diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
index 99aa0aff2c..eb7f5ad6fd 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
@@ -444,7 +444,7 @@ nm_device_bridge_new_for_connection (NMConnection *connection)
 	iface = nm_connection_get_virtual_iface_name (connection);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (iface != NULL, NULL);
 
-	if (   !nm_platform_bridge_add (iface)
+	if (   !nm_platform_bridge_add (iface, NULL, 0)
 	    && nm_platform_get_error () != NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_EXISTS) {
 		nm_log_warn (LOGD_DEVICE | LOGD_BRIDGE, "(%s): failed to create bridge master interface for '%s': %s",
 		             iface, nm_connection_get_id (connection),
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
index 2da3181fe0..dce98d8a9b 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
@@ -185,7 +185,7 @@ link_added_emit (gpointer user_data)
 }
 
 static gboolean
-link_add (NMPlatform *platform, const char *name, NMLinkType type)
+link_add (NMPlatform *platform, const char *name, NMLinkType type, const void *address, size_t address_len)
 {
 	NMFakePlatformPrivate *priv = NM_FAKE_PLATFORM_GET_PRIVATE (platform);
 	NMFakePlatformLink device;
@@ -600,7 +600,7 @@ vlan_add (NMPlatform *platform, const char *name, int parent, int vlan_id, guint
 {
 	NMFakePlatformLink *device;
 
-	if (!link_add (platform, name, NM_LINK_TYPE_VLAN))
+	if (!link_add (platform, name, NM_LINK_TYPE_VLAN, NULL, 0))
 		return FALSE;
 
 	device = link_get (platform, link_get_ifindex (platform, name));
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@ infiniband_partition_add (NMPlatform *platform, int parent, int p_key)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (parent_device != NULL, FALSE);
 
 	name = g_strdup_printf ("%s.%04x", parent_device->link.name, p_key);
-	success = link_add (platform, name, NM_LINK_TYPE_INFINIBAND);
+	success = link_add (platform, name, NM_LINK_TYPE_INFINIBAND, NULL, 0);
 	g_free (name);
 
 	return success;
@@ -1232,15 +1232,15 @@ static gboolean
 setup (NMPlatform *platform)
 {
 	/* skip zero element */
-	link_add (platform, NULL, NM_LINK_TYPE_NONE);
+	link_add (platform, NULL, NM_LINK_TYPE_NONE, NULL, 0);
 
 	/* add loopback interface */
-	link_add (platform, "lo", NM_LINK_TYPE_LOOPBACK);
+	link_add (platform, "lo", NM_LINK_TYPE_LOOPBACK, NULL, 0);
 
 	/* add some ethernets */
-	link_add (platform, "eth0", NM_LINK_TYPE_ETHERNET);
-	link_add (platform, "eth1", NM_LINK_TYPE_ETHERNET);
-	link_add (platform, "eth2", NM_LINK_TYPE_ETHERNET);
+	link_add (platform, "eth0", NM_LINK_TYPE_ETHERNET, NULL, 0);
+	link_add (platform, "eth1", NM_LINK_TYPE_ETHERNET, NULL, 0);
+	link_add (platform, "eth2", NM_LINK_TYPE_ETHERNET, NULL, 0);
 
 	return TRUE;
 }
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 9b98bda051..3d7c307fb0 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -1871,9 +1871,10 @@ build_rtnl_link (int ifindex, const char *name, NMLinkType type)
 }
 
 static gboolean
-link_add (NMPlatform *platform, const char *name, NMLinkType type)
+link_add (NMPlatform *platform, const char *name, NMLinkType type, const void *address, size_t address_len)
 {
 	int r;
+	struct nl_object *link;
 
 	if (type == NM_LINK_TYPE_BOND) {
 		/* When the kernel loads the bond module, either via explicit modprobe
@@ -1891,7 +1892,15 @@ link_add (NMPlatform *platform, const char *name, NMLinkType type)
 	debug ("link: add link '%s' of type '%s' (%d)",
 	       name, type_to_string (type), (int) type);
 
-	return add_object (platform, build_rtnl_link (0, name, type));
+	link = build_rtnl_link (0, name, type);
+
+	g_assert ( (address != NULL) ^ (address_len == 0) );
+	if (address) {
+		auto_nl_addr struct nl_addr *nladdr = _nm_nl_addr_build (AF_LLC, address, address_len);
+
+		rtnl_link_set_addr ((struct rtnl_link *) link, nladdr);
+	}
+	return add_object (platform, link);
 }
 
 static struct rtnl_link *
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
index 64802212ec..daa023ffdd 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
@@ -443,18 +443,21 @@ nm_platform_link_get_all (void)
  * nm_platform_link_add:
  * @name: Interface name
  * @type: Interface type
+ * @address: (allow-none): set the mac address of the link
+ * @address_len: the length of the @address
  *
  * Add a software interface. Sets platform->error to NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_EXISTS
  * if interface is already already exists.  Any link-added signal will be
  * emitted from an idle handler and not within this function.
  */
 static gboolean
-nm_platform_link_add (const char *name, NMLinkType type)
+nm_platform_link_add (const char *name, NMLinkType type, const void *address, size_t address_len)
 {
 	reset_error ();
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (name, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (klass->link_add, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail ( (address != NULL) ^ (address_len == 0) , FALSE);
 
 	if (nm_platform_link_exists (name)) {
 		debug ("link: already exists");
@@ -462,7 +465,7 @@ nm_platform_link_add (const char *name, NMLinkType type)
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
-	return klass->link_add (platform, name, type);
+	return klass->link_add (platform, name, type, address, address_len);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -477,7 +480,7 @@ nm_platform_dummy_add (const char *name)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (name, FALSE);
 
 	debug ("link: adding dummy '%s'", name);
-	return nm_platform_link_add (name, NM_LINK_TYPE_DUMMY);
+	return nm_platform_link_add (name, NM_LINK_TYPE_DUMMY, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -985,14 +988,16 @@ nm_platform_link_get_master (int slave)
 /**
  * nm_platform_bridge_add:
  * @name: New interface name
+ * @address: (allow-none): set the mac address of the new bridge
+ * @address_len: the length of the @address
  *
  * Create a software bridge.
  */
 gboolean
-nm_platform_bridge_add (const char *name)
+nm_platform_bridge_add (const char *name, const void *address, size_t address_len)
 {
 	debug ("link: adding bridge '%s'", name);
-	return nm_platform_link_add (name, NM_LINK_TYPE_BRIDGE);
+	return nm_platform_link_add (name, NM_LINK_TYPE_BRIDGE, address, address_len);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1005,7 +1010,7 @@ gboolean
 nm_platform_bond_add (const char *name)
 {
 	debug ("link: adding bond '%s'", name);
-	return nm_platform_link_add (name, NM_LINK_TYPE_BOND);
+	return nm_platform_link_add (name, NM_LINK_TYPE_BOND, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -1018,7 +1023,7 @@ gboolean
 nm_platform_team_add (const char *name)
 {
 	debug ("link: adding team '%s'", name);
-	return nm_platform_link_add (name, NM_LINK_TYPE_TEAM);
+	return nm_platform_link_add (name, NM_LINK_TYPE_TEAM, NULL, 0);
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.h b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
index 28800f895e..2353e6aab5 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.h
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
@@ -347,7 +347,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	char * (*sysctl_get) (NMPlatform *, const char *path);
 
 	GArray *(*link_get_all) (NMPlatform *);
-	gboolean (*link_add) (NMPlatform *, const char *name, NMLinkType type);
+	gboolean (*link_add) (NMPlatform *, const char *name, NMLinkType type, const void *address, size_t address_len);
 	gboolean (*link_delete) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex);
 	int (*link_get_ifindex) (NMPlatform *, const char *name);
 	const char *(*link_get_name) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex);
@@ -479,7 +479,7 @@ gint64 nm_platform_sysctl_get_int_checked (const char *path, guint base, gint64
 
 GArray *nm_platform_link_get_all (void);
 gboolean nm_platform_dummy_add (const char *name);
-gboolean nm_platform_bridge_add (const char *name);
+gboolean nm_platform_bridge_add (const char *name, const void *address, size_t address_len);
 gboolean nm_platform_bond_add (const char *name);
 gboolean nm_platform_team_add (const char *name);
 gboolean nm_platform_link_exists (const char *name);
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/platform.c b/src/platform/tests/platform.c
index cd42c566f0..1802ac2c08 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/platform.c
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ do_dummy_add (char **argv)
 static gboolean
 do_bridge_add (char **argv)
 {
-	return nm_platform_bridge_add (argv[0]);
+	return nm_platform_bridge_add (argv[0], NULL, 0);
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/test-link.c b/src/platform/tests/test-link.c
index 2be4b5f19f..1767d3c874 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/test-link.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/test-link.c
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ software_add (NMLinkType link_type, const char *name)
 	case NM_LINK_TYPE_DUMMY:
 		return nm_platform_dummy_add (name);
 	case NM_LINK_TYPE_BRIDGE:
-		return nm_platform_bridge_add (name);
+		return nm_platform_bridge_add (name, NULL, 0);
 	case NM_LINK_TYPE_BOND:
 		{
 			gboolean bond0_exists = nm_platform_link_exists ("bond0");
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ software_add (NMLinkType link_type, const char *name)
 
 		/* Don't call link_callback for the bridge interface */
 		parent_added = add_signal_ifname (NM_PLATFORM_SIGNAL_LINK_CHANGED, NM_PLATFORM_SIGNAL_ADDED, link_callback, PARENT_NAME);
-		if (nm_platform_bridge_add (PARENT_NAME))
+		if (nm_platform_bridge_add (PARENT_NAME, NULL, 0))
 			wait_signal (parent_added);
 		free_signal (parent_added);