diff --git a/pimd/pim_assert.c b/pimd/pim_assert.c
index 5dae675716..9f9c9e66f0 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_assert.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_assert.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "log.h"
 #include "prefix.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_str.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_br.c b/pimd/pim_br.c
index 6958ad545d..121a45fd16 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_br.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_br.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "log.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_str.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_hello.c b/pimd/pim_hello.c
index bfc128b97a..21d0e5b85c 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_hello.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_hello.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <zebra.h>
 
 #include "log.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_pim.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_iface.c b/pimd/pim_iface.c
index 1f818ccf51..8357a26a3e 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_iface.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_iface.c
@@ -607,6 +607,22 @@ struct in_addr pim_find_primary_addr(struct interface *ifp)
   return find_first_nonsec_addr(ifp);
 }
 
+static pim_iface_vif_index = 0;
+
+int
+pim_iface_next_vif_index (struct interface *ifp)
+{
+  /*
+   * The pimreg vif is always going to be in index 0
+   * of the table.
+   */
+  if (ifp->ifindex == PIM_OIF_PIM_REGISTER_VIF)
+    return 0;
+
+  pim_iface_vif_index++;
+  return pim_iface_vif_index;
+}
+
 /*
   pim_if_add_vif() uses ifindex as vif_index
 
@@ -634,13 +650,6 @@ int pim_if_add_vif(struct interface *ifp)
     return -2;
   }
 
-  if (ifp->ifindex >= MAXVIFS) {
-    zlog_warn("%s: ifindex=%d >= MAXVIFS=%d on interface %s",
-	      __PRETTY_FUNCTION__,
-	      ifp->ifindex, MAXVIFS, ifp->name);
-    return -3;
-  }
-
   ifaddr = pim_ifp->primary_address;
   if (ifp->ifindex != PIM_OIF_PIM_REGISTER_VIF && PIM_INADDR_IS_ANY(ifaddr)) {
     zlog_warn("%s: could not get address for interface %s ifindex=%d",
@@ -649,14 +658,23 @@ int pim_if_add_vif(struct interface *ifp)
     return -4;
   }
 
-  flags = (ifp->ifindex == PIM_OIF_PIM_REGISTER_VIF) ? VIFF_REGISTER : VIFF_USE_IFINDEX;
-  if (pim_mroute_add_vif(ifp->ifindex, ifaddr, flags)) {
+  pim_ifp->mroute_vif_index = pim_iface_next_vif_index (ifp);
+
+  if (pim_ifp->mroute_vif_index >= MAXVIFS)
+    {
+      zlog_warn("%s: Attempting to configure more than MAXVIFS=%d on pim enabled interface %s",
+		__PRETTY_FUNCTION__,
+		MAXVIFS, ifp->name);
+      return -3;
+    }
+
+  flags = (ifp->ifindex == PIM_OIF_PIM_REGISTER_VIF) ?
+    VIFF_REGISTER : VIFF_USE_IFINDEX;
+  if (pim_mroute_add_vif(ifp, ifaddr, flags)) {
     /* pim_mroute_add_vif reported error */
     return -5;
   }
 
-  pim_ifp->mroute_vif_index = ifp->ifindex;
-
   /*
     Update highest vif_index
    */
diff --git a/pimd/pim_ifchannel.c b/pimd/pim_ifchannel.c
index 5271d412d1..abfa5cc2b7 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_ifchannel.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_ifchannel.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "linklist.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 #include "memory.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_str.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_igmpv3.c b/pimd/pim_igmpv3.c
index 180de9d71e..7c00204c51 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_igmpv3.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_igmpv3.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <zebra.h>
 #include "log.h"
 #include "memory.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_iface.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_join.c b/pimd/pim_join.c
index 9d8e0012e4..f3b5e78ada 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_join.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_join.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "log.h"
 #include "prefix.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_str.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_mroute.c b/pimd/pim_mroute.c
index 6f5fe480f2..f85f422298 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_mroute.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_mroute.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <zebra.h>
 #include "log.h"
 #include "privs.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_mroute.h"
@@ -449,8 +450,9 @@ int pim_mroute_socket_disable()
   would be used for multicast forwarding, a corresponding multicast
   interface must be added to the kernel.
  */
-int pim_mroute_add_vif(int vif_index, struct in_addr ifaddr, unsigned char flags)
+int pim_mroute_add_vif(struct interface *ifp, struct in_addr ifaddr, unsigned char flags)
 {
+  struct pim_interface *pim_ifp = ifp->info;
   struct vifctl vc;
   int err;
 
@@ -461,8 +463,8 @@ int pim_mroute_add_vif(int vif_index, struct in_addr ifaddr, unsigned char flags
   }
 
   memset(&vc, 0, sizeof(vc));
-  vc.vifc_vifi = vif_index;
-  vc.vifc_lcl_ifindex = vif_index;
+  vc.vifc_vifi = pim_ifp->mroute_vif_index;
+  vc.vifc_lcl_ifindex = ifp->ifindex;
   vc.vifc_flags = flags;
   vc.vifc_threshold = PIM_MROUTE_MIN_TTL;
   vc.vifc_rate_limit = 0;
@@ -482,7 +484,7 @@ int pim_mroute_add_vif(int vif_index, struct in_addr ifaddr, unsigned char flags
 
     zlog_warn("%s %s: failure: setsockopt(fd=%d,IPPROTO_IP,MRT_ADD_VIF,vif_index=%d,ifaddr=%s,flag=%d): errno=%d: %s",
 	      __FILE__, __PRETTY_FUNCTION__,
-	      qpim_mroute_socket_fd, vif_index, ifaddr_str, flags,
+	      qpim_mroute_socket_fd, ifp->ifindex, ifaddr_str, flags,
 	      e, safe_strerror(e));
     errno = e;
     return -2;
diff --git a/pimd/pim_mroute.h b/pimd/pim_mroute.h
index a32c792d78..c1ce012e2d 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_mroute.h
+++ b/pimd/pim_mroute.h
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ struct igmpmsg
 int pim_mroute_socket_enable(void);
 int pim_mroute_socket_disable(void);
 
-int pim_mroute_add_vif(int vif_index, struct in_addr ifaddr, unsigned char flags);
+int pim_mroute_add_vif(struct interface *ifp, struct in_addr ifaddr, unsigned char flags);
 int pim_mroute_del_vif(int vif_index);
 
 int pim_mroute_add(struct mfcctl *mc);
diff --git a/pimd/pim_msg.c b/pimd/pim_msg.c
index 8ead7ce643..aa0433a2e2 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_msg.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_msg.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 
 #include <zebra.h>
 
+#include "if.h"
+
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_pim.h"
 #include "pim_msg.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_neighbor.c b/pimd/pim_neighbor.c
index 8932dc324c..cb41209238 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_neighbor.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_neighbor.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "prefix.h"
 #include "memory.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_neighbor.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_oil.c b/pimd/pim_oil.c
index 7c03370fc4..5e7f1786d7 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_oil.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_oil.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "memory.h"
 #include "linklist.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_oil.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_pim.c b/pimd/pim_pim.c
index 2ff062bd67..959663433d 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_pim.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_pim.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "log.h"
 #include "thread.h"
 #include "memory.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_pim.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_routemap.c b/pimd/pim_routemap.c
index 56868ae093..ced7c87484 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_routemap.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_routemap.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
  */
 #include <zebra.h>
 
+#include "if.h"
 #include "routemap.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_rp.c b/pimd/pim_rp.c
index 747f3d48e4..26d108bcaa 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_rp.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_rp.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include "log.h"
 #include "network.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_str.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_rpf.c b/pimd/pim_rpf.c
index 354fd664c0..11d8464486 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_rpf.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_rpf.c
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@
 
 #include <zebra.h>
 
+#include "if.h"
+
 #include "log.h"
 #include "prefix.h"
 #include "memory.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_static.c b/pimd/pim_static.c
index 5114901dad..47a34daf48 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_static.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_static.c
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 #include <zebra.h>
 
 #include "vty.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pim_static.h"
 #include "pim_time.h"
diff --git a/pimd/pim_tlv.c b/pimd/pim_tlv.c
index ed4dbba2e5..6e88990058 100644
--- a/pimd/pim_tlv.c
+++ b/pimd/pim_tlv.c
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "log.h"
 #include "prefix.h"
+#include "if.h"
 
 #include "pimd.h"
 #include "pim_int.h"