diff --git a/net/debian-linux-lib.pl b/net/debian-linux-lib.pl
index 693f69084..694f7f2d7 100755
--- a/net/debian-linux-lib.pl
+++ b/net/debian-linux-lib.pl
@@ -230,12 +230,12 @@ if ($cfg->{'bridge'}) {
 
 # Set bonding parameters
 if(($cfg->{'bond'} == 1) && ($gconfig{'os_version'} >= 5)) {
-	push(@options, [&bonding_option('mode').' '.$cfg->{'mode'}]);
-	push(@options, [&bonding_option('miimon').' '.$cfg->{'miimon'}]) if ($cfg->{'miimon'});
-	push(@options, [&bonding_option('updelay').' '.$cfg->{'updelay'}]) if ($cfg->{'updelay'});
-	push(@options, [&bonding_option('downdelay').' '.$cfg->{'downdelay'}]) if ($cfg->{'downdelay'});
-	push(@options, [&bonding_option('primary').' '.$cfg->{'primary'}]) if ($cfg->{'primary'});
-	push(@options, ['slaves '.$cfg->{'partner'}]);
+	push(@options, [&bonding_option('mode'), $cfg->{'mode'}]);
+	push(@options, [&bonding_option('miimon'), $cfg->{'miimon'}]) if ($cfg->{'miimon'});
+	push(@options, [&bonding_option('updelay'), $cfg->{'updelay'}]) if ($cfg->{'updelay'});
+	push(@options, [&bonding_option('downdelay'), $cfg->{'downdelay'}]) if ($cfg->{'downdelay'});
+	push(@options, [&bonding_option('primary'), $cfg->{'primary'}]) if ($cfg->{'primary'});
+	push(@options, ['slaves', $cfg->{'partner'}]);
 	}
 elsif ($cfg->{'bond'} == 1) {
 	push(@options, ['up', '/sbin/ifenslave '.$cfg->{'name'}." ".
diff --git a/net/delete_bifcs.cgi b/net/delete_bifcs.cgi
index bd60b7d65..a8598d7f1 100755
--- a/net/delete_bifcs.cgi
+++ b/net/delete_bifcs.cgi
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@ foreach $d (reverse(@d)) {
 					else {&unload_module($b->{'name'});}
 					}
 				}
+			# Remove the virtual device after deactivation
+			if (defined(&destroy_interface_device)) {
+				&destroy_interface_device($b);
+				}
 			}
 
 		# Delete config
diff --git a/net/linux-lib.pl b/net/linux-lib.pl
index f0727db96..4c4be648d 100755
--- a/net/linux-lib.pl
+++ b/net/linux-lib.pl
@@ -329,9 +329,22 @@ if (&has_command("ip") && $a->{'bond'} && $a->{'up'} && !$old) {
 		}
 	}
 
-if (($a->{'bond'} || $a->{'vlan'} || !&has_command("ifconfig")) &&
-    &has_command("ip")) {
-	# For a real interface, activate or de-activate the link
+if (&has_command("ip") && $a->{'bridge'} && $a->{'up'} && !$old) {
+	# Create the bridge before assigning addresses to it.
+	my $cmd = "ip link add ".quotemeta($a->{'name'})." type bridge";
+	my $out = &backquote_logged("$cmd 2>&1");
+	&error("Failed to create bridge device : $out") if ($?);
+	if ($a->{'bridgeto'}) {
+		$cmd = "ip link set dev ".quotemeta($a->{'bridgeto'}).
+			" master ".quotemeta($a->{'name'});
+		$out = &backquote_logged("$cmd 2>&1");
+		&error("Failed to add interface to bridge : $out") if ($?);
+		}
+	}
+
+if (&has_command("ip")) {
+	# Manage link state for all interfaces when ip is used, since ip is also
+	# used for address assignment below regardless of ifconfig availability.
 	if ($a->{'virtual'} eq '' && $a->{'up'} && (!$old || !$old->{'up'})) {
 		# Bring up
 		my $cmd = "ip link set dev ".quotemeta($devname)." up";
@@ -597,6 +610,20 @@ else {
 	}
 }
 
+# destroy_interface_device(&details)
+# Remove a virtual network device (bond, VLAN, bridge) from the kernel.
+# Should be called after deactivate_interface when deleting, not just
+# deactivating, a virtual interface.
+sub destroy_interface_device
+{
+my ($a) = @_;
+if (&has_command("ip") && $a->{'virtual'} eq '' &&
+    (&use_ifup_command($a) || $a->{'bridge'})) {
+	&backquote_logged("ip link delete ".
+		quotemeta($a->{'fullname'} || $a->{'name'})." 2>&1");
+	}
+}
+
 # use_ifup_command(&iface)
 # Returns 1 if the ifup command must be used to bring up some interface.
 # True on Debian 5.0+ for non-ethernet, typically bonding and VLAN tagged interfaces.
diff --git a/net/save_bifc.cgi b/net/save_bifc.cgi
index 1999130a6..b27c9c059 100755
--- a/net/save_bifc.cgi
+++ b/net/save_bifc.cgi
@@ -32,6 +32,10 @@ if ($in{'delete'} || $in{'unapply'}) {
 			else {
 				&deactivate_interface($act);
 				}
+			# Remove the virtual device after deactivation
+			if (defined(&destroy_interface_device)) {
+				&destroy_interface_device($b);
+				}
 			}
 
 		}
diff --git a/net/t/run-tests.t b/net/t/run-tests.t
index d0c6f4ae4..8aeb2f6ac 100644
--- a/net/t/run-tests.t
+++ b/net/t/run-tests.t
@@ -964,4 +964,89 @@ is_deeply(\@commands,
 	    "cd / ; ifconfig eth0.10 10\\.0\\.0\\.2 netmask 255\\.255\\.255\\.0 up 2>&1" ],
 	  "Linux VLAN interface falls back to vconfig without ip");
 
+# Test: Bond deactivation only brings it down, does not delete device
+@commands = ( );
+{
+no warnings 'redefine';
+local *main::has_command = sub {
+	return $_[0] eq "ip" ? "/sbin/ip" : undef;
+	};
+main::deactivate_interface({
+	'name' => 'bond0',
+	'fullname' => 'bond0',
+	'virtual' => '',
+	'address' => '10.0.0.2',
+	'netmask' => '255.255.255.0',
+	'address6' => [ ],
+	'netmask6' => [ ],
+	'up' => 1
+	});
+}
+is_deeply(\@commands, [
+	"ip addr del 10\\.0\\.0\\.2\\/24 dev bond0 2>&1",
+	"ip link set dev bond0 down 2>&1"
+	], "Linux bond deactivation removes address and brings link down");
+
+# Test: Bond deletion removes virtual device after deactivation
+@commands = ( );
+{
+no warnings 'redefine';
+no warnings 'once';
+local $main::gconfig{'os_type'} = 'debian-linux';
+local $main::gconfig{'os_version'} = 12;
+local *main::has_command = sub {
+	return $_[0] eq "ip" ? "/sbin/ip" :
+	       $_[0] eq "ifup" ? "/sbin/ifup" : undef;
+	};
+main::deactivate_interface({
+	'name' => 'bond0',
+	'fullname' => 'bond0',
+	'virtual' => '',
+	'address' => '10.0.0.2',
+	'netmask' => '255.255.255.0',
+	'address6' => [ ],
+	'netmask6' => [ ],
+	'up' => 1
+	});
+# Simulate delete path: destroy_interface_device after deactivation
+my $b = { 'name' => 'bond0', 'fullname' => 'bond0', 'virtual' => '' };
+main::destroy_interface_device($b);
+}
+is_deeply(\@commands, [
+	"ip addr del 10\\.0\\.0\\.2\\/24 dev bond0 2>&1",
+	"ip link set dev bond0 down 2>&1",
+	"ip link delete bond0 2>&1"
+	], "Linux bond deletion removes device after deactivation");
+
+# Test: VLAN deletion removes virtual device after deactivation
+@commands = ( );
+{
+no warnings 'redefine';
+no warnings 'once';
+local $main::gconfig{'os_type'} = 'debian-linux';
+local $main::gconfig{'os_version'} = 12;
+local *main::has_command = sub {
+	return $_[0] eq "ip" ? "/sbin/ip" :
+	       $_[0] eq "ifup" ? "/sbin/ifup" : undef;
+	};
+main::deactivate_interface({
+	'name' => 'eth0.10',
+	'fullname' => 'eth0.10',
+	'virtual' => '',
+	'address' => '10.0.10.2',
+	'netmask' => '255.255.255.0',
+	'address6' => [ ],
+	'netmask6' => [ ],
+	'up' => 1
+	});
+# Simulate delete path: destroy_interface_device after deactivation
+my $b = { 'name' => 'eth0.10', 'fullname' => 'eth0.10', 'virtual' => '' };
+main::destroy_interface_device($b);
+}
+is_deeply(\@commands, [
+	"ip addr del 10\\.0\\.10\\.2\\/24 dev eth0\\.10 2>&1",
+	"ip link set dev eth0\\.10 down 2>&1",
+	"ip link delete eth0\\.10 2>&1"
+	], "Linux VLAN deletion removes device after deactivation");
+
 done_testing();