diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/compat.h b/kernel/linux/kni/compat.h
index fe0ee55e7..e0a491bcd 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/compat.h
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/compat.h
@@ -61,10 +61,6 @@
 #define kni_sock_map_fd(s) sock_map_fd(s, 0)
 #endif
 
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(3, 9, 0)
-#define HAVE_CHANGE_CARRIER_CB
-#endif
-
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 14, 0)
 #define ether_addr_copy(dst, src) memcpy(dst, src, ETH_ALEN)
 #endif
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
index aeb275329..fa87bbf41 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
@@ -462,6 +462,50 @@ kni_ioctl_release(struct net *net, uint32_t ioctl_num,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int
+kni_ioctl_link(struct net *net, uint32_t ioctl_num,
+		unsigned long ioctl_param)
+{
+	struct kni_net *knet = net_generic(net, kni_net_id);
+	int ret = -EINVAL;
+	struct kni_dev *dev, *n;
+	struct rte_kni_link_info link_info;
+	struct net_device *netdev;
+
+	if (_IOC_SIZE(ioctl_num) > sizeof(link_info))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	ret = copy_from_user(&link_info, (void *)ioctl_param,
+			     sizeof(link_info));
+	if (ret) {
+		pr_err("copy_from_user in kni_ioctl_link");
+		return -EIO;
+	}
+
+	if (strlen(link_info.name) == 0)
+		return ret;
+
+	down_read(&knet->kni_list_lock);
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(dev, n, &knet->kni_list_head, list) {
+		if (strncmp(dev->name, link_info.name, RTE_KNI_NAMESIZE) != 0)
+			continue;
+
+		netdev = dev->net_dev;
+
+		if (link_info.linkup) {
+			netif_carrier_on(netdev);
+		} else {
+			netif_carrier_off(netdev);
+		}
+
+		ret = 0;
+		break;
+	}
+	up_read(&knet->kni_list_lock);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int
 kni_ioctl(struct inode *inode, uint32_t ioctl_num, unsigned long ioctl_param)
 {
@@ -483,6 +527,9 @@ kni_ioctl(struct inode *inode, uint32_t ioctl_num, unsigned long ioctl_param)
 	case _IOC_NR(RTE_KNI_IOCTL_RELEASE):
 		ret = kni_ioctl_release(net, ioctl_num, ioctl_param);
 		break;
+	case _IOC_NR(RTE_KNI_IOCTL_LINK):
+		ret = kni_ioctl_link(net, ioctl_num, ioctl_param);
+		break;
 	default:
 		pr_debug("IOCTL default\n");
 		break;
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_net.c b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_net.c
index 7bd3a9f1e..cd852eea3 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_net.c
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_net.c
@@ -706,18 +706,6 @@ kni_net_set_mac(struct net_device *netdev, void *p)
 	return (ret == 0 ? req.result : ret);
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_CHANGE_CARRIER_CB
-static int
-kni_net_change_carrier(struct net_device *dev, bool new_carrier)
-{
-	if (new_carrier)
-		netif_carrier_on(dev);
-	else
-		netif_carrier_off(dev);
-	return 0;
-}
-#endif
-
 static const struct header_ops kni_net_header_ops = {
 	.create  = kni_net_header,
 	.parse   = eth_header_parse,
@@ -736,9 +724,6 @@ static const struct net_device_ops kni_net_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_change_mtu = kni_net_change_mtu,
 	.ndo_tx_timeout = kni_net_tx_timeout,
 	.ndo_set_mac_address = kni_net_set_mac,
-#ifdef HAVE_CHANGE_CARRIER_CB
-	.ndo_change_carrier = kni_net_change_carrier,
-#endif
 };
 
 static void kni_get_drvinfo(struct net_device *dev,
diff --git a/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal/include/rte_kni_common.h b/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal/include/rte_kni_common.h
index 70992d835..07a10dd93 100644
--- a/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal/include/rte_kni_common.h
+++ b/lib/librte_eal/linux/eal/include/rte_kni_common.h
@@ -125,10 +125,16 @@ struct rte_kni_device_info {
 	uint8_t mac_addr[6];
 };
 
+struct rte_kni_link_info {
+	char name[RTE_KNI_NAMESIZE];
+	unsigned int linkup;
+};
+
 #define KNI_DEVICE "kni"
 
 #define RTE_KNI_IOCTL_TEST    _IOWR(0, 1, int)
 #define RTE_KNI_IOCTL_CREATE  _IOWR(0, 2, struct rte_kni_device_info)
 #define RTE_KNI_IOCTL_RELEASE _IOWR(0, 3, struct rte_kni_device_info)
+#define RTE_KNI_IOCTL_LINK    _IOWR(0, 4, struct rte_kni_link_info)
 
 #endif /* _RTE_KNI_COMMON_H_ */
diff --git a/lib/librte_kni/rte_kni.c b/lib/librte_kni/rte_kni.c
index 521db27c4..bdea03d5c 100644
--- a/lib/librte_kni/rte_kni.c
+++ b/lib/librte_kni/rte_kni.c
@@ -738,36 +738,20 @@ rte_kni_update_link(struct rte_kni *kni, unsigned int linkup)
 	const char *new_carrier;
 	int old_linkup;
 	int fd, ret;
+	struct rte_kni_link_info link_info;
 
 	if (kni == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/devices/virtual/net/%s/carrier",
-		kni->name);
+	snprintf(link_info.name, RTE_KNI_NAMESIZE, "%s", kni->name);
+	link_info.linkup = linkup;
 
-	fd = open(path, O_RDWR);
-	if (fd == -1) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, KNI, "Failed to open file: %s.\n", path);
+	if (ioctl(kni_fd, RTE_KNI_IOCTL_LINK, &link_info) < 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, KNI, "Fail to update KNI link\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	ret = read(fd, old_carrier, 2);
-	if (ret < 1) {
-		close(fd);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	old_linkup = (old_carrier[0] == '1');
-
-	new_carrier = linkup ? "1" : "0";
-	ret = write(fd, new_carrier, 1);
-	if (ret < 1) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, KNI, "Failed to write file: %s.\n", path);
-		close(fd);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	close(fd);
-	return old_linkup;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/lib/librte_kni/rte_kni.h b/lib/librte_kni/rte_kni.h
index b22446fa7..7e1cce1e0 100644
--- a/lib/librte_kni/rte_kni.h
+++ b/lib/librte_kni/rte_kni.h
@@ -247,9 +247,8 @@ int rte_kni_unregister_handlers(struct rte_kni *kni);
  *  > 0 for linkup.
  *
  * @return
+ *  On success: 0
  *  On failure: -1
- *  Previous link state == linkdown: 0
- *  Previous link state == linkup: 1
  */
 __rte_experimental
 int
