diff --git a/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py b/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py
index 92d75b57d8f..a6e826ef1f8 100644
--- a/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py
@@ -559,19 +559,30 @@ class LinuxBridgeManager(amb.CommonAgentManagerBase):
     def remove_interface(self, bridge_name, interface_name):
         bridge_device = bridge_lib.BridgeDevice(bridge_name)
         if bridge_device.exists():
-            if not bridge_lib.is_bridged_interface(interface_name):
+            if not bridge_device.owns_interface(interface_name):
                 return True
             LOG.debug("Removing device %(interface_name)s from bridge "
                       "%(bridge_name)s",
                       {'interface_name': interface_name,
                        'bridge_name': bridge_name})
-            if bridge_device.delif(interface_name):
-                return False
-            LOG.debug("Done removing device %(interface_name)s from bridge "
-                      "%(bridge_name)s",
-                      {'interface_name': interface_name,
-                       'bridge_name': bridge_name})
-            return True
+            try:
+                bridge_device.delif(interface_name)
+                LOG.debug("Done removing device %(interface_name)s from "
+                          "bridge %(bridge_name)s",
+                          {'interface_name': interface_name,
+                           'bridge_name': bridge_name})
+                return True
+            except RuntimeError:
+                with excutils.save_and_reraise_exception() as ctxt:
+                    if not bridge_device.owns_interface(interface_name):
+                        # the exception was likely a side effect of the tap
+                        # being deleted by some other agent during handling
+                        ctxt.reraise = False
+                        LOG.debug("Cannot remove %(interface_name)s from "
+                                  "%(bridge_name)s. It is not on the bridge.",
+                                  {'interface_name': interface_name,
+                                   'bridge_name': bridge_name})
+                        return False
         else:
             LOG.debug("Cannot remove device %(interface_name)s bridge "
                       "%(bridge_name)s does not exist",
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/test_linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py b/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/test_linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py
index fe6228d4286..a7b4db74723 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/test_linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/test_linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py
@@ -706,25 +706,36 @@ class TestLinuxBridgeManager(base.BaseTestCase):
 
     def test_remove_interface(self):
         with mock.patch.object(ip_lib.IPDevice, "exists") as de_fn,\
-                mock.patch.object(bridge_lib,
-                                  'is_bridged_interface') as isdev_fn,\
+                mock.patch.object(bridge_lib.BridgeDevice,
+                                  'owns_interface') as owns_fn,\
                 mock.patch.object(bridge_lib.BridgeDevice,
                                   "delif") as delif_fn:
             de_fn.return_value = False
             self.assertFalse(self.lbm.remove_interface("br0", "eth0"))
-            self.assertFalse(isdev_fn.called)
+            self.assertFalse(owns_fn.called)
 
             de_fn.return_value = True
-            isdev_fn.return_value = False
+            owns_fn.return_value = False
             self.assertTrue(self.lbm.remove_interface("br0", "eth0"))
 
-            isdev_fn.return_value = True
-            delif_fn.return_value = True
-            self.assertFalse(self.lbm.remove_interface("br0", "eth0"))
-
             delif_fn.return_value = False
             self.assertTrue(self.lbm.remove_interface("br0", "eth0"))
 
+    def test_remove_interface_not_on_bridge(self):
+        bridge_device = mock.Mock()
+        with mock.patch.object(bridge_lib, "BridgeDevice",
+                               return_value=bridge_device):
+            bridge_device.exists.return_value = True
+            bridge_device.delif.side_effect = RuntimeError
+
+            bridge_device.owns_interface.side_effect = [True, False]
+            self.lbm.remove_interface("br0", 'tap0')
+            self.assertEqual(2, bridge_device.owns_interface.call_count)
+
+            bridge_device.owns_interface.side_effect = [True, True]
+            self.assertRaises(RuntimeError,
+                              self.lbm.remove_interface, "br0", 'tap0')
+
     def test_delete_interface(self):
         with mock.patch.object(ip_lib.IPDevice, "exists") as de_fn,\
                 mock.patch.object(ip_lib.IpLinkCommand, "set_down") as down_fn,\