diff --git a/plugins/main/host-device/host-device.go b/plugins/main/host-device/host-device.go
index eda1412df..06cdf8986 100644
--- a/plugins/main/host-device/host-device.go
+++ b/plugins/main/host-device/host-device.go
@@ -230,6 +230,10 @@ func moveLinkIn(hostDev netlink.Link, containerNs ns.NetNS, ifName string) (netl
 		if err := netlink.LinkSetName(contDev, ifName); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to rename device %q to %q: %v", hostDev.Attrs().Name, ifName, err)
 		}
+		// Bring container device up
+		if err = netlink.LinkSetUp(contDev); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to set %q up: %v", ifName, err)
+		}
 		// Retrieve link again to get up-to-date name and attributes
 		contDev, err = netlink.LinkByName(ifName)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -261,18 +265,22 @@ func moveLinkOut(containerNs ns.NetNS, ifName string) error {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to set %q down: %v", ifName, err)
 		}
 
-		// Rename device to it's original name
-		if err = netlink.LinkSetName(dev, dev.Attrs().Alias); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to restore %q to original name %q: %v", ifName, dev.Attrs().Alias, err)
-		}
 		defer func() {
+			// If moving the device to the host namespace fails, set its name back to ifName so that this
+			// function can be retried. Also bring the device back up, unless it was already down before.
 			if err != nil {
-				// if moving device to host namespace fails, we should revert device name
-				// to ifName to make sure that device can be found in retries
 				_ = netlink.LinkSetName(dev, ifName)
+				if dev.Attrs().Flags&net.FlagUp == net.FlagUp {
+					_ = netlink.LinkSetUp(dev)
+				}
 			}
 		}()
 
+		// Rename the device to its original name from the host namespace
+		if err = netlink.LinkSetName(dev, dev.Attrs().Alias); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("failed to restore %q to original name %q: %v", ifName, dev.Attrs().Alias, err)
+		}
+
 		if err = netlink.LinkSetNsFd(dev, int(defaultNs.Fd())); err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to move %q to host netns: %v", dev.Attrs().Alias, err)
 		}
diff --git a/plugins/main/host-device/host-device_test.go b/plugins/main/host-device/host-device_test.go
index 057a8560f..4bee50ef1 100644
--- a/plugins/main/host-device/host-device_test.go
+++ b/plugins/main/host-device/host-device_test.go
@@ -381,12 +381,13 @@ var _ = Describe("base functionality", func() {
 			t := newTesterByVersion(ver)
 			t.expectInterfaces(resI, cniName, origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr.String(), targetNS.Path())
 
-			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace
+			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace and is up
 			_ = targetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 				link, err := netlink.LinkByName(cniName)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(link.Attrs().HardwareAddr).To(Equal(origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr))
+				Expect(link.Attrs().Flags & net.FlagUp).To(Equal(net.FlagUp))
 				return nil
 			})
 
@@ -461,12 +462,13 @@ var _ = Describe("base functionality", func() {
 			t := newTesterByVersion(ver)
 			t.expectInterfaces(resI, cniName, origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr.String(), targetNS.Path())
 
-			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace
+			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace and is up
 			_ = targetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 				link, err := netlink.LinkByName(cniName)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(link.Attrs().HardwareAddr).To(Equal(origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr))
+				Expect(link.Attrs().Flags & net.FlagUp).To(Equal(net.FlagUp))
 				return nil
 			})
 
@@ -504,12 +506,13 @@ var _ = Describe("base functionality", func() {
 				return nil
 			})
 
-			// assert container interface "eth0" still exists in target namespace
+			// assert container interface "eth0" still exists in target namespace and is up
 			_ = targetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 				link, err := netlink.LinkByName(cniName)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(link.Attrs().HardwareAddr).To(Equal(origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr))
+				Expect(link.Attrs().Flags & net.FlagUp).To(Equal(net.FlagUp))
 				return nil
 			})
 
@@ -654,12 +657,13 @@ var _ = Describe("base functionality", func() {
 			t := newTesterByVersion(ver)
 			t.expectInterfaces(resI, cniName, origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr.String(), targetNS.Path())
 
-			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace
+			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace and is up
 			_ = targetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 				link, err := netlink.LinkByName(cniName)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(link.Attrs().HardwareAddr).To(Equal(origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr))
+				Expect(link.Attrs().Flags & net.FlagUp).To(Equal(net.FlagUp))
 
 				//get the IP address of the interface in the target namespace
 				addrs, err := netlink.AddrList(link, netlink.FAMILY_V4)
@@ -757,12 +761,13 @@ var _ = Describe("base functionality", func() {
 			t := newTesterByVersion(ver)
 			t.expectInterfaces(resI, cniName, origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr.String(), targetNS.Path())
 
-			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace
+			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace and is up
 			_ = targetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 				link, err := netlink.LinkByName(cniName)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(link.Attrs().HardwareAddr).To(Equal(origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr))
+				Expect(link.Attrs().Flags & net.FlagUp).To(Equal(net.FlagUp))
 				return nil
 			})
 
@@ -949,12 +954,13 @@ var _ = Describe("base functionality", func() {
 			t := newTesterByVersion(ver)
 			t.expectInterfaces(resI, cniName, origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr.String(), targetNS.Path())
 
-			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace
+			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace and is up
 			_ = targetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 				link, err := netlink.LinkByName(cniName)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(link.Attrs().HardwareAddr).To(Equal(origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr))
+				Expect(link.Attrs().Flags & net.FlagUp).To(Equal(net.FlagUp))
 
 				//get the IP address of the interface in the target namespace
 				addrs, err := netlink.AddrList(link, netlink.FAMILY_V4)
@@ -1063,12 +1069,13 @@ var _ = Describe("base functionality", func() {
 			t := newTesterByVersion(ver)
 			t.expectInterfaces(resI, cniName, origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr.String(), targetNS.Path())
 
-			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace
+			// assert that dummy0 is now in the target namespace and is up
 			_ = targetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 				link, err := netlink.LinkByName(cniName)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(link.Attrs().HardwareAddr).To(Equal(origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr))
+				Expect(link.Attrs().Flags & net.FlagUp).To(Equal(net.FlagUp))
 				return nil
 			})
 
@@ -1106,12 +1113,13 @@ var _ = Describe("base functionality", func() {
 				return nil
 			})
 
-			// assert container interface "eth0" still exists in target namespace
+			// assert container interface "eth0" still exists in target namespace and is up
 			err = targetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
 				defer GinkgoRecover()
 				link, err := netlink.LinkByName(cniName)
 				Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())
 				Expect(link.Attrs().HardwareAddr).To(Equal(origLink.Attrs().HardwareAddr))
+				Expect(link.Attrs().Flags & net.FlagUp).To(Equal(net.FlagUp))
 				return nil
 			})
 			Expect(err).NotTo(HaveOccurred())