diff --git a/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/vxlan.inc b/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/vxlan.inc
index de847c044..ebad94e05 100644
--- a/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/vxlan.inc
+++ b/src/etc/inc/plugins.inc.d/vxlan.inc
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ function vxlan_configure_do($verbose = false, $device = null)
     // (re)configure vxlan devices
     foreach ($vxlans as $vxlan) {
         $device_name = "vxlan{$vxlan->deviceId}";
+        $isChanged = false;
 
         if ($device !== null && $device != $device_name) {
             $configured_devices[] = $device_name;
@@ -101,7 +102,6 @@ function vxlan_configure_do($verbose = false, $device = null)
             mwexecf('/sbin/ifconfig vxlan create name %s', array($device_name));
             $isChanged = true;
         } else {
-            $isChanged = false;
             $current_settings['vxlanid'] = $interfaces_details[$device_name]['vxlan']['vni'];
             foreach (['local', 'remote', 'group'] as $target) {
                 if (!empty($interfaces_details[$device_name]['vxlan'][$target])) {
@@ -111,6 +111,7 @@ function vxlan_configure_do($verbose = false, $device = null)
                 }
             }
         }
+
         // gather settings, detect changes
         $ifcnfcmd = '/sbin/ifconfig %s';
         $ifcnfcmdp = array($device_name);
@@ -135,13 +136,13 @@ function vxlan_configure_do($verbose = false, $device = null)
                 $ifcnfcmdp[] = $value;
             }
             if (isset($current_settings[$param]) && $current_settings[$param] != $value) {
+                // need to bring existing down to apply changes
+                mwexecf('/sbin/ifconfig %s down', [$device_name]);
                 $isChanged = true;
             }
         }
 
-        // The device will be busy, first bring it down, apply changes, then bring it back up
         if ($isChanged) {
-            mwexecf('/sbin/ifconfig %s down', [$device_name]);
             mwexecf($ifcnfcmd . ' up', $ifcnfcmdp);
             $changed_devices[] = $device_name;
         }