diff --git a/lib/hash.h b/lib/hash.h
index f3b24f051b..91770d1813 100644
--- a/lib/hash.h
+++ b/lib/hash.h
@@ -235,9 +235,10 @@ extern void *hash_release(struct hash *hash, void *data);
 /*
  * Iterate over the elements in a hash table.
  *
- * It is safe to delete items passed to the iteration function from the hash
- * table during iteration. More than one item cannot be deleted during each
- * iteration. Please note that adding entries to the hash
+ * The passed in arg to the handler function is the only safe
+ * item to delete from the hash.
+ *
+ * Please note that adding entries to the hash
  * during the walk will cause undefined behavior in that some new entries
  * will be walked and some will not.  So do not do this.
  *
@@ -258,8 +259,10 @@ extern void hash_iterate(struct hash *hash,
 /*
  * Iterate over the elements in a hash table, stopping on condition.
  *
- * It is safe to delete items passed to the iteration function from the hash
- * table during iteration.  Please note that adding entries to the hash
+ * The passed in arg to the handler function is the only safe item
+ * to delete from the hash.
+ *
+ * Please note that adding entries to the hash
  * during the walk will cause undefined behavior in that some new entries
  * will be walked and some will not.  So do not do this.
  *
diff --git a/zebra/zebra_nhg.c b/zebra/zebra_nhg.c
index aa015992d5..fac312cf7c 100644
--- a/zebra/zebra_nhg.c
+++ b/zebra/zebra_nhg.c
@@ -2995,7 +2995,7 @@ void zebra_nhg_dplane_result(struct zebra_dplane_ctx *ctx)
 	dplane_ctx_fini(&ctx);
 }
 
-static void zebra_nhg_sweep_entry(struct hash_bucket *bucket, void *arg)
+static int zebra_nhg_sweep_entry(struct hash_bucket *bucket, void *arg)
 {
 	struct nhg_hash_entry *nhe = NULL;
 
@@ -3009,7 +3009,7 @@ static void zebra_nhg_sweep_entry(struct hash_bucket *bucket, void *arg)
 	 * from an upper level proto.
 	 */
 	if (zrouter.startup_time < nhe->uptime)
-		return;
+		return HASHWALK_CONTINUE;
 
 	/*
 	 * If it's proto-owned and not being used by a route, remove it since
@@ -3019,20 +3019,41 @@ static void zebra_nhg_sweep_entry(struct hash_bucket *bucket, void *arg)
 	 */
 	if (PROTO_OWNED(nhe) && nhe->refcnt == 1) {
 		zebra_nhg_decrement_ref(nhe);
-		return;
+		return HASHWALK_ABORT;
 	}
 
 	/*
 	 * If its being ref'd by routes, just let it be uninstalled via a route
 	 * removal.
 	 */
-	if (ZEBRA_NHG_CREATED(nhe) && nhe->refcnt <= 0)
+	if (ZEBRA_NHG_CREATED(nhe) && nhe->refcnt <= 0) {
 		zebra_nhg_uninstall_kernel(nhe);
+		return HASHWALK_ABORT;
+	}
+
+	return HASHWALK_CONTINUE;
 }
 
 void zebra_nhg_sweep_table(struct hash *hash)
 {
-	hash_iterate(hash, zebra_nhg_sweep_entry, NULL);
+	uint32_t count;
+
+	/*
+	 * Yes this is extremely odd.  Effectively nhg's have
+	 * other nexthop groups that depend on them and when you
+	 * remove them, you can have other entries blown up.
+	 * our hash code does not work with deleting multiple
+	 * entries at a time and will possibly cause crashes
+	 * So what to do?  Whenever zebra_nhg_sweep_entry
+	 * deletes an entry it will return HASHWALK_ABORT,
+	 * cause that deletion might have triggered more.
+	 * then we can just keep sweeping this table
+	 * until nothing more is found to do.
+	 */
+	do {
+		count = hashcount(hash);
+		hash_walk(hash, zebra_nhg_sweep_entry, NULL);
+	} while (count != hashcount(hash));
 }
 
 static void zebra_nhg_mark_keep_entry(struct hash_bucket *bucket, void *arg)