diff --git a/lib/vagrant-lxc/driver.rb b/lib/vagrant-lxc/driver.rb
index dda638e8..e2304bfb 100644
--- a/lib/vagrant-lxc/driver.rb
+++ b/lib/vagrant-lxc/driver.rb
@@ -132,6 +132,20 @@ def configure_private_network(bridge_name, bridge_ip, container_name, address_ty
           ip += '/24'
         end
 
+        if ! bridge_exists?(bridge_name)
+          if not bridge_ip
+            raise "Bridge is missing and no IP was specified!"
+          end
+
+          @logger.info "Creating the bridge #{bridge_name}"
+          cmd = [
+            'brctl',
+            'addbr',
+            bridge_name
+          ]
+          @sudo_wrapper.run(*cmd)
+        end
+
         if ! bridge_has_an_ip?(bridge_name)
           if not bridge_ip
             raise "Bridge has no IP and none was specified!"
@@ -146,6 +160,7 @@ def configure_private_network(bridge_name, bridge_ip, container_name, address_ty
             bridge_name
           ]
           @sudo_wrapper.run(*cmd)
+          @sudo_wrapper.run('ip', 'link', 'set', bridge_name, 'up')
         end
 
         cmd = [
@@ -162,6 +177,12 @@ def bridge_has_an_ip?(bridge_name)
         `ip -4 addr show scope global #{bridge_name}` =~ /^\s+inet ([0-9.]+)\/[0-9]+\s+/
       end
 
+      def bridge_exists?(bridge_name)
+        @logger.info "Checking whether bridge #{bridge_name} exists"
+        brctl_output = `ip link | egrep -q " #{bridge_name}:"`
+        $?.to_i == 0
+      end
+
       def bridge_is_in_use?(bridge_name)
         # REFACTOR: This method is **VERY** hacky
         @logger.info "Checking if bridge #{bridge_name} is in use"
@@ -175,12 +196,10 @@ def remove_bridge(bridge_name)
            return
         end
 
-        @logger.info "Checking whether bridge #{bridge_name} exists"
-        brctl_output = `ifconfig -a | grep -q #{bridge_name}`
-        return if $?.to_i != 0
+        return unless bridge_exists?(bridge_name)
 
         @logger.info "Removing bridge #{bridge_name}"
-        @sudo_wrapper.run('ifconfig', bridge_name, 'down')
+        @sudo_wrapper.run('ip', 'link', 'set', bridge_name, 'down')
         @sudo_wrapper.run('brctl', 'delbr', bridge_name)
       end
 
diff --git a/templates/sudoers.rb.erb b/templates/sudoers.rb.erb
index fd4d40ca..cfcb68aa 100644
--- a/templates/sudoers.rb.erb
+++ b/templates/sudoers.rb.erb
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ Whitelist.add '<%= cmd_paths['tar'] %>', '--numeric-owner', '-cvzf', %r{/tmp/.*/
 Whitelist.add '<%= cmd_paths['chown'] %>', /\A\d+:\d+\z/, %r{\A/tmp/.*/rootfs\.tar\.gz\z}
 # - Private network script and commands
 Whitelist.add '<%= cmd_paths['ip'] %>', 'addr', 'add', /(\d+|\.)+\/24/, 'dev', /.+/
-Whitelist.add '<%= cmd_paths['ifconfig'] %>', /.+/, 'down'
-Whitelist.add '<%= cmd_paths['brctl'] %>', 'delbr', /.+/
+Whitelist.add '<%= cmd_paths['ip'] %>', 'link', 'set', /.+/, /(up|down)/
+Whitelist.add '<%= cmd_paths['brctl'] %>', /(addbr|delbr)/, /.+/
 Whitelist.add_regex %r{<%= pipework_regex %>}, '**'
 
 ##