diff --git a/include/linux/if_link.h b/include/linux/if_link.h
index c52d4b5f872a9..4b24ff453aee5 100644
--- a/include/linux/if_link.h
+++ b/include/linux/if_link.h
@@ -137,6 +137,7 @@ enum {
 	IFLA_AF_SPEC,
 	IFLA_GROUP,		/* Group the device belongs to */
 	IFLA_NET_NS_FD,
+	IFLA_EXT_MASK,		/* Extended info mask, VFs, etc */
 	__IFLA_MAX
 };
 
diff --git a/include/linux/rtnetlink.h b/include/linux/rtnetlink.h
index 8e872ead88b55..577592ea0ea02 100644
--- a/include/linux/rtnetlink.h
+++ b/include/linux/rtnetlink.h
@@ -602,6 +602,9 @@ struct tcamsg {
 #define TCA_ACT_TAB 1 /* attr type must be >=1 */	
 #define TCAA_MAX 1
 
+/* New extended info filters for IFLA_EXT_MASK */
+#define RTEXT_FILTER_VF		(1 << 0)
+
 /* End of information exported to user level */
 
 #ifdef __KERNEL__
diff --git a/include/net/rtnetlink.h b/include/net/rtnetlink.h
index 678f1ffaf843e..3702939019718 100644
--- a/include/net/rtnetlink.h
+++ b/include/net/rtnetlink.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 typedef int (*rtnl_doit_func)(struct sk_buff *, struct nlmsghdr *, void *);
 typedef int (*rtnl_dumpit_func)(struct sk_buff *, struct netlink_callback *);
-typedef u16 (*rtnl_calcit_func)(struct sk_buff *);
+typedef u16 (*rtnl_calcit_func)(struct sk_buff *, struct nlmsghdr *);
 
 extern int	__rtnl_register(int protocol, int msgtype,
 				rtnl_doit_func, rtnl_dumpit_func,
diff --git a/net/core/rtnetlink.c b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
index 65aebd4500278..606a6e8f3671d 100644
--- a/net/core/rtnetlink.c
+++ b/net/core/rtnetlink.c
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ struct rtnl_link {
 };
 
 static DEFINE_MUTEX(rtnl_mutex);
-static u16 min_ifinfo_dump_size;
 
 void rtnl_lock(void)
 {
@@ -724,10 +723,11 @@ static void copy_rtnl_link_stats64(void *v, const struct rtnl_link_stats64 *b)
 }
 
 /* All VF info */
-static inline int rtnl_vfinfo_size(const struct net_device *dev)
+static inline int rtnl_vfinfo_size(const struct net_device *dev,
+				   u32 ext_filter_mask)
 {
-	if (dev->dev.parent && dev_is_pci(dev->dev.parent)) {
-
+	if (dev->dev.parent && dev_is_pci(dev->dev.parent) &&
+	    (ext_filter_mask & RTEXT_FILTER_VF)) {
 		int num_vfs = dev_num_vf(dev->dev.parent);
 		size_t size = nla_total_size(sizeof(struct nlattr));
 		size += nla_total_size(num_vfs * sizeof(struct nlattr));
@@ -766,7 +766,8 @@ static size_t rtnl_port_size(const struct net_device *dev)
 		return port_self_size;
 }
 
-static noinline size_t if_nlmsg_size(const struct net_device *dev)
+static noinline size_t if_nlmsg_size(const struct net_device *dev,
+				     u32 ext_filter_mask)
 {
 	return NLMSG_ALIGN(sizeof(struct ifinfomsg))
 	       + nla_total_size(IFNAMSIZ) /* IFLA_IFNAME */
@@ -784,8 +785,9 @@ static noinline size_t if_nlmsg_size(const struct net_device *dev)
 	       + nla_total_size(4) /* IFLA_MASTER */
 	       + nla_total_size(1) /* IFLA_OPERSTATE */
 	       + nla_total_size(1) /* IFLA_LINKMODE */
-	       + nla_total_size(4) /* IFLA_NUM_VF */
-	       + rtnl_vfinfo_size(dev) /* IFLA_VFINFO_LIST */
+	       + nla_total_size(ext_filter_mask
+			        & RTEXT_FILTER_VF ? 4 : 0) /* IFLA_NUM_VF */
+	       + rtnl_vfinfo_size(dev, ext_filter_mask) /* IFLA_VFINFO_LIST */
 	       + rtnl_port_size(dev) /* IFLA_VF_PORTS + IFLA_PORT_SELF */
 	       + rtnl_link_get_size(dev) /* IFLA_LINKINFO */
 	       + rtnl_link_get_af_size(dev); /* IFLA_AF_SPEC */
@@ -868,7 +870,7 @@ static int rtnl_port_fill(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev)
 
 static int rtnl_fill_ifinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
 			    int type, u32 pid, u32 seq, u32 change,
-			    unsigned int flags)
+			    unsigned int flags, u32 ext_filter_mask)
 {
 	struct ifinfomsg *ifm;
 	struct nlmsghdr *nlh;
@@ -941,10 +943,11 @@ static int rtnl_fill_ifinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct net_device *dev,
 		goto nla_put_failure;
 	copy_rtnl_link_stats64(nla_data(attr), stats);
 
-	if (dev->dev.parent)
+	if (dev->dev.parent && (ext_filter_mask & RTEXT_FILTER_VF))
 		NLA_PUT_U32(skb, IFLA_NUM_VF, dev_num_vf(dev->dev.parent));
 
-	if (dev->netdev_ops->ndo_get_vf_config && dev->dev.parent) {
+	if (dev->netdev_ops->ndo_get_vf_config && dev->dev.parent
+	    && (ext_filter_mask & RTEXT_FILTER_VF)) {
 		int i;
 
 		struct nlattr *vfinfo, *vf;
@@ -1048,6 +1051,8 @@ static int rtnl_dump_ifinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback *cb)
 	struct net_device *dev;
 	struct hlist_head *head;
 	struct hlist_node *node;
+	struct nlattr *tb[IFLA_MAX+1];
+	u32 ext_filter_mask = 0;
 
 	s_h = cb->args[0];
 	s_idx = cb->args[1];
@@ -1055,6 +1060,12 @@ static int rtnl_dump_ifinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback *cb)
 	rcu_read_lock();
 	cb->seq = net->dev_base_seq;
 
+	nlmsg_parse(cb->nlh, sizeof(struct rtgenmsg), tb, IFLA_MAX,
+		    ifla_policy);
+
+	if (tb[IFLA_EXT_MASK])
+		ext_filter_mask = nla_get_u32(tb[IFLA_EXT_MASK]);
+
 	for (h = s_h; h < NETDEV_HASHENTRIES; h++, s_idx = 0) {
 		idx = 0;
 		head = &net->dev_index_head[h];
@@ -1064,7 +1075,8 @@ static int rtnl_dump_ifinfo(struct sk_buff *skb, struct netlink_callback *cb)
 			if (rtnl_fill_ifinfo(skb, dev, RTM_NEWLINK,
 					     NETLINK_CB(cb->skb).pid,
 					     cb->nlh->nlmsg_seq, 0,
-					     NLM_F_MULTI) <= 0)
+					     NLM_F_MULTI,
+					     ext_filter_mask) <= 0)
 				goto out;
 
 			nl_dump_check_consistent(cb, nlmsg_hdr(skb));
@@ -1100,6 +1112,7 @@ const struct nla_policy ifla_policy[IFLA_MAX+1] = {
 	[IFLA_VF_PORTS]		= { .type = NLA_NESTED },
 	[IFLA_PORT_SELF]	= { .type = NLA_NESTED },
 	[IFLA_AF_SPEC]		= { .type = NLA_NESTED },
+	[IFLA_EXT_MASK]		= { .type = NLA_U32 },
 };
 EXPORT_SYMBOL(ifla_policy);
 
@@ -1509,8 +1522,6 @@ static int do_setlink(struct net_device *dev, struct ifinfomsg *ifm,
 
 	if (send_addr_notify)
 		call_netdevice_notifiers(NETDEV_CHANGEADDR, dev);
-	min_ifinfo_dump_size = max_t(u16, if_nlmsg_size(dev),
-				     min_ifinfo_dump_size);
 
 	return err;
 }
@@ -1842,6 +1853,7 @@ static int rtnl_getlink(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr* nlh, void *arg)
 	struct net_device *dev = NULL;
 	struct sk_buff *nskb;
 	int err;
+	u32 ext_filter_mask = 0;
 
 	err = nlmsg_parse(nlh, sizeof(*ifm), tb, IFLA_MAX, ifla_policy);
 	if (err < 0)
@@ -1850,6 +1862,9 @@ static int rtnl_getlink(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr* nlh, void *arg)
 	if (tb[IFLA_IFNAME])
 		nla_strlcpy(ifname, tb[IFLA_IFNAME], IFNAMSIZ);
 
+	if (tb[IFLA_EXT_MASK])
+		ext_filter_mask = nla_get_u32(tb[IFLA_EXT_MASK]);
+
 	ifm = nlmsg_data(nlh);
 	if (ifm->ifi_index > 0)
 		dev = __dev_get_by_index(net, ifm->ifi_index);
@@ -1861,12 +1876,12 @@ static int rtnl_getlink(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr* nlh, void *arg)
 	if (dev == NULL)
 		return -ENODEV;
 
-	nskb = nlmsg_new(if_nlmsg_size(dev), GFP_KERNEL);
+	nskb = nlmsg_new(if_nlmsg_size(dev, ext_filter_mask), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (nskb == NULL)
 		return -ENOBUFS;
 
 	err = rtnl_fill_ifinfo(nskb, dev, RTM_NEWLINK, NETLINK_CB(skb).pid,
-			       nlh->nlmsg_seq, 0, 0);
+			       nlh->nlmsg_seq, 0, 0, ext_filter_mask);
 	if (err < 0) {
 		/* -EMSGSIZE implies BUG in if_nlmsg_size */
 		WARN_ON(err == -EMSGSIZE);
@@ -1877,8 +1892,31 @@ static int rtnl_getlink(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr* nlh, void *arg)
 	return err;
 }
 
-static u16 rtnl_calcit(struct sk_buff *skb)
+static u16 rtnl_calcit(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh)
 {
+	struct net *net = sock_net(skb->sk);
+	struct net_device *dev;
+	struct nlattr *tb[IFLA_MAX+1];
+	u32 ext_filter_mask = 0;
+	u16 min_ifinfo_dump_size = 0;
+
+	nlmsg_parse(nlh, sizeof(struct rtgenmsg), tb, IFLA_MAX, ifla_policy);
+
+	if (tb[IFLA_EXT_MASK])
+		ext_filter_mask = nla_get_u32(tb[IFLA_EXT_MASK]);
+
+	if (!ext_filter_mask)
+		return NLMSG_GOODSIZE;
+	/*
+	 * traverse the list of net devices and compute the minimum
+	 * buffer size based upon the filter mask.
+	 */
+	list_for_each_entry(dev, &net->dev_base_head, dev_list) {
+		min_ifinfo_dump_size = max_t(u16, min_ifinfo_dump_size,
+					     if_nlmsg_size(dev,
+						           ext_filter_mask));
+	}
+
 	return min_ifinfo_dump_size;
 }
 
@@ -1913,13 +1951,11 @@ void rtmsg_ifinfo(int type, struct net_device *dev, unsigned change)
 	int err = -ENOBUFS;
 	size_t if_info_size;
 
-	skb = nlmsg_new((if_info_size = if_nlmsg_size(dev)), GFP_KERNEL);
+	skb = nlmsg_new((if_info_size = if_nlmsg_size(dev, 0)), GFP_KERNEL);
 	if (skb == NULL)
 		goto errout;
 
-	min_ifinfo_dump_size = max_t(u16, if_info_size, min_ifinfo_dump_size);
-
-	err = rtnl_fill_ifinfo(skb, dev, type, 0, 0, change, 0);
+	err = rtnl_fill_ifinfo(skb, dev, type, 0, 0, change, 0, 0);
 	if (err < 0) {
 		/* -EMSGSIZE implies BUG in if_nlmsg_size() */
 		WARN_ON(err == -EMSGSIZE);
@@ -1977,7 +2013,7 @@ static int rtnetlink_rcv_msg(struct sk_buff *skb, struct nlmsghdr *nlh)
 			return -EOPNOTSUPP;
 		calcit = rtnl_get_calcit(family, type);
 		if (calcit)
-			min_dump_alloc = calcit(skb);
+			min_dump_alloc = calcit(skb, nlh);
 
 		__rtnl_unlock();
 		rtnl = net->rtnl;