diff --git a/zebra/if_netlink.c b/zebra/if_netlink.c
index 47a101e619..6c71fddbbf 100644
--- a/zebra/if_netlink.c
+++ b/zebra/if_netlink.c
@@ -585,6 +585,7 @@ static int netlink_interface(struct nlmsghdr *h, ns_id_t ns_id, int startup)
 	zebra_slave_iftype_t zif_slave_type = ZEBRA_IF_SLAVE_NONE;
 	ifindex_t bridge_ifindex = IFINDEX_INTERNAL;
 	ifindex_t link_ifindex = IFINDEX_INTERNAL;
+	struct zebra_if *zif;
 
 	zns = zebra_ns_lookup(ns_id);
 	ifi = NLMSG_DATA(h);
@@ -679,8 +680,12 @@ static int netlink_interface(struct nlmsghdr *h, ns_id_t ns_id, int startup)
 	if (IS_ZEBRA_IF_VRF(ifp))
 		SET_FLAG(ifp->status, ZEBRA_INTERFACE_VRF_LOOPBACK);
 
-	/* Update link. */
-	zebra_if_update_link(ifp, link_ifindex, ns_id);
+	/* Just set the @link/lower-device ifindex. During nldump interfaces are
+	 * not ordered in any fashion so we may end up getting upper devices
+	 * before lower devices. We will setup the real linkage once the dump
+	 * is complete. */
+	zif = (struct zebra_if *)ifp->info;
+	zif->link_ifindex = link_ifindex;
 
 	/* Hardware type and address. */
 	ifp->ll_type = netlink_to_zebra_link_type(ifi->ifi_type);
@@ -754,6 +759,9 @@ int interface_lookup_netlink(struct zebra_ns *zns)
 	if (ret < 0)
 		return ret;
 
+	/* fixup linkages */
+	zebra_if_update_all_links();
+
 	/* Get IPv4 address of the interfaces. */
 	ret = netlink_request_intf_addr(zns, AF_INET, RTM_GETADDR, 0);
 	if (ret < 0)
diff --git a/zebra/interface.c b/zebra/interface.c
index ca90c18cf2..9e43a5b53c 100644
--- a/zebra/interface.c
+++ b/zebra/interface.c
@@ -999,6 +999,37 @@ void zebra_if_update_link(struct interface *ifp, ifindex_t link_ifindex,
 					      link_ifindex);
 }
 
+/* during initial link dump kernel does not order lower devices before
+ * upper devices so we need to fixup link dependencies at the end of dump */
+void zebra_if_update_all_links(void)
+{
+	struct route_node *rn;
+	struct interface *ifp;
+	struct zebra_if *zif;
+	struct zebra_ns *ns;
+
+	if (IS_ZEBRA_DEBUG_KERNEL)
+		zlog_info("fixup link dependencies");
+
+	ns = zebra_ns_lookup(NS_DEFAULT);
+	for (rn = route_top(ns->if_table); rn; rn = route_next(rn)) {
+		ifp = (struct interface *)rn->info;
+		if (!ifp)
+			continue;
+		zif = ifp->info;
+		if ((zif->link_ifindex != IFINDEX_INTERNAL) && !zif->link) {
+			zif->link = if_lookup_by_index_per_ns(ns,
+							 zif->link_ifindex);
+			if (IS_ZEBRA_DEBUG_KERNEL)
+				zlog_debug("interface %s/%d's lower fixup to %s/%d",
+						ifp->name, ifp->ifindex,
+						zif->link?zif->link->name:"unk",
+						zif->link_ifindex);
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+
 
 /* Output prefix string to vty. */
 static int prefix_vty_out(struct vty *vty, struct prefix *p)
diff --git a/zebra/interface.h b/zebra/interface.h
index 02a05e6146..c6d8b24b01 100644
--- a/zebra/interface.h
+++ b/zebra/interface.h
@@ -348,6 +348,7 @@ extern int ipv6_address_configured(struct interface *ifp);
 extern void if_handle_vrf_change(struct interface *ifp, vrf_id_t vrf_id);
 extern void zebra_if_update_link(struct interface *ifp, ifindex_t link_ifindex,
 				 ns_id_t ns_id);
+extern void zebra_if_update_all_links(void);
 
 extern void vrf_add_update(struct vrf *vrfp);