diff --git a/include/linux/if_vlan.h b/include/linux/if_vlan.h
index 153f6b9e722..3d870fda8c4 100644
--- a/include/linux/if_vlan.h
+++ b/include/linux/if_vlan.h
@@ -339,6 +339,7 @@ enum vlan_ioctl_cmds {
 enum vlan_flags {
 	VLAN_FLAG_REORDER_HDR	= 0x1,
 	VLAN_FLAG_GVRP		= 0x2,
+	VLAN_FLAG_LOOSE_BINDING	= 0x4,
 };
 
 enum vlan_name_types {
diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan.c b/net/8021q/vlan.c
index 1483243edf1..225aa2fac0e 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan.c
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan.c
@@ -431,6 +431,7 @@ static int vlan_device_event(struct notifier_block *unused, unsigned long event,
 	struct vlan_group *grp;
 	int i, flgs;
 	struct net_device *vlandev;
+	struct vlan_dev_info *vlan;
 	LIST_HEAD(list);
 
 	if (is_vlan_dev(dev))
@@ -507,7 +508,9 @@ static int vlan_device_event(struct notifier_block *unused, unsigned long event,
 			if (!(flgs & IFF_UP))
 				continue;
 
-			dev_change_flags(vlandev, flgs & ~IFF_UP);
+			vlan = vlan_dev_info(vlandev);
+			if (!(vlan->flags & VLAN_FLAG_LOOSE_BINDING))
+				dev_change_flags(vlandev, flgs & ~IFF_UP);
 			vlan_transfer_operstate(dev, vlandev);
 		}
 		break;
@@ -523,7 +526,9 @@ static int vlan_device_event(struct notifier_block *unused, unsigned long event,
 			if (flgs & IFF_UP)
 				continue;
 
-			dev_change_flags(vlandev, flgs | IFF_UP);
+			vlan = vlan_dev_info(vlandev);
+			if (!(vlan->flags & VLAN_FLAG_LOOSE_BINDING))
+				dev_change_flags(vlandev, flgs | IFF_UP);
 			vlan_transfer_operstate(dev, vlandev);
 		}
 		break;
diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan_dev.c b/net/8021q/vlan_dev.c
index de0dc6bacbe..b7889782047 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan_dev.c
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan_dev.c
@@ -431,7 +431,8 @@ int vlan_dev_change_flags(const struct net_device *dev, u32 flags, u32 mask)
 	struct vlan_dev_info *vlan = vlan_dev_info(dev);
 	u32 old_flags = vlan->flags;
 
-	if (mask & ~(VLAN_FLAG_REORDER_HDR | VLAN_FLAG_GVRP))
+	if (mask & ~(VLAN_FLAG_REORDER_HDR | VLAN_FLAG_GVRP |
+		     VLAN_FLAG_LOOSE_BINDING))
 		return -EINVAL;
 
 	vlan->flags = (old_flags & ~mask) | (flags & mask);
@@ -456,7 +457,8 @@ static int vlan_dev_open(struct net_device *dev)
 	struct net_device *real_dev = vlan->real_dev;
 	int err;
 
-	if (!(real_dev->flags & IFF_UP))
+	if (!(real_dev->flags & IFF_UP) &&
+	    !(vlan->flags & VLAN_FLAG_LOOSE_BINDING))
 		return -ENETDOWN;
 
 	if (compare_ether_addr(dev->dev_addr, real_dev->dev_addr)) {
diff --git a/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c b/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
index 3c9cf6a8e7f..ddc105734af 100644
--- a/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
+++ b/net/8021q/vlan_netlink.c
@@ -60,7 +60,8 @@ static int vlan_validate(struct nlattr *tb[], struct nlattr *data[])
 	if (data[IFLA_VLAN_FLAGS]) {
 		flags = nla_data(data[IFLA_VLAN_FLAGS]);
 		if ((flags->flags & flags->mask) &
-		    ~(VLAN_FLAG_REORDER_HDR | VLAN_FLAG_GVRP))
+		    ~(VLAN_FLAG_REORDER_HDR | VLAN_FLAG_GVRP |
+		      VLAN_FLAG_LOOSE_BINDING))
 			return -EINVAL;
 	}