diff --git a/src/etc/inc/interfaces.lib.inc b/src/etc/inc/interfaces.lib.inc
index 627361b8b..2f3939775 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/interfaces.lib.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/interfaces.lib.inc
@@ -72,16 +72,6 @@ function legacy_interface_flags($ifs, $flag, $report_errors = true)
     }
 }
 
-function legacy_interface_rename($ifs, $name)
-{
-    $cmd = '/sbin/ifconfig ' . escapeshellarg($ifs) . ' name ' . escapeshellarg($name);
-
-    exec($cmd . ' 2>&1', $out, $ret);
-    if ($ret) {
-        log_error('The command `' . $cmd . '\' failed to execute');
-    }
-}
-
 function legacy_interface_create($ifs, $name = null)
 {
     $cmd = '/sbin/ifconfig ' . escapeshellarg($ifs) . ' create';
@@ -98,7 +88,14 @@ function legacy_interface_create($ifs, $name = null)
     }
 
     if (!empty($name)) {
-        legacy_interface_rename($new, $name);
+        $cmd = '/sbin/ifconfig ' . escapeshellarg($ifs) . ' name ' . escapeshellarg($name);
+
+        exec($cmd . ' 2>&1', $out, $ret);
+        if ($ret) {
+            log_error('The command `' . $cmd . '\' failed to execute');
+        }
+
+        /* return new name here anyway to force proper device not found errors later */
         $new = $name;
     }
 
@@ -507,42 +504,3 @@ function legacy_get_interface_addresses($ifs, $ifconfig_details = null)
     }
     return $addrs;
 }
-
-function legacy_serial_devices()
-{
-    // collect 3g/4g modems
-    $dmesg = array();
-    exec('/sbin/sysctl -a', $dmesg);
-    $modems = array();
-    foreach ($dmesg as $line) {
-        if (strpos($line, 'dev.u3g.') === 0) {
-            $portnum = explode('.', $line)[2];
-            if (is_numeric($portnum)) {
-                if (!isset($modems[$portnum])) {
-                    $modems[$portnum] = array();
-                }
-                if (strpos($line, '%desc:') !== false) {
-                    $modems[$portnum]['descr'] = explode('%desc:', $line)[1];
-                } elseif (strpos($line, '%pnpinfo:') !== false) {
-                    foreach (explode(' ', explode('%pnpinfo:', $line)[1]) as $prop) {
-                        $tmp = explode('=', $prop);
-                        if (count($tmp) == 2) {
-                            $modems[$portnum][$tmp[0]] = $tmp[1];
-                        }
-                    }
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    $serialports = array();
-    foreach (glob("/dev/cua?[0-9]{,.[0-9]}", GLOB_BRACE) as $device) {
-        $serialports[$device] = array('descr' => '');
-        $tty = explode('.', explode('cua', $device)[1])[0];
-        foreach ($modems as $modem) {
-            if (isset($modem['ttyname']) && $modem['ttyname'] == $tty) {
-                $serialports[$device] = $modem;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-    return $serialports;
-}
diff --git a/src/www/interfaces_ppps_edit.php b/src/www/interfaces_ppps_edit.php
index f63ba2364..1d781e5ed 100644
--- a/src/www/interfaces_ppps_edit.php
+++ b/src/www/interfaces_ppps_edit.php
@@ -31,6 +31,45 @@
 require_once("guiconfig.inc");
 require_once("interfaces.inc");
 
+function serial_devices()
+{
+    // collect 3g/4g modems
+    $dmesg = array();
+    exec('/sbin/sysctl -a', $dmesg);
+    $modems = array();
+    foreach ($dmesg as $line) {
+        if (strpos($line, 'dev.u3g.') === 0) {
+            $portnum = explode('.', $line)[2];
+            if (is_numeric($portnum)) {
+                if (!isset($modems[$portnum])) {
+                    $modems[$portnum] = array();
+                }
+                if (strpos($line, '%desc:') !== false) {
+                    $modems[$portnum]['descr'] = explode('%desc:', $line)[1];
+                } elseif (strpos($line, '%pnpinfo:') !== false) {
+                    foreach (explode(' ', explode('%pnpinfo:', $line)[1]) as $prop) {
+                        $tmp = explode('=', $prop);
+                        if (count($tmp) == 2) {
+                            $modems[$portnum][$tmp[0]] = $tmp[1];
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    $serialports = array();
+    foreach (glob("/dev/cua?[0-9]{,.[0-9]}", GLOB_BRACE) as $device) {
+        $serialports[$device] = array('descr' => '');
+        $tty = explode('.', explode('cua', $device)[1])[0];
+        foreach ($modems as $modem) {
+            if (isset($modem['ttyname']) && $modem['ttyname'] == $tty) {
+                $serialports[$device] = $modem;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    return $serialports;
+}
+
 $a_ppps = &config_read_array('ppps', 'ppp');
 
 if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] === 'GET') {
@@ -433,7 +472,7 @@ include("head.inc");
                         <td>
                           <select class="selectpicker" multiple="multiple" size="3" name="ports[]" id="ports" >
 <?php
-                          foreach (legacy_serial_devices() as $port => $port_info):?>
+                          foreach (serial_devices() as $port => $port_info):?>
                             <option data-type="serial" value="<?=$port;?>" <?=in_array($port, $pconfig['ports']) ? "selected=\"selected\"" : "";?> >
                               <?=$port;?>  <?=!empty($port_info['descr']) ?  "(".$port_info['descr'].")" : "" ;?>
                             </option>