diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 4617f5d5d2..8579cfd4f2 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1931,6 +1931,7 @@ virNetDevBridgeSetVlanFiltering;
 virNetDevIPAddrAdd;
 virNetDevIPAddrDel;
 virNetDevIPAddrGet;
+virNetDevIPInfoAddToDev;
 virNetDevIPInfoClear;
 virNetDevIPRouteAdd;
 virNetDevIPRouteFree;
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_container.c b/src/lxc/lxc_container.c
index 0d5f16c517..916a37b68e 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_container.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_container.c
@@ -490,7 +490,7 @@ lxcContainerRenameAndEnableInterfaces(virDomainDefPtr vmDef,
                                       char **veths)
 {
     int ret = -1;
-    size_t i, j;
+    size_t i;
     const char *newname;
     virDomainNetDefPtr netDef;
     bool privNet = vmDef->features[VIR_DOMAIN_FEATURE_PRIVNET] ==
@@ -509,53 +509,28 @@ lxcContainerRenameAndEnableInterfaces(virDomainDefPtr vmDef,
 
         VIR_DEBUG("Renaming %s to %s", veths[i], newname);
         if (virNetDevSetName(veths[i], newname) < 0)
-           goto cleanup;
-
-        for (j = 0; j < netDef->guestIP.nips; j++) {
-            virNetDevIPAddrPtr ip = netDef->guestIP.ips[j];
-            int prefix;
-            char *ipStr = virSocketAddrFormat(&ip->address);
-
-            if ((prefix = virSocketAddrGetIPPrefix(&ip->address,
-                                                   NULL, ip->prefix)) < 0) {
-                ipStr = virSocketAddrFormat(&ip->address);
-                virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
-                               _("Failed to determine prefix for IP address '%s'"),
-                               ipStr);
-                VIR_FREE(ipStr);
-                goto cleanup;
-            }
-            VIR_FREE(ipStr);
-
-            if (virNetDevIPAddrAdd(newname, &ip->address, NULL, prefix) < 0)
-                goto cleanup;
-        }
+            goto cleanup;
 
+        /* Only enable this device if there is a reason to do so (either
+         * at least one IP was specified, or link state was set to up in
+         * the config)
+         */
         if (netDef->guestIP.nips ||
             netDef->linkstate == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_INTERFACE_LINK_STATE_UP) {
             VIR_DEBUG("Enabling %s", newname);
             if (virNetDevSetOnline(newname, true) < 0)
                 goto cleanup;
-
-            /* Set the routes */
-            for (j = 0; j < netDef->guestIP.nroutes; j++) {
-                virNetDevIPRoutePtr route = netDef->guestIP.routes[j];
-
-                if (virNetDevIPRouteAdd(newname,
-                                        virNetDevIPRouteGetAddress(route),
-                                        virNetDevIPRouteGetPrefix(route),
-                                        virNetDevIPRouteGetGateway(route),
-                                        virNetDevIPRouteGetMetric(route)) < 0) {
-                    goto cleanup;
-                }
-            }
         }
+
+        /* set IP addresses and routes */
+        if (virNetDevIPInfoAddToDev(newname, &netDef->guestIP) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
     }
 
     /* enable lo device only if there were other net devices */
     if ((veths || privNet) &&
         virNetDevSetOnline("lo", true) < 0)
-       goto cleanup;
+        goto cleanup;
 
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevip.c b/src/util/virnetdevip.c
index 01d4867106..da92d5bbff 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevip.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevip.c
@@ -886,3 +886,63 @@ virNetDevIPInfoClear(virNetDevIPInfoPtr ip)
         virNetDevIPRouteFree(ip->routes[i]);
     VIR_FREE(ip->routes);
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * virNetDevIPInfoAddToDev:
+ * @ifname: name of device to operate on
+ * @ipInfo: list of routes and IP addresses to add to this device
+ *
+ * All IP routes and IP addresses in ipInfo are added to the named device.
+ *
+ * Returns: 0 on success, -1 (and error reported) on failure.
+ */
+int
+virNetDevIPInfoAddToDev(const char *ifname,
+                        virNetDevIPInfo const *ipInfo)
+{
+    int ret = -1;
+    size_t i;
+    char *ipStr = NULL;
+    int prefix;
+
+    /* add all IP addresses */
+    for (i = 0; i < ipInfo->nips; i++) {
+        virNetDevIPAddrPtr ip = ipInfo->ips[i];
+
+        ipStr = virSocketAddrFormat(&ip->address);
+        if ((prefix = virSocketAddrGetIPPrefix(&ip->address,
+                                               NULL, ip->prefix)) < 0) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                           _("Failed to determine prefix for IP address '%s'"),
+                           ipStr);
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        if (virNetDevIPAddrAdd(ifname, &ip->address, NULL, prefix) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+        VIR_FREE(ipStr);
+    }
+
+    /* add all routes */
+    for (i = 0; i < ipInfo->nroutes; i++) {
+        virNetDevIPRoutePtr route = ipInfo->routes[i];
+
+        ipStr = virSocketAddrFormat(&route->address);
+        if ((prefix = virNetDevIPRouteGetPrefix(route)) < 0) {
+            virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
+                           _("Failed to determine prefix for route with destination '%s'"),
+                           ipStr);
+            goto cleanup;
+        }
+        if (virNetDevIPRouteAdd(ifname, &route->address, prefix,
+                                &route->gateway,
+                                virNetDevIPRouteGetMetric(route)) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+        VIR_FREE(ipStr);
+    }
+
+    ret = 0;
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(ipStr);
+    return ret;
+}
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevip.h b/src/util/virnetdevip.h
index be41636db5..86fb77e285 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevip.h
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevip.h
@@ -86,5 +86,7 @@ virSocketAddrPtr virNetDevIPRouteGetGateway(virNetDevIPRoutePtr def);
 
 /* virNetDevIPInfo object */
 void virNetDevIPInfoClear(virNetDevIPInfoPtr ip);
+int virNetDevIPInfoAddToDev(const char *ifname,
+                            virNetDevIPInfo const *ipInfo);
 
 #endif /* __VIR_NETDEVIP_H__ */