diff --git a/test/610_proxy_wait_for_weave_test.sh b/test/610_proxy_wait_for_weave_test.sh
index 7525d4e0..a89edaf7 100755
--- a/test/610_proxy_wait_for_weave_test.sh
+++ b/test/610_proxy_wait_for_weave_test.sh
@@ -6,15 +6,26 @@ entrypoint() {
   docker_on $HOST1 inspect --format="{{.Config.Entrypoint}}" "$@"
 }
 
+check_iface_ready() {
+    assert_raises "proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e 'WEAVE_CIDR=$1' $BASE_IMAGE $CHECK_ETHWE_UP"
+    assert_raises "proxy docker_on $HOST1 run -e 'WEAVE_CIDR=$1' $BASE_IMAGE ip -4 -o addr show ethwe | grep -q '$1'"
+}
+
 start_suite "Proxy waits for weave to be ready before running container commands"
-weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy
+
 BASE_IMAGE=busybox
 # Ensure the base image does not exist, so that it will be pulled
 ! docker_on $HOST1 inspect --format=" " $BASE_IMAGE >/dev/null 2>&1 || docker_on $HOST1 rmi $BASE_IMAGE
 
-assert_raises "proxy docker_on $HOST1 run --name c1 -e 'WEAVE_CIDR=10.2.1.1/24' $BASE_IMAGE $CHECK_ETHWE_UP"
+# check that interface is ready, with and without --no-multicast-route
+weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy --no-multicast-route
+check_iface_ready 10.2.1.1/24
+weave_on $HOST1 stop-proxy
+weave_on $HOST1 launch-proxy
+check_iface_ready 10.2.1.1/24
 
 # Check committed containers only have one weavewait prepended
+proxy_start_container $HOST1 --name c1 -e 'WEAVE_CIDR=10.2.1.1/24'
 COMMITTED_IMAGE=$(proxy docker_on $HOST1 commit c1)
 assert_raises "proxy docker_on $HOST1 run --name c2 $COMMITTED_IMAGE"
 assert "entrypoint c2" "$(entrypoint $COMMITTED_IMAGE)"
diff --git a/weave b/weave
index 0bbf4faa..41a015b8 100755
--- a/weave
+++ b/weave
@@ -776,11 +776,11 @@ connect_container_to_bridge() {
     # veth pair in the 'up' or 'down' state.  Furthermore, moving one
     # end into a netns normally sets them to 'down'.  But, moving an
     # end into the default netns is a null operation, so they stay up,
-    # which leads to errors later on.  So to get a consistent result,
-    # we have to be explicit in setting them 'up' or 'down' as
-    # necessary.
+    # which leads to errors in 'set name' since that requires the
+    # interface to be down. So to get a consistent result, we set the
+    # interface 'down' to begin with.
     if ! netnsenter ip link set $GUEST_IFNAME down ||
-       ! netnsenter ip link set $GUEST_IFNAME name $1 up ||
+       ! netnsenter ip link set $GUEST_IFNAME name $1 ||
        ! ip link set $LOCAL_IFNAME up ||
        ! add_iface_$BRIDGE_TYPE $LOCAL_IFNAME ||
        ! configure_arp_cache $1 "netnsenter" ; then