diff --git a/include/utils.h b/include/utils.h
index 9ee55fdc..7223a10d 100644
--- a/include/utils.h
+++ b/include/utils.h
@@ -147,4 +147,7 @@ extern int cmdlineno;
 extern ssize_t getcmdline(char **line, size_t *len, FILE *in);
 extern int makeargs(char *line, char *argv[], int maxargs);
 
+struct iplink_req;
+int iplink_parse(int argc, char **argv, struct iplink_req *req,
+		char **name, char **type, char **link, char **dev);
 #endif /* __UTILS_H__ */
diff --git a/ip/iplink.c b/ip/iplink.c
index f28f91c3..95801a6c 100644
--- a/ip/iplink.c
+++ b/ip/iplink.c
@@ -143,22 +143,145 @@ static int iplink_have_newlink(void)
 }
 #endif /* ! IPLINK_IOCTL_COMPAT */
 
-static int iplink_modify(int cmd, unsigned int flags, int argc, char **argv)
+struct iplink_req {
+	struct nlmsghdr		n;
+	struct ifinfomsg	i;
+	char			buf[1024];
+};
+
+int iplink_parse(int argc, char **argv, struct iplink_req *req,
+		char **name, char **type, char **link, char **dev)
 {
+	int ret, len;
+	char abuf[32];
 	int qlen = -1;
 	int mtu = -1;
+
+	ret = argc;
+
+	while (argc > 0) {
+		if (strcmp(*argv, "up") == 0) {
+			req->i.ifi_change |= IFF_UP;
+			req->i.ifi_flags |= IFF_UP;
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "down") == 0) {
+			req->i.ifi_change |= IFF_UP;
+			req->i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_UP;
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "name") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			*name = *argv;
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "link") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			*link = *argv;
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "address") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			len = ll_addr_a2n(abuf, sizeof(abuf), *argv);
+			addattr_l(&req->n, sizeof(*req), IFLA_ADDRESS, abuf, len);
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "broadcast") == 0 ||
+				strcmp(*argv, "brd") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			len = ll_addr_a2n(abuf, sizeof(abuf), *argv);
+			addattr_l(&req->n, sizeof(*req), IFLA_BROADCAST, abuf, len);
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "txqueuelen") == 0 ||
+				strcmp(*argv, "qlen") == 0 ||
+				matches(*argv, "txqlen") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			if (qlen != -1)
+				duparg("txqueuelen", *argv);
+			if (get_integer(&qlen,  *argv, 0))
+				invarg("Invalid \"txqueuelen\" value\n", *argv);
+			addattr_l(&req->n, sizeof(*req), IFLA_TXQLEN, &qlen, 4);
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "mtu") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			if (mtu != -1)
+				duparg("mtu", *argv);
+			if (get_integer(&mtu, *argv, 0))
+				invarg("Invalid \"mtu\" value\n", *argv);
+			addattr_l(&req->n, sizeof(*req), IFLA_MTU, &mtu, 4);
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "multicast") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			req->i.ifi_change |= IFF_MULTICAST;
+			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags |= IFF_MULTICAST;
+			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_MULTICAST;
+			} else
+				return on_off("multicast");
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "allmulticast") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			req->i.ifi_change |= IFF_ALLMULTI;
+			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags |= IFF_ALLMULTI;
+			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_ALLMULTI;
+			} else
+				return on_off("allmulticast");
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "promisc") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			req->i.ifi_change |= IFF_PROMISC;
+			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags |= IFF_PROMISC;
+			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_PROMISC;
+			} else
+				return on_off("promisc");
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "trailers") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			req->i.ifi_change |= IFF_NOTRAILERS;
+			if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags |= IFF_NOTRAILERS;
+			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_NOTRAILERS;
+			} else
+				return on_off("trailers");
+		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "arp") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			req->i.ifi_change |= IFF_NOARP;
+			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_NOARP;
+			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags |= IFF_NOARP;
+			} else
+				return on_off("noarp");
+#ifdef IFF_DYNAMIC
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "dynamic") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			req->i.ifi_change |= IFF_DYNAMIC;
+			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags |= IFF_DYNAMIC;
+			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
+				req->i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_DYNAMIC;
+			} else
+				return on_off("dynamic");
+#endif
+		} else if (matches(*argv, "type") == 0) {
+			NEXT_ARG();
+			*type = *argv;
+			argc--; argv++;
+			break;
+		} else {
+			if (strcmp(*argv, "dev") == 0) {
+				NEXT_ARG();
+			}
+			if (*dev)
+				duparg2("dev", *argv);
+			*dev = *argv;
+		}
+		argc--; argv++;
+	}
+
+	return ret - argc;
+}
+
+static int iplink_modify(int cmd, unsigned int flags, int argc, char **argv)
+{
 	int len;
-	char abuf[32];
 	char *dev = NULL;
 	char *name = NULL;
 	char *link = NULL;
 	char *type = NULL;
 	struct link_util *lu = NULL;
-	struct {
-		struct nlmsghdr		n;
-		struct ifinfomsg	i;
-		char			buf[1024];
-	} req;
+	struct iplink_req req;
+	int ret;
 
 	memset(&req, 0, sizeof(req));
 
@@ -167,116 +290,12 @@ static int iplink_modify(int cmd, unsigned int flags, int argc, char **argv)
 	req.n.nlmsg_type = cmd;
 	req.i.ifi_family = preferred_family;
 
-	while (argc > 0) {
-		if (strcmp(*argv, "up") == 0) {
-			req.i.ifi_change |= IFF_UP;
-			req.i.ifi_flags |= IFF_UP;
-		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "down") == 0) {
-			req.i.ifi_change |= IFF_UP;
-			req.i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_UP;
-		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "name") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			name = *argv;
-		} else if (matches(*argv, "link") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			link = *argv;
-		} else if (matches(*argv, "address") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			len = ll_addr_a2n(abuf, sizeof(abuf), *argv);
-			addattr_l(&req.n, sizeof(req), IFLA_ADDRESS, abuf, len);
-		} else if (matches(*argv, "broadcast") == 0 ||
-			   strcmp(*argv, "brd") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			len = ll_addr_a2n(abuf, sizeof(abuf), *argv);
-			addattr_l(&req.n, sizeof(req), IFLA_BROADCAST, abuf, len);
-		} else if (matches(*argv, "txqueuelen") == 0 ||
-			   strcmp(*argv, "qlen") == 0 ||
-			   matches(*argv, "txqlen") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			if (qlen != -1)
-				duparg("txqueuelen", *argv);
-			if (get_integer(&qlen,  *argv, 0))
-				invarg("Invalid \"txqueuelen\" value\n", *argv);
-			addattr_l(&req.n, sizeof(req), IFLA_TXQLEN, &qlen, 4);
-		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "mtu") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			if (mtu != -1)
-				duparg("mtu", *argv);
-			if (get_integer(&mtu, *argv, 0))
-				invarg("Invalid \"mtu\" value\n", *argv);
-			addattr_l(&req.n, sizeof(req), IFLA_MTU, &mtu, 4);
-		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "multicast") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			req.i.ifi_change |= IFF_MULTICAST;
-			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags |= IFF_MULTICAST;
-			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_MULTICAST;
-			} else
-				return on_off("multicast");
-		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "allmulticast") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			req.i.ifi_change |= IFF_ALLMULTI;
-			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags |= IFF_ALLMULTI;
-			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_ALLMULTI;
-			} else
-				return on_off("allmulticast");
-		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "promisc") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			req.i.ifi_change |= IFF_PROMISC;
-			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags |= IFF_PROMISC;
-			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_PROMISC;
-			} else
-				return on_off("promisc");
-		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "trailers") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			req.i.ifi_change |= IFF_NOTRAILERS;
-			if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags |= IFF_NOTRAILERS;
-			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_NOTRAILERS;
-			} else
-				return on_off("trailers");
-		} else if (strcmp(*argv, "arp") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			req.i.ifi_change |= IFF_NOARP;
-			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_NOARP;
-			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags |= IFF_NOARP;
-			} else
-				return on_off("noarp");
-#ifdef IFF_DYNAMIC
-		} else if (matches(*argv, "dynamic") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			req.i.ifi_change |= IFF_DYNAMIC;
-			if (strcmp(*argv, "on") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags |= IFF_DYNAMIC;
-			} else if (strcmp(*argv, "off") == 0) {
-				req.i.ifi_flags &= ~IFF_DYNAMIC;
-			} else
-				return on_off("dynamic");
-#endif
-		} else if (matches(*argv, "type") == 0) {
-			NEXT_ARG();
-			type = *argv;
-			argc--; argv++;
-			break;
-		} else {
-                        if (strcmp(*argv, "dev") == 0) {
-				NEXT_ARG();
-			}
-			if (dev)
-				duparg2("dev", *argv);
-			dev = *argv;
-		}
-		argc--; argv++;
-	}
+	ret = iplink_parse(argc, argv, &req, &name, &type, &link, &dev);
+	if (ret < 0)
+		return ret;
 
+	argc -= ret;
+	argv += ret;
 	ll_init_map(&rth);
 
 	if (type) {