diff --git a/lib/netns_linux.c b/lib/netns_linux.c
index bb66e8938f..0109b3db6a 100644
--- a/lib/netns_linux.c
+++ b/lib/netns_linux.c
@@ -584,6 +584,26 @@ int ns_socket(int domain, int type, int protocol, ns_id_t ns_id)
 	return ret;
 }
 
+/* if relative link_nsid matches default netns,
+ * then return default absolute netns value
+ * otherwise, return NS_UNKNOWN
+ */
+ns_id_t ns_id_get_absolute(ns_id_t ns_id_reference, ns_id_t link_nsid)
+{
+	struct ns *ns;
+
+	ns = ns_lookup(ns_id_reference);
+	if (!ns)
+		return NS_UNKNOWN;
+
+	if (ns->relative_default_ns != link_nsid)
+		return NS_UNKNOWN;
+
+	ns = ns_get_default();
+	assert(ns);
+	return ns->ns_id;
+}
+
 ns_id_t ns_get_default_id(void)
 {
 	if (default_ns)
diff --git a/lib/ns.h b/lib/ns.h
index 188161e11a..0dfd977429 100644
--- a/lib/ns.h
+++ b/lib/ns.h
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ extern struct ns *ns_lookup_name(const char *name);
  */
 extern int ns_enable(struct ns *ns, void (*func)(ns_id_t, void *));
 extern struct ns *ns_get_created(struct ns *ns, char *name, ns_id_t ns_id);
+extern ns_id_t ns_id_get_absolute(ns_id_t ns_id_reference, ns_id_t link_nsid);
 extern void ns_disable(struct ns *ns);
 extern struct ns *ns_get_default(void);
 
diff --git a/zebra/if_netlink.c b/zebra/if_netlink.c
index 5cd3e69299..c3eab60148 100644
--- a/zebra/if_netlink.c
+++ b/zebra/if_netlink.c
@@ -798,8 +798,10 @@ static int netlink_interface(struct nlmsghdr *h, ns_id_t ns_id, int startup)
 	if (tb[IFLA_LINK])
 		link_ifindex = *(ifindex_t *)RTA_DATA(tb[IFLA_LINK]);
 
-	if (tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID])
+	if (tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID]) {
 		link_nsid = *(ns_id_t *)RTA_DATA(tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID]);
+		link_nsid = ns_id_get_absolute(ns_id, link_nsid);
+	}
 
 	/* Add interface.
 	 * We add by index first because in some cases such as the master
@@ -1349,9 +1351,10 @@ int netlink_link_change(struct nlmsghdr *h, ns_id_t ns_id, int startup)
 	if (tb[IFLA_LINK])
 		link_ifindex = *(ifindex_t *)RTA_DATA(tb[IFLA_LINK]);
 
-	if (tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID])
+	if (tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID]) {
 		link_nsid = *(ns_id_t *)RTA_DATA(tb[IFLA_LINK_NETNSID]);
-
+		link_nsid = ns_id_get_absolute(ns_id, link_nsid);
+	}
 	if (tb[IFLA_IFALIAS]) {
 		desc = (char *)RTA_DATA(tb[IFLA_IFALIAS]);
 	}