diff --git a/src/etc/inc/interfaces.inc b/src/etc/inc/interfaces.inc
index 4b9421ade..37bd6de14 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/interfaces.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/interfaces.inc
@@ -651,10 +651,6 @@ function interfaces_gre_configure($verbose = false, $checkparent = 0, $realif =
     }
 
     foreach ($config['gres']['gre'] as $i => $gre) {
-        if (empty($gre['greif'])) {
-            $gre['greif'] = "gre{$i}";
-        }
-
         if (!empty($realif)) {
             if ($realif != $gre['greif']) {
                 continue;
@@ -662,9 +658,11 @@ function interfaces_gre_configure($verbose = false, $checkparent = 0, $realif =
             log_error(sprintf('Executing inline configuration of GRE tunnel %s', $realif));
         }
 
-        if ($checkparent == 1 && strstr($gre['if'], '_vip')) {
+        $is_vip = strpos($gre['if'], '_vip') !== false || is_ipaddr($gre['if']);
+
+        if ($checkparent == 1 && $is_vip) {
             continue;
-        } elseif ($checkparent == 2 && !strstr($gre['if'], '_vip')) {
+        } elseif ($checkparent == 2 && !$is_vip) {
             continue;
         }
 
@@ -676,59 +674,45 @@ function interfaces_gre_configure($verbose = false, $checkparent = 0, $realif =
     }
 }
 
-function interface_gre_configure(&$gre)
+function interface_gre_configure($gre)
 {
-    if (!is_array($gre)) {
-        return -1;
-    }
+    /* XXX we miss a reference here for IP alias since 'if' is the alias address only, look up in VIPs? */
+    interfaces_bring_up(get_real_interface(explode('_vip', $gre['if'])[0])); /* XXX overreach? */
 
-    $realif = get_real_interface($gre['if']);
-
-    interfaces_bring_up($realif);
-
-    if (file_exists("/var/run/booting") || !empty($gre['greif'])) {
-        legacy_interface_destroy($gre['greif']);
-        legacy_interface_create($gre['greif']);
-        $greif = $gre['greif'];
-    } else {
-        $greif = legacy_interface_create('gre');
-    }
+    /* XXX avoid destroy/create to make routes sticky  */
+    legacy_interface_destroy($gre['greif']);
+    legacy_interface_create($gre['greif']);
 
     /* Do not change the order here for more see gre(4) NOTES section. */
     if (is_ipaddrv6($gre['remote-addr'])) {
-        $realifip = is_ipaddr($gre['if']) ? $gre['if'] : get_interface_ipv6($gre['if']);
-        mwexecf('/sbin/ifconfig %s inet6 tunnel %s %s', array($greif, $realifip, $gre['remote-addr']));
+        mwexecf('/sbin/ifconfig %s inet6 tunnel %s %s', [ $gre['greif'], get_interface_ipv6($gre['if']), $gre['remote-addr']]);
     } else {
-        $realifip = is_ipaddr($gre['if']) ? $gre['if'] : get_interface_ip($gre['if']);
-        mwexecf('/sbin/ifconfig %s tunnel %s %s', array($greif, $realifip, $gre['remote-addr']));
+        mwexecf('/sbin/ifconfig %s tunnel %s %s', [$gre['greif'], get_interface_ip($gre['if']), $gre['remote-addr']]);
     }
     if ((is_ipaddrv6($gre['tunnel-local-addr'])) || (is_ipaddrv6($gre['tunnel-remote-addr']))) {
-        mwexec("/sbin/ifconfig {$greif} inet6 " . escapeshellarg($gre['tunnel-local-addr']) . " " . escapeshellarg($gre['tunnel-remote-addr']) . " prefixlen 128");
+        mwexec("/sbin/ifconfig {$gre['greif']} inet6 " . escapeshellarg($gre['tunnel-local-addr']) . " " . escapeshellarg($gre['tunnel-remote-addr']) . " prefixlen 128");
     } else {
-        mwexec("/sbin/ifconfig {$greif} " . escapeshellarg($gre['tunnel-local-addr']) . " " . escapeshellarg($gre['tunnel-remote-addr']) . " netmask " . gen_subnet_mask($gre['tunnel-remote-net']));
+        mwexec("/sbin/ifconfig {$gre['greif']} " . escapeshellarg($gre['tunnel-local-addr']) . " " . escapeshellarg($gre['tunnel-remote-addr']) . " netmask " . gen_subnet_mask($gre['tunnel-remote-net']));
     }
 
-    interfaces_bring_up($greif);
+    interfaces_bring_up($gre['greif']);
 
     if (is_ipaddrv4($gre['tunnel-remote-addr'])) {
-        file_put_contents("/tmp/{$greif}_router", "${gre['tunnel-remote-addr']}\n");
-    }
-    if (is_ipaddrv6($gre['tunnel-remote-addr'])) {
-        file_put_contents("/tmp/{$greif}_routerv6", "{$gre['tunnel-remote-addr']}\n");
+        file_put_contents("/tmp/{$gre['greif']}_router", "${gre['tunnel-remote-addr']}\n");
+    } elseif (is_ipaddrv6($gre['tunnel-remote-addr'])) {
+        file_put_contents("/tmp/{$gre['greif']}_routerv6", "{$gre['tunnel-remote-addr']}\n");
     }
 
     $gateways = new \OPNsense\Routing\Gateways(legacy_interfaces_details());
 
     foreach (array_keys(get_configured_interface_with_descr()) as $ifname) {
-        if ($config['interfaces'][$ifname]['if'] == $greif) {
+        if ($config['interfaces'][$ifname]['if'] == $gre['greif']) {
             if ($gateways->getInterfaceGateway($ifname, 'inet') || $gateways->getInterfaceGateway($ifname, 'inet6')) {
                 system_routing_configure(false, $ifname);
                 break;
             }
         }
     }
-
-    return $greif;
 }
 
 function interfaces_gif_configure($verbose = false, $checkparent = 0, $realif = '')
@@ -3797,7 +3781,12 @@ function link_interface_to_gre($interface)
 
     if (isset($config['gres']['gre'])) {
         foreach ($config['gres']['gre'] as $gre) {
-            if ($gre['if'] == $interface) {
+            $parent = explode('_vip', $gre['if'])[0];
+            if (is_ipaddr($parent)) {
+                /* XXX requires a proper runtime setup or VIP lookup */
+                $parent = convert_real_interface_to_friendly_interface_name(guess_interface_from_ip($parent));
+            }
+            if ($parent == $interface) {
                 $result[] = $gre;
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/www/interfaces_gre.php b/src/www/interfaces_gre.php
index 200286082..a1f8895f1 100644
--- a/src/www/interfaces_gre.php
+++ b/src/www/interfaces_gre.php
@@ -30,20 +30,10 @@
 require_once("guiconfig.inc");
 require_once("interfaces.inc");
 
-function gre_inuse($gre_intf)
-{
-    foreach (legacy_config_get_interfaces() as $if => $intf) {
-        if ($intf['if'] == $gre_intf) {
-            return true;
-        }
-    }
-    return false;
-}
-
 $a_gres = &config_read_array('gres', 'gre') ;
 
 if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'POST') {
-    $input_errors = array();
+    $input_errors = [];
     if (!empty($a_gres[$_POST['id']])) {
         $id = $_POST['id'];
     }
@@ -127,14 +117,12 @@ legacy_html_escape_form_data($a_gres);
                   foreach ($a_gres as $gre): ?>
                     <tr>
                       <td>
-<?php
-                      if (is_ipaddr($gre['if'])):?>
-                        [<?=htmlspecialchars($gre['if']);?>]
-<?php
-                      else:?>
-                        <?=htmlspecialchars(convert_friendly_interface_to_friendly_descr($gre['if']));?>
-<?php
-                      endif;?>
+<?php if (is_ipaddr($gre['if'])): ?>
+<?php   $interface = convert_real_interface_to_friendly_interface_name(guess_interface_from_ip($gre['if'])); ?>
+<?php else: ?>
+<?php   $interface = explode('_vip', $gre['if'])[0]; ?>
+<?php endif ?>
+                        <?= html_safe(convert_friendly_interface_to_friendly_descr($interface)) ?>
                       </td>
                       <td><?=$gre['remote-addr'];?></td>
                       <td><?=$gre['descr'];?></td>
diff --git a/src/www/interfaces_gre_edit.php b/src/www/interfaces_gre_edit.php
index 6d7f1cee3..cfed77c7b 100644
--- a/src/www/interfaces_gre_edit.php
+++ b/src/www/interfaces_gre_edit.php
@@ -39,9 +39,9 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {
     if (!empty($a_gres[$_GET['id']])) {
         $id = $_GET['id'];
     }
-    $pconfig = array();
+    $pconfig = [];
     // copy fields
-    $copy_fields = array('if', 'greif', 'remote-addr', 'tunnel-remote-net', 'tunnel-local-addr', 'tunnel-remote-addr', 'descr');
+    $copy_fields = ['if', 'greif', 'remote-addr', 'tunnel-remote-net', 'tunnel-local-addr', 'tunnel-remote-addr', 'descr'];
     foreach ($copy_fields as $fieldname) {
         $pconfig[$fieldname] = isset($a_gres[$id][$fieldname]) ? $a_gres[$id][$fieldname] : null;
     }
@@ -51,12 +51,12 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {
         $id = $_POST['id'];
     }
 
-    $input_errors = array();
+    $input_errors = [];
     $pconfig = $_POST;
 
     /* input validation */
     $reqdfields = explode(" ", "if tunnel-remote-addr tunnel-remote-net tunnel-local-addr");
-    $reqdfieldsn = array(gettext("Parent interface"),gettext("Local address"),gettext("Remote tunnel address"),gettext("Remote tunnel network"), gettext("Local tunnel address"));
+    $reqdfieldsn = [gettext('Parent interface'),gettext('Local address'),gettext('Remote tunnel address'),gettext('Remote tunnel network'), gettext('Local tunnel address')];
 
     do_input_validation($pconfig, $reqdfields, $reqdfieldsn, $input_errors);
 
@@ -75,15 +75,17 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {
     }
 
     if (count($input_errors) == 0) {
-        $gre = array();
-        $copy_fields = array('if', 'greif', 'remote-addr', 'tunnel-remote-net', 'tunnel-local-addr', 'tunnel-remote-addr', 'descr');
+        $gre = [];
+        $copy_fields = ['if', 'greif', 'remote-addr', 'tunnel-remote-net', 'tunnel-local-addr', 'tunnel-remote-addr', 'descr'];
         foreach ($copy_fields as $fieldname) {
             $gre[$fieldname] = isset($pconfig[$fieldname]) ? $pconfig[$fieldname] : null;
         }
 
-        $gre['greif'] = interface_gre_configure($gre);
-        ifgroup_setup();
-        if ($gre['greif'] == "" || !stristr($gre['greif'], "gre")) {
+        if (empty($gre['greif'])) {
+            $gre['greif'] = legacy_interface_create('gre'); /* XXX find another strategy */
+        }
+
+        if (empty($gre['greif']) || strpos($gre['greif'], 'gre') !== 0) {
             $input_errors[] = gettext("Error occurred creating interface, please retry.");
         } else {
             if (isset($id)) {
@@ -92,6 +94,8 @@ if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {
                 $a_gres[] = $gre;
             }
             write_config();
+            interface_gre_configure($gre);
+            ifgroup_setup();
             $confif = convert_real_interface_to_friendly_interface_name($gre['greif']);
             if ($confif != '') {
                 interface_configure(false, $confif);