diff --git a/api/v1/helper.go b/api/v1/helper.go
index ab012ccdd..8e830c307 100644
--- a/api/v1/helper.go
+++ b/api/v1/helper.go
@@ -273,7 +273,7 @@ func NeedToUpdateSriov(ifaceSpec *Interface, ifaceStatus *InterfaceExt) bool {
 		return true
 	}
 
-	if ifaceStatus.LinkAdminState == "down" {
+	if ifaceStatus.LinkAdminState == consts.LinkAdminStateDown {
 		log.V(2).Info("NeedToUpdateSriov(): PF link status needs update", "desired to include", "up", "current", ifaceStatus.LinkAdminState)
 		return true
 	}
diff --git a/pkg/consts/constants.go b/pkg/consts/constants.go
index 3123107a8..7ae5ab41a 100644
--- a/pkg/consts/constants.go
+++ b/pkg/consts/constants.go
@@ -43,6 +43,9 @@ const (
 	LinkTypeIB  = "IB"
 	LinkTypeETH = "ETH"
 
+	LinkAdminStateUp   = "up"
+	LinkAdminStateDown = "down"
+
 	UninitializedNodeGUID = "0000:0000:0000:0000"
 
 	DeviceTypeVfioPci   = "vfio-pci"
diff --git a/pkg/host/internal/lib/netlink/mock/mock_netlink.go b/pkg/host/internal/lib/netlink/mock/mock_netlink.go
index 882be4942..e3e7d649f 100644
--- a/pkg/host/internal/lib/netlink/mock/mock_netlink.go
+++ b/pkg/host/internal/lib/netlink/mock/mock_netlink.go
@@ -145,6 +145,20 @@ func (mr *MockNetlinkLibMockRecorder) DevlinkSetDeviceParam(bus, device, param,
 	return mr.mock.ctrl.RecordCallWithMethodType(mr.mock, "DevlinkSetDeviceParam", reflect.TypeOf((*MockNetlinkLib)(nil).DevlinkSetDeviceParam), bus, device, param, cmode, value)
 }
 
+// IsLinkAdminStateUp mocks base method.
+func (m *MockNetlinkLib) IsLinkAdminStateUp(link netlink.Link) bool {
+	m.ctrl.T.Helper()
+	ret := m.ctrl.Call(m, "IsLinkAdminStateUp", link)
+	ret0, _ := ret[0].(bool)
+	return ret0
+}
+
+// IsLinkAdminStateUp indicates an expected call of IsLinkAdminStateUp.
+func (mr *MockNetlinkLibMockRecorder) IsLinkAdminStateUp(link interface{}) *gomock.Call {
+	mr.mock.ctrl.T.Helper()
+	return mr.mock.ctrl.RecordCallWithMethodType(mr.mock, "IsLinkAdminStateUp", reflect.TypeOf((*MockNetlinkLib)(nil).IsLinkAdminStateUp), link)
+}
+
 // LinkByName mocks base method.
 func (m *MockNetlinkLib) LinkByName(name string) (netlink.Link, error) {
 	m.ctrl.T.Helper()
diff --git a/pkg/host/internal/lib/netlink/netlink.go b/pkg/host/internal/lib/netlink/netlink.go
index 19980400d..95b620bba 100644
--- a/pkg/host/internal/lib/netlink/netlink.go
+++ b/pkg/host/internal/lib/netlink/netlink.go
@@ -61,6 +61,8 @@ type NetlinkLib interface {
 	// RdmaLinkByName finds a link by name and returns a pointer to the object if
 	// found and nil error, otherwise returns error code.
 	RdmaLinkByName(name string) (*netlink.RdmaLink, error)
+	// IsLinkAdminStateUp checks if the admin state of a link is up
+	IsLinkAdminStateUp(link Link) bool
 }
 
 type libWrapper struct{}
@@ -151,3 +153,8 @@ func (w *libWrapper) DevlinkSetDeviceParam(bus string, device string, param stri
 func (w *libWrapper) RdmaLinkByName(name string) (*netlink.RdmaLink, error) {
 	return netlink.RdmaLinkByName(name)
 }
+
+// IsLinkAdminStateUp checks if the admin state of a link is up
+func (w *libWrapper) IsLinkAdminStateUp(link Link) bool {
+	return link.Attrs().Flags&net.FlagUp == 1
+}
diff --git a/pkg/host/internal/network/network.go b/pkg/host/internal/network/network.go
index 370d03e6d..5c026f217 100644
--- a/pkg/host/internal/network/network.go
+++ b/pkg/host/internal/network/network.go
@@ -4,7 +4,6 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io/fs"
-	"net"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
@@ -375,9 +374,9 @@ func (n *network) GetNetDevLinkAdminState(ifaceName string) string {
 		return ""
 	}
 
-	if link.Attrs().Flags&net.FlagUp == 0 {
-		return "down"
+	if n.netlinkLib.IsLinkAdminStateUp(link) {
+		return consts.LinkAdminStateUp
 	}
 
-	return "up"
+	return consts.LinkAdminStateDown
 }
diff --git a/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov.go b/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov.go
index 0f0e60624..ecc5ca48e 100644
--- a/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov.go
+++ b/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package sriov
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
-	"net"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"strconv"
@@ -574,7 +573,7 @@ func (s *sriov) configSriovDevice(iface *sriovnetworkv1.Interface, skipVFConfigu
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
-	if pfLink.Attrs().Flags&net.FlagUp == 0 {
+	if !s.netlinkLib.IsLinkAdminStateUp(pfLink) {
 		err = s.netlinkLib.LinkSetUp(pfLink)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
diff --git a/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov_test.go b/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov_test.go
index 15faebe9c..92b79604e 100644
--- a/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov_test.go
+++ b/pkg/host/internal/sriov/sriov_test.go
@@ -120,7 +120,8 @@ var _ = Describe("SRIOV", func() {
 			dputilsLibMock.EXPECT().GetVFList("0000:d8:00.0").Return([]string{"0000:d8:00.2", "0000:d8:00.3"}, nil)
 			pfLinkMock := netlinkMockPkg.NewMockLink(testCtrl)
 			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().LinkByName("enp216s0f0np0").Return(pfLinkMock, nil).Times(3)
-			pfLinkMock.EXPECT().Attrs().Return(&netlink.LinkAttrs{OperState: netlink.OperDown, EncapType: "ether"}).Times(2)
+			pfLinkMock.EXPECT().Attrs().Return(&netlink.LinkAttrs{Flags: 0, EncapType: "ether"})
+			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().IsLinkAdminStateUp(pfLinkMock).Return(false)
 			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().LinkSetUp(pfLinkMock).Return(nil)
 
 			dputilsLibMock.EXPECT().GetVFID("0000:d8:00.2").Return(0, nil).Times(2)
@@ -187,7 +188,7 @@ var _ = Describe("SRIOV", func() {
 			dputilsLibMock.EXPECT().GetVFList("0000:d8:00.0").Return([]string{"0000:d8:00.2"}, nil)
 			pfLinkMock := netlinkMockPkg.NewMockLink(testCtrl)
 			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().LinkByName("enp216s0f0np0").Return(pfLinkMock, nil).Times(2)
-			pfLinkMock.EXPECT().Attrs().Return(&netlink.LinkAttrs{OperState: netlink.OperDown})
+			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().IsLinkAdminStateUp(pfLinkMock).Return(false)
 			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().LinkSetUp(pfLinkMock).Return(nil)
 
 			dputilsLibMock.EXPECT().GetVFID("0000:d8:00.2").Return(0, nil).Times(2)
@@ -240,7 +241,7 @@ var _ = Describe("SRIOV", func() {
 			dputilsLibMock.EXPECT().GetVFList("0000:d8:00.0").Return([]string{"0000:d8:00.2"}, nil).Times(2)
 			pfLinkMock := netlinkMockPkg.NewMockLink(testCtrl)
 			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().LinkByName("enp216s0f0np0").Return(pfLinkMock, nil).Times(2)
-			pfLinkMock.EXPECT().Attrs().Return(&netlink.LinkAttrs{OperState: netlink.OperDown})
+			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().IsLinkAdminStateUp(pfLinkMock).Return(false)
 			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().LinkSetUp(pfLinkMock).Return(nil)
 			netlinkLibMock.EXPECT().DevLinkGetDeviceByName("pci", "0000:d8:00.0").Return(&netlink.DevlinkDevice{
 				Attrs: netlink.DevlinkDevAttrs{Eswitch: netlink.DevlinkDevEswitchAttr{Mode: "legacy"}}}, nil).Times(2)