diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 89af928841..89d7f9eac4 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -829,6 +829,18 @@ build_rtnl_link (int ifindex, const char *name, NMLinkType type)
 static gboolean
 link_add (NMPlatform *platform, const char *name, NMLinkType type)
 {
+	if (type == NM_LINK_TYPE_BOND) {
+		/* When the kernel loads the bond module, either via explicit modprobe
+		 * or automatically in response to creating a bond master, it will also
+		 * create a 'bond0' interface.  Since the bond we're about to create may
+		 * or may not be named 'bond0' prevent potential confusion about a bond
+		 * that the user didn't want by telling the bonding module not to create
+		 * bond0 automatically.
+		 */
+		if (!g_file_test ("/sys/class/net/bonding_masters", G_FILE_TEST_EXISTS))
+			system ("modprobe bonding max_bonds=0");
+	}
+
 	return add_object (platform, build_rtnl_link (0, name, type));
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/test-link.c b/src/platform/tests/test-link.c
index 049dc97d98..c5a8ef6729 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/test-link.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/test-link.c
@@ -107,7 +107,18 @@ virtual_add (NMLinkType link_type, const char *name, SignalData *link_added, Sig
 	case NM_LINK_TYPE_BRIDGE:
 		return nm_platform_bridge_add (name);
 	case NM_LINK_TYPE_BOND:
-		return nm_platform_bond_add (name);
+		{
+			gboolean bond0_exists = nm_platform_link_exists ("bond0");
+			gboolean result = nm_platform_bond_add (name);
+			NMPlatformError error = nm_platform_get_error ();
+
+			/* Check that bond0 is *not* automatically created. */
+			if (!bond0_exists)
+				g_assert (!nm_platform_link_exists ("bond0"));
+
+			nm_platform_set_error (error);
+			return result;
+		}
 	case NM_LINK_TYPE_TEAM:
 		return nm_platform_team_add (name);
 	default: