diff --git a/app/test/test_kni.c b/app/test/test_kni.c
index 96733554b6c4..f9300552b3f6 100644
--- a/app/test/test_kni.c
+++ b/app/test/test_kni.c
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ kni_change_mtu(uint16_t port_id, unsigned int new_mtu)
 static int
 test_kni_link_change(void)
 {
+	struct rte_eth_link link;
 	int ret;
 	int pid;
 
@@ -135,42 +136,35 @@ test_kni_link_change(void)
 	}
 
 	if (pid == 0) {
+		link.link_speed = ETH_SPEED_NUM_10G;
+		link.link_duplex = ETH_LINK_FULL_DUPLEX;
+		link.link_autoneg = ETH_LINK_AUTONEG;
+
 		printf("Starting KNI Link status change tests.\n");
 		if (system(IFCONFIG TEST_KNI_PORT" up") == -1) {
 			ret = -1;
 			goto error;
 		}
 
-		ret = rte_kni_update_link(test_kni_ctx, 1);
+		link.link_status = ETH_LINK_UP;
+		ret = rte_kni_update_link(test_kni_ctx, &link);
 		if (ret < 0) {
 			printf("Failed to change link state to Up ret=%d.\n",
 				ret);
 			goto error;
 		}
 		rte_delay_ms(1000);
-		printf("KNI: Set LINKUP, previous state=%d\n", ret);
-
-		ret = rte_kni_update_link(test_kni_ctx, 0);
-		if (ret != 1) {
-			printf(
-		"Failed! Previous link state should be 1, returned %d.\n",
-				ret);
-			goto error;
-		}
-		rte_delay_ms(1000);
-		printf("KNI: Set LINKDOWN, previous state=%d\n", ret);
+		printf("KNI: Set LINKUP\n");
 
-		ret = rte_kni_update_link(test_kni_ctx, 1);
-		if (ret != 0) {
-			printf(
-		"Failed! Previous link state should be 0, returned %d.\n",
+		link.link_status = ETH_LINK_DOWN;
+		ret = rte_kni_update_link(test_kni_ctx, &link);
+		if (ret < 0) {
+			printf("Failed to change link state to Down ret=%d.\n",
 				ret);
 			goto error;
 		}
-		printf("KNI: Set LINKUP, previous state=%d\n", ret);
-
-		ret = 0;
 		rte_delay_ms(1000);
+		printf("KNI: Set LINKDOWN\n");
 
 error:
 		if (system(IFCONFIG TEST_KNI_PORT" down") == -1)
diff --git a/examples/kni/main.c b/examples/kni/main.c
index beabb3c848aa..5833037cf1c9 100644
--- a/examples/kni/main.c
+++ b/examples/kni/main.c
@@ -755,7 +755,7 @@ monitor_all_ports_link_status(void *arg)
 			}
 			for (i = 0; i < p[portid]->nb_kni; i++) {
 				prev = rte_kni_update_link(p[portid]->kni[i],
-						link.link_status);
+						&link);
 				log_link_state(p[portid]->kni[i], prev, &link);
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/compat.h b/kernel/linux/kni/compat.h
index 5f65640d5ed2..995d109c275a 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/compat.h
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/compat.h
@@ -61,10 +61,6 @@
 #define kni_sock_map_fd(s) sock_map_fd(s, 0)
 #endif
 
-#if LINUX_VERSION_CODE >= KERNEL_VERSION(3, 9, 0)
-#define HAVE_CHANGE_CARRIER_CB
-#endif
-
 #if LINUX_VERSION_CODE < KERNEL_VERSION(3, 14, 0)
 #define ether_addr_copy(dst, src) memcpy(dst, src, ETH_ALEN)
 #endif
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_dev.h b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_dev.h
index c15da311ba25..969108cc30f8 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_dev.h
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_dev.h
@@ -88,6 +88,11 @@ struct kni_dev {
 	void *alloc_va[MBUF_BURST_SZ];
 
 	struct task_struct *usr_tsk;
+
+	/* correct when netif_carrier_ok */
+	uint32_t speed;
+	uint8_t duplex;
+	uint8_t autoneg;
 };
 
 #ifdef HAVE_IOVA_TO_KVA_MAPPING_SUPPORT
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
index 2b464c438113..30ee69661935 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_misc.c
@@ -481,6 +481,50 @@ kni_ioctl_release(struct net *net, uint32_t ioctl_num,
 	return ret;
 }
 
+static int
+kni_ioctl_link(struct net *net, uint32_t ioctl_num,
+		unsigned long ioctl_param)
+{
+	struct kni_net *knet = net_generic(net, kni_net_id);
+	int ret = -EINVAL;
+	struct kni_dev *dev, *n;
+	struct rte_kni_link_info link_info;
+	struct net_device *netdev;
+
+	if (_IOC_SIZE(ioctl_num) > sizeof(link_info))
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	if (copy_from_user(&link_info, (void *)ioctl_param, sizeof(link_info)))
+		return -EFAULT;
+
+	if (strlen(link_info.name) == 0)
+		return -EINVAL;
+
+	down_read(&knet->kni_list_lock);
+	list_for_each_entry_safe(dev, n, &knet->kni_list_head, list) {
+		if (strncmp(dev->name, link_info.name, RTE_KNI_NAMESIZE) != 0)
+			continue;
+
+		netdev = dev->net_dev;
+
+		if (link_info.status) {
+			netif_carrier_on(netdev);
+
+			dev->speed = link_info.speed;
+			dev->duplex = link_info.duplex;
+			dev->autoneg = link_info.autoneg;
+		} else {
+			netif_carrier_off(netdev);
+		}
+
+		ret = 0;
+		break;
+	}
+	up_read(&knet->kni_list_lock);
+
+	return ret;
+}
+
 static int
 kni_ioctl(struct inode *inode, uint32_t ioctl_num, unsigned long ioctl_param)
 {
@@ -502,6 +546,9 @@ kni_ioctl(struct inode *inode, uint32_t ioctl_num, unsigned long ioctl_param)
 	case _IOC_NR(RTE_KNI_IOCTL_RELEASE):
 		ret = kni_ioctl_release(net, ioctl_num, ioctl_param);
 		break;
+	case _IOC_NR(RTE_KNI_IOCTL_LINK):
+		ret = kni_ioctl_link(net, ioctl_num, ioctl_param);
+		break;
 	default:
 		pr_debug("IOCTL default\n");
 		break;
diff --git a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_net.c b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_net.c
index 611719b5ee27..99da8d37dd6b 100644
--- a/kernel/linux/kni/kni_net.c
+++ b/kernel/linux/kni/kni_net.c
@@ -778,18 +778,6 @@ kni_net_set_mac(struct net_device *netdev, void *p)
 	return (ret == 0 ? req.result : ret);
 }
 
-#ifdef HAVE_CHANGE_CARRIER_CB
-static int
-kni_net_change_carrier(struct net_device *dev, bool new_carrier)
-{
-	if (new_carrier)
-		netif_carrier_on(dev);
-	else
-		netif_carrier_off(dev);
-	return 0;
-}
-#endif
-
 static const struct header_ops kni_net_header_ops = {
 	.create  = kni_net_header,
 	.parse   = eth_header_parse,
@@ -808,9 +796,6 @@ static const struct net_device_ops kni_net_netdev_ops = {
 	.ndo_change_mtu = kni_net_change_mtu,
 	.ndo_tx_timeout = kni_net_tx_timeout,
 	.ndo_set_mac_address = kni_net_set_mac,
-#ifdef HAVE_CHANGE_CARRIER_CB
-	.ndo_change_carrier = kni_net_change_carrier,
-#endif
 };
 
 static void kni_get_drvinfo(struct net_device *dev,
diff --git a/lib/kni/rte_kni.c b/lib/kni/rte_kni.c
index eb24b0d0ae4e..0a7b562abf11 100644
--- a/lib/kni/rte_kni.c
+++ b/lib/kni/rte_kni.c
@@ -784,43 +784,25 @@ rte_kni_unregister_handlers(struct rte_kni *kni)
 }
 
 int
-rte_kni_update_link(struct rte_kni *kni, unsigned int linkup)
+rte_kni_update_link(struct rte_kni *kni, struct rte_eth_link *link)
 {
-	char path[64];
-	char old_carrier[2];
-	const char *new_carrier;
-	int old_linkup;
-	int fd, ret;
+	struct rte_kni_link_info link_info;
 
 	if (kni == NULL)
 		return -1;
 
-	snprintf(path, sizeof(path), "/sys/devices/virtual/net/%s/carrier",
-		kni->name);
+	snprintf(link_info.name, RTE_KNI_NAMESIZE, "%s", kni->name);
+	link_info.speed = link->link_speed;
+	link_info.duplex = link->link_duplex;
+	link_info.autoneg = link->link_autoneg;
+	link_info.status = link->link_status;
 
-	fd = open(path, O_RDWR);
-	if (fd == -1) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, KNI, "Failed to open file: %s.\n", path);
+	if (ioctl(kni_fd, RTE_KNI_IOCTL_LINK, &link_info) < 0) {
+		RTE_LOG(ERR, KNI, "Fail to update KNI link\n");
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	ret = read(fd, old_carrier, 2);
-	if (ret < 1) {
-		close(fd);
-		return -1;
-	}
-	old_linkup = (old_carrier[0] == '1');
-
-	new_carrier = linkup ? "1" : "0";
-	ret = write(fd, new_carrier, 1);
-	if (ret < 1) {
-		RTE_LOG(ERR, KNI, "Failed to write file: %s.\n", path);
-		close(fd);
-		return -1;
-	}
-
-	close(fd);
-	return old_linkup;
+	return 0;
 }
 
 void
diff --git a/lib/kni/rte_kni.h b/lib/kni/rte_kni.h
index b0eaf4610416..ab5990fd210d 100644
--- a/lib/kni/rte_kni.h
+++ b/lib/kni/rte_kni.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include <rte_memory.h>
 #include <rte_mempool.h>
 #include <rte_ether.h>
+#include <rte_ethdev.h>
 
 #include <rte_kni_common.h>
 
@@ -245,18 +246,15 @@ int rte_kni_unregister_handlers(struct rte_kni *kni);
  * @param kni
  *  pointer to struct rte_kni.
  * @param linkup
- *  New link state:
- *  0 for linkdown.
- *  > 0 for linkup.
+ *  new link state, speed, duplex, autoneg.
  *
  * @return
+ *  On success: 0
  *  On failure: -1
- *  Previous link state == linkdown: 0
- *  Previous link state == linkup: 1
  */
 __rte_experimental
 int
-rte_kni_update_link(struct rte_kni *kni, unsigned int linkup);
+rte_kni_update_link(struct rte_kni *kni, struct rte_eth_link *link);
 
 /**
  *  Close KNI device.
diff --git a/lib/kni/rte_kni_common.h b/lib/kni/rte_kni_common.h
index b547ea550171..35a1620e0bd2 100644
--- a/lib/kni/rte_kni_common.h
+++ b/lib/kni/rte_kni_common.h
@@ -130,10 +130,19 @@ struct rte_kni_device_info {
 	uint8_t iova_mode;
 };
 
+struct rte_kni_link_info {
+	char name[RTE_KNI_NAMESIZE];
+	unsigned int speed;
+	unsigned char duplex;
+	unsigned char autoneg;
+	unsigned char status;
+};
+
 #define KNI_DEVICE "kni"
 
 #define RTE_KNI_IOCTL_TEST    _IOWR(0, 1, int)
 #define RTE_KNI_IOCTL_CREATE  _IOWR(0, 2, struct rte_kni_device_info)
 #define RTE_KNI_IOCTL_RELEASE _IOWR(0, 3, struct rte_kni_device_info)
+#define RTE_KNI_IOCTL_LINK    _IOWR(0, 4, struct rte_kni_link_info)
 
 #endif /* _RTE_KNI_COMMON_H_ */
