diff --git a/include/namespace.h b/include/namespace.h
index e47f9b5d..89cdda11 100644
--- a/include/namespace.h
+++ b/include/namespace.h
@@ -49,6 +49,8 @@ static inline int setns(int fd, int nstype)
 }
 #endif /* HAVE_SETNS */
 
+void netns_save(void);
+void netns_restore(void);
 int netns_switch(char *netns);
 int netns_get_fd(const char *netns);
 int netns_foreach(int (*func)(char *nsname, void *arg), void *arg);
diff --git a/ip/ip.c b/ip/ip.c
index e4131714..d64d43e1 100644
--- a/ip/ip.c
+++ b/ip/ip.c
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ static int batch(const char *name)
 			if (!force)
 				break;
 		}
+		netns_restore();
 	}
 	if (line)
 		free(line);
diff --git a/ip/ipnetns.c b/ip/ipnetns.c
index 52aefacf..e4788e75 100644
--- a/ip/ipnetns.c
+++ b/ip/ipnetns.c
@@ -707,6 +707,7 @@ static int netns_add(int argc, char **argv, bool create)
 	close(fd);
 
 	if (create) {
+		netns_save();
 		if (unshare(CLONE_NEWNET) < 0) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "Failed to create a new network namespace \"%s\": %s\n",
 				name, strerror(errno));
diff --git a/lib/namespace.c b/lib/namespace.c
index 06ae0a48..a2aea57a 100644
--- a/lib/namespace.c
+++ b/lib/namespace.c
@@ -15,6 +15,35 @@
 #include "utils.h"
 #include "namespace.h"
 
+static int saved_netns = -1;
+
+/* Obtain a FD for the current namespace, so we can reenter it later */
+void netns_save(void)
+{
+	if (saved_netns != -1)
+		return;
+
+	saved_netns = open("/proc/self/ns/net", O_RDONLY | O_CLOEXEC);
+	if (saved_netns == -1) {
+		perror("Cannot open init namespace");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+}
+
+void netns_restore(void)
+{
+	if (saved_netns == -1)
+		return;
+
+	if (setns(saved_netns, CLONE_NEWNET)) {
+		perror("setns");
+		exit(1);
+	}
+
+	close(saved_netns);
+	saved_netns = -1;
+}
+
 static void bind_etc(const char *name)
 {
 	char etc_netns_path[sizeof(NETNS_ETC_DIR) + NAME_MAX];
@@ -61,6 +90,8 @@ int netns_switch(char *name)
 		return -1;
 	}
 
+	netns_save();
+
 	if (setns(netns, CLONE_NEWNET) < 0) {
 		fprintf(stderr, "setting the network namespace \"%s\" failed: %s\n",
 			name, strerror(errno));