diff --git a/neutron/agent/linux/bridge_lib.py b/neutron/agent/linux/bridge_lib.py
index e3bf52502c6..dfb1100ff2f 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/linux/bridge_lib.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/linux/bridge_lib.py
@@ -39,10 +39,11 @@ def is_bridged_interface(interface):
         return os.path.exists(BRIDGE_PORT_FS_FOR_DEVICE % interface)
 
 
-def get_interface_bridged_time(interface):
+def get_interface_ifindex(interface):
     try:
-        return os.stat(BRIDGE_PORT_FS_FOR_DEVICE % interface).st_mtime
-    except OSError:
+        with open(os.path.join(BRIDGE_FS, interface, 'ifindex'), 'r') as fh:
+            return int(fh.read().strip())
+    except (IOError, ValueError):
         pass
 
 
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 1e5b0728d99..aa65eec6b40 100644
--- a/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/linuxbridge/agent/linuxbridge_neutron_agent.py
@@ -597,7 +597,12 @@ class LinuxBridgeManager(amb.CommonAgentManagerBase):
             LOG.debug("Done deleting interface %s", interface)
 
     def get_devices_modified_timestamps(self, devices):
-        return {d: bridge_lib.get_interface_bridged_time(d) for d in devices}
+        # NOTE(kevinbenton): we aren't returning real timestamps here. We
+        # are returning interface indexes instead which change when the
+        # interface is removed/re-added. This works for the direct
+        # comparison the common agent loop performs with these.
+        # See bug/1622833 for details.
+        return {d: bridge_lib.get_interface_ifindex(d) for d in devices}
 
     def get_all_devices(self):
         devices = set()
diff --git a/neutron/tests/common/net_helpers.py b/neutron/tests/common/net_helpers.py
index ff819f1a14c..e5a2efe031b 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/common/net_helpers.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/common/net_helpers.py
@@ -857,10 +857,11 @@ class LinuxBridgePortFixture(PortFixture):
         super(LinuxBridgePortFixture, self)._setUp()
         br_port_name = self._get_port_name()
         if br_port_name:
-            self.br_port, self.port = self.useFixture(
-                NamedVethFixture(veth0_prefix=br_port_name)).ports
+            self.veth_fixture = self.useFixture(
+                NamedVethFixture(veth0_prefix=br_port_name))
         else:
-            self.br_port, self.port = self.useFixture(VethFixture()).ports
+            self.veth_fixture = self.useFixture(VethFixture())
+        self.br_port, self.port = self.veth_fixture.ports
 
         if self.mac:
             self.port.link.set_address(self.mac)
diff --git a/neutron/tests/functional/agent/linux/test_bridge_lib.py b/neutron/tests/functional/agent/linux/test_bridge_lib.py
index a0a1772f9a0..88f0e4981d8 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/functional/agent/linux/test_bridge_lib.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/functional/agent/linux/test_bridge_lib.py
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 #    License for the specific language governing permissions and limitations
 #    under the License.
 
+from oslo_utils import uuidutils
 
 from neutron.agent.linux import bridge_lib
 from neutron.tests.common import net_helpers
@@ -28,7 +29,8 @@ class BridgeLibTestCase(base.BaseSudoTestCase):
         bridge = self.useFixture(
             net_helpers.LinuxBridgeFixture(namespace=None)).bridge
         port_fixture = self.useFixture(
-            net_helpers.LinuxBridgePortFixture(bridge))
+            net_helpers.LinuxBridgePortFixture(
+                bridge, port_id=uuidutils.generate_uuid()))
         return bridge, port_fixture
 
     def test_is_bridged_interface(self):
@@ -42,12 +44,12 @@ class BridgeLibTestCase(base.BaseSudoTestCase):
     def test_get_bridge_names(self):
         self.assertIn(self.bridge.name, bridge_lib.get_bridge_names())
 
-    def test_get_interface_bridged_time(self):
+    def test_get_interface_ifindex(self):
         port = self.port_fixture.br_port
-        t1 = bridge_lib.get_interface_bridged_time(port)
-        self.bridge.delif(port)
-        self.bridge.addif(port)
-        t2 = bridge_lib.get_interface_bridged_time(port)
+        t1 = bridge_lib.get_interface_ifindex(str(port))
+        self.port_fixture.veth_fixture.destroy()
+        self.port_fixture.veth_fixture._setUp()
+        t2 = bridge_lib.get_interface_ifindex(str(port))
         self.assertIsNotNone(t1)
         self.assertIsNotNone(t2)
         self.assertGreaterEqual(t2, t1)