diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 1b547d97a8..c62d36d56f 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -941,9 +941,10 @@ init_link (NMPlatform *platform, NMPlatformLink *info, struct rtnl_link *rtnllin
 		info->name[0] = '\0';
 	info->type = link_extract_type (platform, rtnllink);
 	info->kind = g_intern_string (rtnl_link_get_type (rtnllink));
-	info->up = !!(rtnl_link_get_flags (rtnllink) & IFF_UP);
-	info->connected = !!(rtnl_link_get_flags (rtnllink) & IFF_LOWER_UP);
-	info->arp = !(rtnl_link_get_flags (rtnllink) & IFF_NOARP);
+	info->flags = rtnl_link_get_flags (rtnllink);
+	info->up = NM_FLAGS_HAS (info->flags, IFF_UP);
+	info->connected = NM_FLAGS_HAS (info->flags, IFF_LOWER_UP);
+	info->arp = !NM_FLAGS_HAS (info->flags, IFF_NOARP);
 	info->master = rtnl_link_get_master (rtnllink);
 	info->parent = rtnl_link_get_link (rtnllink);
 	info->mtu = rtnl_link_get_mtu (rtnllink);
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
index c873b6aa48..19587eeb36 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
@@ -2440,6 +2440,7 @@ nm_platform_link_to_string (const NMPlatformLink *link)
 {
 	char master[20];
 	char parent[20];
+	char str_flags[64];
 	char *driver, *udi;
 	GString *str;
 
@@ -2456,6 +2457,11 @@ nm_platform_link_to_string (const NMPlatformLink *link)
 	if (link->connected)
 		g_string_append (str, ",LOWER_UP");
 
+	if (link->flags) {
+		rtnl_link_flags2str (link->flags, str_flags, sizeof (str_flags));
+		g_string_append_printf (str, ";%s", str_flags);
+	}
+
 	if (link->master)
 		g_snprintf (master, sizeof (master), " master %d", link->master);
 	else
@@ -2763,6 +2769,7 @@ nm_platform_link_cmp (const NMPlatformLink *a, const NMPlatformLink *b)
 	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, master);
 	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, parent);
 	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, up);
+	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, flags);
 	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, connected);
 	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, arp);
 	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, mtu);
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.h b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
index 3e3aafb5db..bb558699c7 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.h
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
@@ -100,9 +100,21 @@ struct _NMPlatformLink {
 	gboolean initialized;
 	int master;
 	int parent;
+
+	/* IFF_* flags as u32. Note that ifi_flags in 'struct ifinfomsg' is declared as 'unsigned',
+	 * but libnl stores the flag internally as u32.  */
+	guint32 flags;
+
+	/* FIXME: @up is redundant to (@flags & IFF_UP) */
 	gboolean up;
+
+	/* @connected is mostly identical to (@flags & IFF_UP). Except for bridge/bond masters,
+	 * where we coerce the link as disconnect if it has no slaves. */
 	gboolean connected;
+
+	/* FIXME: @arp is redundant to !(@flags & IFF_NOARP) */
 	gboolean arp;
+
 	guint mtu;
 };