diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_container.c b/src/lxc/lxc_container.c
index cc20b6d84fa1e613ecf731c9012e5fd01cdaae1e..9a9ae5c2aaf0f90ff472f24fda43c077b44998c7 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_container.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_container.c
@@ -541,7 +541,8 @@ static int lxcContainerRenameAndEnableInterfaces(virDomainDefPtr vmDef,
             VIR_FREE(ipStr);
         }
 
-        if (netDef->linkstate != VIR_DOMAIN_NET_INTERFACE_LINK_STATE_DOWN) {
+        if (netDef->nips ||
+            netDef->linkstate == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_INTERFACE_LINK_STATE_UP) {
             VIR_DEBUG("Enabling %s", newname);
             rc = virNetDevSetOnline(newname, true);
             if (rc < 0)
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_native.c b/src/lxc/lxc_native.c
index 25d53837574bd0bbd3312a2fbfa0cb67e5331803..1069236e98739f73254abaa2e47c2e29a6044d6f 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_native.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_native.c
@@ -348,12 +348,10 @@ lxcCreateNetDef(const char *type,
     if (VIR_ALLOC(net) < 0)
         goto error;
 
-    if (flag) {
-        if (STREQ(flag, "up"))
-            net->linkstate = VIR_DOMAIN_NET_INTERFACE_LINK_STATE_UP;
-        else
-            net->linkstate = VIR_DOMAIN_NET_INTERFACE_LINK_STATE_DOWN;
-    }
+    if (STREQ_NULLABLE(flag, "up"))
+        net->linkstate = VIR_DOMAIN_NET_INTERFACE_LINK_STATE_UP;
+    else
+        net->linkstate = VIR_DOMAIN_NET_INTERFACE_LINK_STATE_DOWN;
 
     if (VIR_STRDUP(net->ifname_guest, name) < 0)
         goto error;