_ROUTE_BEST))