diff --git a/zebra/if_netlink.c b/zebra/if_netlink.c
index c71b95f753..6aea7e0702 100644
--- a/zebra/if_netlink.c
+++ b/zebra/if_netlink.c
@@ -365,7 +365,7 @@ static void netlink_vrf_change(struct nlmsghdr *h, struct rtattr *tb,
 	}
 }
 
-static int get_iflink_speed(struct interface *interface)
+static int get_iflink_speed(struct interface *interface, int *error)
 {
 	struct ifreq ifdata;
 	struct ethtool_cmd ecmd;
@@ -373,6 +373,8 @@ static int get_iflink_speed(struct interface *interface)
 	int rc;
 	const char *ifname = interface->name;
 
+	if (error)
+		*error = 0;
 	/* initialize struct */
 	memset(&ifdata, 0, sizeof(ifdata));
 
@@ -393,6 +395,9 @@ static int get_iflink_speed(struct interface *interface)
 			if (IS_ZEBRA_DEBUG_KERNEL)
 				zlog_debug("Failure to read interface %s speed: %d %s",
 					   ifname, errno, safe_strerror(errno));
+			/* no vrf socket creation may probably mean vrf issue */
+			if (error)
+				*error = -1;
 			return 0;
 		}
 	/* Get the current link state for the interface */
@@ -404,6 +409,9 @@ static int get_iflink_speed(struct interface *interface)
 			zlog_debug(
 				"IOCTL failure to read interface %s speed: %d %s",
 				ifname, errno, safe_strerror(errno));
+		/* no device means interface unreachable */
+		if (errno == ENODEV && error)
+			*error = -1;
 		ecmd.speed_hi = 0;
 		ecmd.speed = 0;
 	}
@@ -413,9 +421,9 @@ static int get_iflink_speed(struct interface *interface)
 	return (ecmd.speed_hi << 16) | ecmd.speed;
 }
 
-uint32_t kernel_get_speed(struct interface *ifp)
+uint32_t kernel_get_speed(struct interface *ifp, int *error)
 {
-	return get_iflink_speed(ifp);
+	return get_iflink_speed(ifp, error);
 }
 
 static int netlink_extract_bridge_info(struct rtattr *link_data,
@@ -696,7 +704,7 @@ static int netlink_interface(struct nlmsghdr *h, ns_id_t ns_id, int startup)
 	ifp->flags = ifi->ifi_flags & 0x0000fffff;
 	ifp->mtu6 = ifp->mtu = *(uint32_t *)RTA_DATA(tb[IFLA_MTU]);
 	ifp->metric = 0;
-	ifp->speed = get_iflink_speed(ifp);
+	ifp->speed = get_iflink_speed(ifp, NULL);
 	ifp->ptm_status = ZEBRA_PTM_STATUS_UNKNOWN;
 
 	/* Set zebra interface type */
diff --git a/zebra/interface.c b/zebra/interface.c
index 6486c01430..771f05857b 100644
--- a/zebra/interface.c
+++ b/zebra/interface.c
@@ -70,10 +70,19 @@ static int if_zebra_speed_update(struct thread *thread)
 	struct zebra_if *zif = ifp->info;
 	uint32_t new_speed;
 	bool changed = false;
+	int error = 0;
 
 	zif->speed_update = NULL;
 
-	new_speed = kernel_get_speed(ifp);
+	new_speed = kernel_get_speed(ifp, &error);
+
+	/* error may indicate vrf not available or
+	 * interfaces not available.
+	 * note that loopback & virtual interfaces can return 0 as speed
+	 */
+	if (error < 0)
+		return 1;
+
 	if (new_speed != ifp->speed) {
 		zlog_info("%s: %s old speed: %u new speed: %u",
 			  __PRETTY_FUNCTION__, ifp->name, ifp->speed,
diff --git a/zebra/rt.h b/zebra/rt.h
index 59b42fed18..f311a6b9d3 100644
--- a/zebra/rt.h
+++ b/zebra/rt.h
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ extern int kernel_interface_set_master(struct interface *master,
 
 extern int mpls_kernel_init(void);
 
-extern uint32_t kernel_get_speed(struct interface *ifp);
+extern uint32_t kernel_get_speed(struct interface *ifp, int *error);
 extern int kernel_get_ipmr_sg_stats(struct zebra_vrf *zvrf, void *mroute);
 
 /*
diff --git a/zebra/rt_socket.c b/zebra/rt_socket.c
index dc0f29bdbc..981ef7a889 100644
--- a/zebra/rt_socket.c
+++ b/zebra/rt_socket.c
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ extern int kernel_interface_set_master(struct interface *master,
 	return 0;
 }
 
-uint32_t kernel_get_speed(struct interface *ifp)
+uint32_t kernel_get_speed(struct interface *ifp, int *error)
 {
 	return ifp->speed;
 }