diff --git a/src/nl-link-set.c b/src/nl-link-set.c
index 5ff1e9d..bbb60f9 100644
--- a/src/nl-link-set.c
+++ b/src/nl-link-set.c
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ static void print_usage(void)
 	"     --txqlen=NUM      TX queue length\n"
 	"     --weight=NUM      weight\n"
 	"     --ifalias=NAME    alias name (SNMP IfAlias)\n"
+	"     --state=up/down   set interface up/down\n"
 	);
 	exit(0);
 }
@@ -86,6 +87,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			ARG_TXQLEN,
 			ARG_WEIGHT,
 			ARG_IFALIAS,
+			ARG_STATE,
 		};
 		static struct option long_opts[] = {
 			{ "quiet", 0, 0, 'q' },
@@ -98,6 +100,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 			{ "txqlen", 1, 0, ARG_TXQLEN },
 			{ "weight", 1, 0, ARG_WEIGHT },
 			{ "ifalias", 1, 0, ARG_IFALIAS },
+			{ "state", 1, 0, ARG_STATE },
 			{ 0, 0, 0, 0 }
 		};
 
@@ -116,6 +119,12 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		case ARG_TXQLEN: nl_cli_link_parse_txqlen(change, optarg); break;
 		case ARG_WEIGHT: nl_cli_link_parse_weight(change, optarg); break;
 		case ARG_IFALIAS: nl_cli_link_parse_ifalias(change, optarg); break;
+		case ARG_STATE:
+			if(!strcmp(optarg, "up"))
+				rtnl_link_set_flags(change, IFF_UP);
+			else if(!strcmp(optarg, "down"))
+				rtnl_link_unset_flags(change, IFF_UP);
+			break;
 		}
 	}