diff --git a/tools/virsh.c b/tools/virsh.c
index af80e4b30f11dca2b764cfb167ac61834db3c674..89fb4e74a8d6abbbb417211f772165699e1345b6 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.c
+++ b/tools/virsh.c
@@ -330,12 +330,13 @@ static virNWFilterPtr vshCommandOptNWFilterBy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd
                             VSH_BYUUID|VSH_BYNAME)
 
 static virInterfacePtr vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd,
+                                                const char *optname,
                                                 const char **name, int flag);
 
 /* default is lookup by Name and MAC */
 #define vshCommandOptInterface(_ctl, _cmd, _name)                    \
-    vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(_ctl, _cmd, _name,                      \
-                           VSH_BYMAC|VSH_BYNAME)
+    vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(_ctl, _cmd, NULL, _name,                \
+                             VSH_BYMAC|VSH_BYNAME)
 
 static virStoragePoolPtr vshCommandOptPoolBy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd,
                             const char *optname, const char **name, int flag);
@@ -6807,7 +6808,7 @@ cmdInterfaceName(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 
     if (!vshConnectionUsability(ctl, ctl->conn))
         return false;
-    if (!(iface = vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(ctl, cmd, NULL,
+    if (!(iface = vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(ctl, cmd, NULL, NULL,
                                            VSH_BYMAC)))
         return false;
 
@@ -6837,7 +6838,7 @@ cmdInterfaceMAC(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
 
     if (!vshConnectionUsability(ctl, ctl->conn))
         return false;
-    if (!(iface = vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(ctl, cmd, NULL,
+    if (!(iface = vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(ctl, cmd, NULL, NULL,
                                            VSH_BYNAME)))
         return false;
 
@@ -7136,6 +7137,419 @@ cmdInterfaceRollback(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
     return true;
 }
 
+/*
+ * "iface-bridge" command
+ */
+static const vshCmdInfo info_interface_bridge[] = {
+    {"help", N_("create a bridge device and attach an existing network device to it")},
+    {"desc", N_("bridge an existing network device")},
+    {NULL, NULL}
+};
+
+static const vshCmdOptDef opts_interface_bridge[] = {
+    {"interface", VSH_OT_DATA, VSH_OFLAG_REQ, N_("existing interface name")},
+    {"bridge", VSH_OT_DATA, VSH_OFLAG_REQ, N_("new bridge device name")},
+    {"no-stp", VSH_OT_BOOL, 0, N_("do not enable STP for this bridge")},
+    {"delay", VSH_OT_INT, 0,
+     N_("number of seconds to squelch traffic on newly connected ports")},
+    {"no-start", VSH_OT_BOOL, 0, N_("don't start the bridge immediately")},
+    {NULL, 0, 0, NULL}
+};
+
+static bool
+cmdInterfaceBridge(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
+{
+    bool ret = false;
+    virInterfacePtr if_handle = NULL, br_handle = NULL;
+    const char *if_name, *br_name;
+    char *if_type = NULL, *if2_name = NULL, *delay_str = NULL;
+    bool stp = false, nostart = false;
+    unsigned int delay = 0;
+    char *if_xml = NULL;
+    xmlChar *br_xml = NULL;
+    int br_xml_size;
+    xmlDocPtr xml_doc = NULL;
+    xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt = NULL;
+    xmlNodePtr top_node, br_node, if_node, cur;
+
+    if (!vshConnectionUsability(ctl, ctl->conn))
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    /* Get a handle to the original device */
+    if (!(if_handle = vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(ctl, cmd, "interface",
+                                               &if_name, VSH_BYNAME))) {
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Name for new bridge device */
+    if (vshCommandOptString(cmd, "bridge", &br_name) <= 0) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("Missing bridge device name in command"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* make sure "new" device doesn't already exist */
+    if ((br_handle = virInterfaceLookupByName(ctl->conn, br_name))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Network device %s already exists"), br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* use "no-stp" because we want "stp" to default true */
+    stp = !vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "no-stp");
+
+    if (vshCommandOptUInt(cmd, "delay", &delay) < 0) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("Unable to parse delay parameter"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    nostart = vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "no-start");
+
+    /* Get the original interface into an xmlDoc */
+    if (!(if_xml = virInterfaceGetXMLDesc(if_handle, VIR_INTERFACE_XML_INACTIVE)))
+        goto cleanup;
+    if (!(xml_doc = virXMLParseStringCtxt(if_xml,
+                                          _("(interface definition)"), &ctxt))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to parse configuration of %s"), if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+    top_node = ctxt->node;
+
+    /* Verify that the original device isn't already a bridge. */
+    if (!(if_type = virXMLPropString(top_node, "type"))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Existing device %s has no type"), if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (STREQ(if_type, "bridge")) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Existing device %s is already a bridge"), if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* verify the name in the XML matches the device name */
+    if (!(if2_name = virXMLPropString(top_node, "name")) ||
+        STRNEQ(if2_name, if_name)) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Interface name from config %s doesn't match given supplied name %s"),
+                 if2_name, if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Create a <bridge> node under <interface>. */
+    if (!(br_node = xmlNewChild(top_node, NULL, BAD_CAST "bridge", NULL))) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("Failed to create bridge node in xml document"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Set stp and delay attributes in <bridge> according to the
+     * commandline options.
+     */
+    if (!xmlSetProp(br_node, BAD_CAST "stp", BAD_CAST (stp ? "on" : "off"))) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("Failed to set stp attribute in xml document"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if ((delay || stp) &&
+        ((virAsprintf(&delay_str, "%d", delay) < 0) ||
+         !xmlSetProp(br_node, BAD_CAST "delay", BAD_CAST delay_str))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to set bridge delay %d in xml document"), delay);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Change the type of the outer/master interface to "bridge" and the
+     * name to the provided bridge name.
+     */
+    if (!xmlSetProp(top_node, BAD_CAST "type", BAD_CAST "bridge")) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("Failed to set bridge interface type to 'bridge' in xml document"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (!xmlSetProp(top_node, BAD_CAST "name", BAD_CAST br_name)) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to set master bridge interface name to '%s' in xml document"),
+            br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Create an <interface> node under <bridge> that uses the
+     * original interface's type and name.
+     */
+    if (!(if_node = xmlNewChild(br_node, NULL, BAD_CAST "interface", NULL))) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("Failed to create interface node under bridge node in xml document"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* set the type of the inner/slave interface to the original
+     * if_type, and the name to the original if_name.
+     */
+    if (!xmlSetProp(if_node, BAD_CAST "type", BAD_CAST if_type)) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to set new slave interface type to '%s' in xml document"),
+                 if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (!xmlSetProp(if_node, BAD_CAST "name", BAD_CAST if_name)) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to set new slave interface name to '%s' in xml document"),
+            br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Cycle through all the nodes under the original <interface>,
+     * moving all <mac>, <bond> and <vlan> nodes down into the new
+     * lower level <interface>.
+     */
+    cur = top_node->children;
+    while (cur) {
+        xmlNodePtr old = cur;
+
+        cur = cur->next;
+        if ((old->type == XML_ELEMENT_NODE) &&
+            (xmlStrEqual(old->name, BAD_CAST "mac") ||  /* ethernet stuff to move down */
+             xmlStrEqual(old->name, BAD_CAST "bond") || /* bond stuff to move down */
+             xmlStrEqual(old->name, BAD_CAST "vlan"))) { /* vlan stuff to move down */
+            xmlUnlinkNode(old);
+            if (!xmlAddChild(if_node, old)) {
+                vshError(ctl, _("Failed to move '%s' element in xml document"), old->name);
+                xmlFreeNode(old);
+                goto cleanup;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* The document should now be fully converted; write it out to a string. */
+    xmlDocDumpMemory(xml_doc, &br_xml, &br_xml_size);
+
+    if (!br_xml || br_xml_size <= 0) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to format new xml document for bridge %s"), br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+
+    /* br_xml is the new interface to define. It will automatically undefine the
+     * independent original interface.
+     */
+    if (!(br_handle = virInterfaceDefineXML(ctl->conn, (char *) br_xml, 0))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to define new bridge interface %s"),
+                 br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    vshPrint(ctl, _("Created bridge %s with attached device %s\n"),
+             if_name, br_name);
+
+    /* start it up unless requested not to */
+    if (!nostart) {
+        if (virInterfaceCreate(br_handle, 0) < 0) {
+            vshError(ctl, _("Failed to start bridge interface %s"), br_name);
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        vshPrint(ctl, _("Bridge interface %s started\n"), br_name);
+    }
+
+    ret = true;
+ cleanup:
+    if (if_handle)
+       virInterfaceFree(if_handle);
+    if (br_handle)
+       virInterfaceFree(br_handle);
+    VIR_FREE(if_xml);
+    VIR_FREE(br_xml);
+    VIR_FREE(if_type);
+    VIR_FREE(if2_name);
+    VIR_FREE(delay_str);
+    xmlXPathFreeContext(ctxt);
+    xmlFreeDoc(xml_doc);
+    return ret;
+}
+
+/*
+ * "iface-unbridge" command
+ */
+static const vshCmdInfo info_interface_unbridge[] = {
+    {"help", N_("undefine a bridge device after detaching its slave device")},
+    {"desc", N_("unbridge a network device")},
+    {NULL, NULL}
+};
+
+static const vshCmdOptDef opts_interface_unbridge[] = {
+    {"bridge", VSH_OT_DATA, VSH_OFLAG_REQ, N_("current bridge device name")},
+    {"no-start", VSH_OT_BOOL, 0,
+     N_("don't start the un-slaved interface immediately (not recommended)")},
+    {NULL, 0, 0, NULL}
+};
+
+static bool
+cmdInterfaceUnbridge(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
+{
+    bool ret = false;
+    virInterfacePtr if_handle = NULL, br_handle = NULL;
+    const char *br_name;
+    char *if_type = NULL, *if_name = NULL;
+    bool nostart = false;
+    char *br_xml = NULL;
+    xmlChar *if_xml = NULL;
+    int if_xml_size;
+    xmlDocPtr xml_doc = NULL;
+    xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt = NULL;
+    xmlNodePtr top_node, br_node, if_node, cur;
+
+    if (!vshConnectionUsability(ctl, ctl->conn))
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    /* Get a handle to the original device */
+    if (!(br_handle = vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(ctl, cmd, "bridge",
+                                               &br_name, VSH_BYNAME))) {
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    nostart = vshCommandOptBool(cmd, "no-start");
+
+    /* Get the bridge xml into an xmlDoc */
+    if (!(br_xml = virInterfaceGetXMLDesc(br_handle, VIR_INTERFACE_XML_INACTIVE)))
+        goto cleanup;
+    if (!(xml_doc = virXMLParseStringCtxt(br_xml,
+                                          _("(bridge interface definition)"),
+                                          &ctxt))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to parse configuration of %s"), br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+    top_node = ctxt->node;
+
+    /* Verify that the device really is a bridge. */
+    if (!(if_type = virXMLPropString(top_node, "type"))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Existing device %s has no type"), br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (STRNEQ(if_type, "bridge")) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Device %s is not a bridge"), br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+    VIR_FREE(if_type);
+
+    /* verify the name in the XML matches the device name */
+    if (!(if_name = virXMLPropString(top_node, "name")) ||
+        STRNEQ(if_name, br_name)) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Interface name from config %s doesn't match given supplied name %s"),
+                 if_name, br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+    VIR_FREE(if_name);
+
+    /* Find the <bridge> node under <interface>. */
+    if (!(br_node = virXPathNode("./bridge", ctxt))) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("No bridge node in xml document"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if ((if_node = virXPathNode("./bridge/interface[2]", ctxt))) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("Multiple interfaecs attached to bridge"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (!(if_node = virXPathNode("./bridge/interface", ctxt))) {
+        vshError(ctl, "%s", _("No interface attached to bridge"));
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Change the type and name of the outer/master interface to
+     * the type/name of the attached slave interface.
+     */
+    if (!(if_name = virXMLPropString(if_node, "name"))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Device attached to bridge %s has no name"), br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (!(if_type = virXMLPropString(if_node, "type"))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Attached device %s has no type"), if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (!xmlSetProp(top_node, BAD_CAST "type", BAD_CAST if_type)) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to set interface type to '%s' in xml document"),
+                 if_type);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    if (!xmlSetProp(top_node, BAD_CAST "name", BAD_CAST if_name)) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to set interface name to '%s' in xml document"),
+                 if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Cycle through all the nodes under the attached <interface>,
+     * moving all <mac>, <bond> and <vlan> nodes up into the toplevel
+     * <interface>.
+     */
+    cur = if_node->children;
+    while (cur) {
+        xmlNodePtr old = cur;
+
+        cur = cur->next;
+        if ((old->type == XML_ELEMENT_NODE) &&
+            (xmlStrEqual(old->name, BAD_CAST "mac") ||  /* ethernet stuff to move down */
+             xmlStrEqual(old->name, BAD_CAST "bond") || /* bond stuff to move down */
+             xmlStrEqual(old->name, BAD_CAST "vlan"))) { /* vlan stuff to move down */
+            xmlUnlinkNode(old);
+            if (!xmlAddChild(top_node, old)) {
+                vshError(ctl, _("Failed to move '%s' element in xml document"), old->name);
+                xmlFreeNode(old);
+                goto cleanup;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* The document should now be fully converted; write it out to a string. */
+    xmlDocDumpMemory(xml_doc, &if_xml, &if_xml_size);
+
+    if (!if_xml || if_xml_size <= 0) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to format new xml document for un-enslaved interface %s"),
+                 if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* Destroy and Undefine the bridge device, since we otherwise
+     * can't safely define the unattached device.
+     */
+    if (virInterfaceDestroy(br_handle, 0) < 0) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to destroy bridge interface %s"), br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+    if (virInterfaceUndefine(br_handle) < 0) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to undefine bridge interface %s"), br_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    /* if_xml is the new interface to define.
+     */
+    if (!(if_handle = virInterfaceDefineXML(ctl->conn, (char *) if_xml, 0))) {
+        vshError(ctl, _("Failed to define new interface %s"), if_name);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    vshPrint(ctl, _("Device %s un-attached from bridge %s\n"),
+             if_name, br_name);
+
+    /* unless requested otherwise, undefine the bridge device */
+    if (!nostart) {
+        if (virInterfaceCreate(if_handle, 0) < 0) {
+            vshError(ctl, _("Failed to start interface %s"), if_name);
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        vshPrint(ctl, _("Interface %s started\n"), if_name);
+    }
+
+    ret = true;
+ cleanup:
+    if (if_handle)
+       virInterfaceFree(if_handle);
+    if (br_handle)
+       virInterfaceFree(br_handle);
+    VIR_FREE(if_xml);
+    VIR_FREE(br_xml);
+    VIR_FREE(if_type);
+    VIR_FREE(if_name);
+    xmlXPathFreeContext(ctxt);
+    xmlFreeDoc(xml_doc);
+    return ret;
+}
+
 /*
  * "nwfilter-define" command
  */
@@ -14199,6 +14613,8 @@ static const vshCmdDef nodedevCmds[] = {
 static const vshCmdDef ifaceCmds[] = {
     {"iface-begin", cmdInterfaceBegin, opts_interface_begin,
      info_interface_begin, 0},
+    {"iface-bridge", cmdInterfaceBridge, opts_interface_bridge,
+     info_interface_bridge, 0},
     {"iface-commit", cmdInterfaceCommit, opts_interface_commit,
      info_interface_commit, 0},
     {"iface-define", cmdInterfaceDefine, opts_interface_define,
@@ -14219,6 +14635,8 @@ static const vshCmdDef ifaceCmds[] = {
      info_interface_rollback, 0},
     {"iface-start", cmdInterfaceStart, opts_interface_start,
      info_interface_start, 0},
+    {"iface-unbridge", cmdInterfaceUnbridge, opts_interface_unbridge,
+     info_interface_unbridge, 0},
     {"iface-undefine", cmdInterfaceUndefine, opts_interface_undefine,
      info_interface_undefine, 0},
     {NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, 0}
@@ -15101,11 +15519,14 @@ vshCommandOptNWFilterBy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd,
 
 static virInterfacePtr
 vshCommandOptInterfaceBy(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd,
+                         const char *optname,
                          const char **name, int flag)
 {
     virInterfacePtr iface = NULL;
     const char *n = NULL;
-    const char *optname = "interface";
+
+    if (!optname)
+       optname = "interface";
     if (!cmd_has_option (ctl, cmd, optname))
         return NULL;
 
diff --git a/tools/virsh.pod b/tools/virsh.pod
index 775d3025aa583bbdaae9481627609ce8151889b1..db872dde09d8873bb4fc8610b9024b0b3151c613 100644
--- a/tools/virsh.pod
+++ b/tools/virsh.pod
@@ -1465,6 +1465,18 @@ resort to a name instead).
 
 =over 4
 
+=item B<iface-bridge> I<interface> I<bridge> [I<--no-stp>] [I<delay>]
+[I<--no-start>]
+
+Create a bridge device named I<bridge>, and attach the existing
+network device I<interface> to the new bridge.  The new bridge
+defaults to starting immediately, with STP enabled and a delay of 0;
+these settings can be altered with I<--no-stp>, I<--no-start>, and an
+integer number of seconds for I<delay>. All IP address configuration
+of I<interface> will be moved to the new bridge device.
+
+See also B<iface-unbridge> for undoing this operation.
+
 =item B<iface-define> I<file>
 
 Define a host interface from an XML I<file>, the interface is just defined but
@@ -1519,6 +1531,16 @@ I<interface> specifies the interface name.
 
 Start a (previously defined) host interface, such as by running "if-up".
 
+=item B<iface-unbridge> I<bridge> [I<--no-start>]
+
+Tear down a bridge device named I<bridge>, releasing its underlying
+interface back to normal usage, and moving all IP address
+configuration from the bridge device to the underlying device.  The
+underlying interface is restarted unless I<--no-start> is present;
+this flag is present for symmetry, but generally not recommended.
+
+See also B<iface-bridge> for creating a bridge.
+
 =item B<iface-undefine> I<interface>
 
 Undefine the configuration for an inactive host interface.