diff --git a/net/bridge.go b/net/bridge.go
index acd2f1a9..e6fb747c 100644
--- a/net/bridge.go
+++ b/net/bridge.go
@@ -460,9 +460,9 @@ func configureIPTables(config *BridgeConfig, ips ipset.Interface) error {
 	if config.NPC {
 		// Steer traffic via the NPC.
 
-		// Ignore error because chains might already exist
-		_ = ipt.NewChain("filter", npc.MainChain)
-		_ = ipt.NewChain("filter", npc.EgressChain)
+		if err = ensureChains(ipt, "filter", npc.MainChain, npc.EgressChain); err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
 
 		// Steer egress traffic destined to local node.
 		if err = ipt.AppendUnique("filter", "INPUT", "-i", config.WeaveBridgeName, "-j", npc.EgressChain); err != nil {
@@ -584,43 +584,6 @@ func linkSetUpByName(linkName string) error {
 	return netlink.LinkSetUp(link)
 }
 
-// ensureRulesAtTop ensures the presence of given iptables rules.
-//
-// If any rule from the list is missing, the function deletes all given
-// rules and re-inserts them at the top of the chain to ensure the order of the rules.
-func ensureRulesAtTop(table, chain string, rulespecs [][]string, ipt *iptables.IPTables) error {
-	allFound := true
-
-	for _, rs := range rulespecs {
-		found, err := ipt.Exists(table, chain, rs...)
-		if err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "ipt.Exists(%s, %s, %s)", table, chain, rs)
-		}
-		if !found {
-			allFound = false
-			break
-		}
-	}
-
-	// All rules exist, do nothing.
-	if allFound {
-		return nil
-	}
-
-	for pos, rs := range rulespecs {
-		// If any is missing, then delete all, as we need to preserve the order of
-		// given rules. Ignore errors, as rule might not exist.
-		if !allFound {
-			ipt.Delete(table, chain, rs...)
-		}
-		if err := ipt.Insert(table, chain, pos+1, rs...); err != nil {
-			return errors.Wrapf(err, "ipt.Append(%s, %s, %s)", table, chain, rs)
-		}
-	}
-
-	return nil
-}
-
 func reexpose(config *BridgeConfig, log *logrus.Logger) error {
 	// Get existing IP addrs of the weave bridge.
 	// If the bridge hasn't been exposed, then this functions does nothing.
diff --git a/net/iptables.go b/net/iptables.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..63d5a2ed
--- /dev/null
+++ b/net/iptables.go
@@ -0,0 +1,65 @@
+package net
+
+import (
+	"github.com/coreos/go-iptables/iptables"
+	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+)
+
+// ensureChains creates given chains if they do not exist.
+func ensureChains(ipt *iptables.IPTables, table string, chains ...string) error {
+	existingChains, err := ipt.ListChains(table)
+	if err != nil {
+		return errors.Wrapf(err, "ipt.ListChains(%s)", table)
+	}
+	chainMap := make(map[string]struct{})
+	for _, c := range existingChains {
+		chainMap[c] = struct{}{}
+	}
+
+	for _, c := range chains {
+		if _, found := chainMap[c]; !found {
+			if err := ipt.NewChain(table, c); err != nil {
+				return errors.Wrapf(err, "ipt.NewChain(%s, %s)", table, c)
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// ensureRulesAtTop ensures the presence of given iptables rules.
+//
+// If any rule from the list is missing, the function deletes all given
+// rules and re-inserts them at the top of the chain to ensure the order of the rules.
+func ensureRulesAtTop(table, chain string, rulespecs [][]string, ipt *iptables.IPTables) error {
+	allFound := true
+
+	for _, rs := range rulespecs {
+		found, err := ipt.Exists(table, chain, rs...)
+		if err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "ipt.Exists(%s, %s, %s)", table, chain, rs)
+		}
+		if !found {
+			allFound = false
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	// All rules exist, do nothing.
+	if allFound {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	for pos, rs := range rulespecs {
+		// If any is missing, then delete all, as we need to preserve the order of
+		// given rules. Ignore errors, as rule might not exist.
+		if !allFound {
+			ipt.Delete(table, chain, rs...)
+		}
+		if err := ipt.Insert(table, chain, pos+1, rs...); err != nil {
+			return errors.Wrapf(err, "ipt.Append(%s, %s, %s)", table, chain, rs)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}