diff --git a/sys/dev/virtual/vkernel/net/if_vke.c b/sys/dev/virtual/vkernel/net/if_vke.c
index c09b36d..d123c0c 100644
--- a/sys/dev/virtual/vkernel/net/if_vke.c
+++ b/sys/dev/virtual/vkernel/net/if_vke.c
@@ -300,7 +300,6 @@ vke_init(void *xsc)
 	sc->cotd_tx_exit = sc->cotd_rx_exit = VKE_COTD_RUN;
 	sc->cotd_tx = cothread_create(vke_tx_thread, vke_tx_intr, sc, "vke_tx");
 	sc->cotd_rx = cothread_create(vke_rx_thread, vke_rx_intr, sc, "vke_rx");
-
 	if (sc->sc_addr != 0) {
 		in_addr_t addr, mask;
 
@@ -655,7 +654,7 @@ vke_tx_thread(cothread_t cotd)
 {
 	struct mbuf *m;
 	struct vke_softc *sc = cotd->arg;
-	/*struct ifnet *ifp = &sc->arpcom.ac_if;*/
+	struct ifnet *ifp = &sc->arpcom.ac_if;
 	int count = 0;
 
 	while (sc->cotd_tx_exit == VKE_COTD_RUN) {
@@ -673,6 +672,10 @@ vke_tx_thread(cothread_t cotd)
 					/* no mycpu in cothread */
 					/*IFNET_STAT_INC(ifp, oerrors, 1);*/
 					++sc->cotd_oerrors;
+					if (errno == EPIPE) {
+						printf("%s: link down\n", ifp->if_xname);
+						ifp->if_flags |= IFF_VKEDOWN;
+					}
 				} else {
 					/* no mycpu in cothread */
 					/*IFNET_STAT_INC(ifp, opackets, 1);*/
diff --git a/sys/net/if.h b/sys/net/if.h
index 35f6bb6..d1eac16 100644
--- a/sys/net/if.h
+++ b/sys/net/if.h
@@ -138,6 +138,7 @@ struct if_data {
 #define	IFF_MONITOR	0x40000		/* user-requested monitor mode */
 #define IFF_STATICARP	0x80000		/* static ARP */
 #define IFF_NPOLLING	0x100000	/* interface is in polling mode */
+#define IFF_VKEDOWN	0x2000000
 
 /* flags set internally only: */
 #define	IFF_CANTCHANGE \
diff --git a/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c b/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c
index 65e71b0..f30b50e 100644
--- a/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c
+++ b/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c
@@ -227,6 +227,11 @@ ether_output(struct ifnet *ifp, struct mbuf *m, struct sockaddr *dst,
 
 	ASSERT_IFNET_NOT_SERIALIZED_ALL(ifp);
 
+	if (ifp->if_flags & IFF_VKEDOWN) {
+		ifp->if_link_state = LINK_STATE_DOWN;
+		if_link_state_change(ifp);
+		gotoerr(ENETDOWN);
+	}
 	if (ifp->if_flags & IFF_MONITOR)
 		gotoerr(ENETDOWN);
 	if ((ifp->if_flags & (IFF_UP | IFF_RUNNING)) != (IFF_UP | IFF_RUNNING))
diff --git a/sys/platform/vkernel64/x86_64/exception.c b/sys/platform/vkernel64/x86_64/exception.c
index b80ef27..73f1baa 100644
--- a/sys/platform/vkernel64/x86_64/exception.c
+++ b/sys/platform/vkernel64/x86_64/exception.c
@@ -167,6 +167,7 @@ init_exceptions(void)
 	sigaction(SIGSEGV, &sa, NULL);
 	sigaction(SIGTRAP, &sa, NULL);
 	sigaction(SIGFPE, &sa, NULL);
+	signal(SIGPIPE, SIG_IGN);
 
 	sa.sa_flags &= ~SA_NODEFER;