diff --git a/neutron/agent/linux/interface.py b/neutron/agent/linux/interface.py
index 42a1f82d15d..c14b9f8d8eb 100644
--- a/neutron/agent/linux/interface.py
+++ b/neutron/agent/linux/interface.py
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class OVSInterfaceDriver(LinuxInterfaceDriver):
 
     def _ovs_add_port(self, bridge, device_name, port_id, mac_address,
                       internal=True):
-        cmd = ['ovs-vsctl', '--', '--may-exist',
+        cmd = ['ovs-vsctl', '--', '--if-exists', 'del-port', device_name, '--',
                'add-port', bridge, device_name]
         if internal:
             cmd += ['--', 'set', 'Interface', device_name, 'type=internal']
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/test_linux_interface.py b/neutron/tests/unit/test_linux_interface.py
index 2b5eb451680..8762c3a3f6e 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/test_linux_interface.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/test_linux_interface.py
@@ -119,7 +119,8 @@ class TestOVSInterfaceDriver(TestBase):
         def device_exists(dev, root_helper=None, namespace=None):
             return dev == bridge
 
-        vsctl_cmd = ['ovs-vsctl', '--', '--may-exist', 'add-port',
+        vsctl_cmd = ['ovs-vsctl', '--', '--if-exists', 'del-port',
+                     'tap0', '--', 'add-port',
                      bridge, 'tap0', '--', 'set', 'Interface', 'tap0',
                      'type=internal', '--', 'set', 'Interface', 'tap0',
                      'external-ids:iface-id=port-1234', '--', 'set',
@@ -206,7 +207,8 @@ class TestOVSInterfaceDriverWithVeth(TestOVSInterfaceDriver):
                     mock.call().add_veth('tap0', devname,
                                          namespace2=namespace)]
 
-        vsctl_cmd = ['ovs-vsctl', '--', '--may-exist', 'add-port',
+        vsctl_cmd = ['ovs-vsctl', '--', '--if-exists', 'del-port',
+                     'tap0', '--', 'add-port',
                      bridge, 'tap0', '--', 'set', 'Interface', 'tap0',
                      'external-ids:iface-id=port-1234', '--', 'set',
                      'Interface', 'tap0',