diff --git a/src/lxc/conf.c b/src/lxc/conf.c
index 5960a4c41..26ddd03b3 100644
--- a/src/lxc/conf.c
+++ b/src/lxc/conf.c
@@ -1279,6 +1279,18 @@ int lxc_create_network(struct lxc_list *network)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+void lxc_delete_network(struct lxc_list *network)
+{
+	struct lxc_list *iterator;
+	struct lxc_netdev *netdev;
+
+	lxc_list_for_each(iterator, network) {
+		netdev = iterator->elem;
+		if (netdev->ifindex > 0)
+			lxc_device_delete_index(netdev->ifindex);
+	}
+}
+
 int lxc_assign_network(struct lxc_list *network, pid_t pid)
 {
 	struct lxc_list *iterator;
diff --git a/src/lxc/conf.h b/src/lxc/conf.h
index eede2b086..822149a43 100644
--- a/src/lxc/conf.h
+++ b/src/lxc/conf.h
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ struct lxc_conf {
 extern struct lxc_conf *lxc_conf_init(void);
 
 extern int lxc_create_network(struct lxc_list *networks);
+extern void lxc_delete_network(struct lxc_list *networks);
 extern int lxc_assign_network(struct lxc_list *networks, pid_t pid);
 
 extern int lxc_create_tty(const char *name, struct lxc_conf *conf);
diff --git a/src/lxc/start.c b/src/lxc/start.c
index 395a67137..dcd587b82 100644
--- a/src/lxc/start.c
+++ b/src/lxc/start.c
@@ -367,7 +367,7 @@ int lxc_spawn(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler, char *const argv[])
 	handler->pid = lxc_clone(do_start, &start_arg, clone_flags);
 	if (handler->pid < 0) {
 		SYSERROR("failed to fork into a new namespace");
-		goto out_close;
+		goto out_delete_net;
 	}
 
 	close(sv[0]);
@@ -375,17 +375,17 @@ int lxc_spawn(const char *name, struct lxc_handler *handler, char *const argv[])
 	/* Wait for the child to be ready */
 	if (read(sv[1], &sync, sizeof(sync)) < 0) {
 		SYSERROR("failed to read the socket");
-		goto out_abort;
+		goto out_delete_net;
 	}
 
 	if (lxc_rename_nsgroup(name, handler))
-		goto out_abort;
+		goto out_delete_net;
 
 	/* Create the network configuration */
 	if (clone_flags & CLONE_NEWNET) {
 		if (lxc_assign_network(&handler->conf->network, handler->pid)) {
 			ERROR("failed to create the configured network");
-			goto out_abort;
+			goto out_delete_net;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -416,6 +416,9 @@ out_close:
 	close(sv[1]);
 	return err;
 
+out_delete_net:
+	if (clone_flags & CLONE_NEWNET)
+		lxc_delete_network(&handler->conf->network);
 out_abort:
 	lxc_abort(name, handler);
 	close(sv[1]);