Index: head/sys/dev/beri/virtio/network/if_vtbe.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/beri/virtio/network/if_vtbe.c
+++ head/sys/dev/beri/virtio/network/if_vtbe.c
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@
 	ifp->if_softc = sc;
 	if_initname(ifp, device_get_name(dev), device_get_unit(dev));
 	ifp->if_flags = (IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX |
-			 IFF_MULTICAST | IFF_PROMISC | IFF_NEEDSEPOCH);
+			 IFF_MULTICAST | IFF_PROMISC);
 	ifp->if_capabilities = IFCAP_VLAN_MTU;
 	ifp->if_capenable = ifp->if_capabilities;
 	ifp->if_start = vtbe_txstart;
Index: head/sys/dev/dpaa/if_dtsec.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/dpaa/if_dtsec.c
+++ head/sys/dev/dpaa/if_dtsec.c
@@ -688,7 +688,7 @@
 
 	ifp->if_softc = sc;
 	ifp->if_mtu = ETHERMTU;	/* TODO: Configure */
-	ifp->if_flags = IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_NEEDSEPOCH;
+	ifp->if_flags = IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_BROADCAST;
 	ifp->if_init = dtsec_if_init;
 	ifp->if_start = dtsec_if_start;
 	ifp->if_ioctl = dtsec_if_ioctl;
Index: head/sys/dev/hyperv/netvsc/if_hn.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/hyperv/netvsc/if_hn.c
+++ head/sys/dev/hyperv/netvsc/if_hn.c
@@ -2362,8 +2362,7 @@
 	 */
 
 	ifp->if_baudrate = IF_Gbps(10);
-	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST |
-	    IFF_NEEDSEPOCH;
+	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST;
 	ifp->if_ioctl = hn_ioctl;
 	ifp->if_init = hn_init;
 #ifdef HN_IFSTART_SUPPORT
Index: head/sys/dev/if_ndis/if_ndis.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/if_ndis/if_ndis.c
+++ head/sys/dev/if_ndis/if_ndis.c
@@ -967,8 +967,7 @@
 
 	if_initname(ifp, device_get_name(sc->ndis_dev),
 	    device_get_unit(sc->ndis_dev));
-	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST |
-	    IFF_NEEDSEPOCH;
+	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST;
 	ifp->if_ioctl = ndis_ifioctl;
 	ifp->if_start = ndis_ifstart;
 	ifp->if_init = ndis_init;
Index: head/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_main.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_main.c
+++ head/sys/dev/mlx5/mlx5_en/mlx5_en_main.c
@@ -4275,7 +4275,8 @@
 	if_initname(ifp, "mce", device_get_unit(mdev->pdev->dev.bsddev));
 	ifp->if_mtu = ETHERMTU;
 	ifp->if_init = mlx5e_open;
-	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST;
+	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST |
+	    IFF_KNOWSEPOCH;
 	ifp->if_ioctl = mlx5e_ioctl;
 	ifp->if_transmit = mlx5e_xmit;
 	ifp->if_qflush = if_qflush;
Index: head/sys/dev/ntb/if_ntb/if_ntb.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/ntb/if_ntb/if_ntb.c
+++ head/sys/dev/ntb/if_ntb/if_ntb.c
@@ -172,8 +172,7 @@
 
 	if_setinitfn(ifp, ntb_net_init);
 	if_setsoftc(ifp, sc);
-	if_setflags(ifp, IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST |
-	    IFF_NEEDSEPOCH);
+	if_setflags(ifp, IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST);
 	if_setioctlfn(ifp, ntb_ioctl);
 	if_settransmitfn(ifp, ntb_transmit);
 	if_setqflushfn(ifp, ntb_qflush);
Index: head/sys/dev/sbni/if_sbni.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/sbni/if_sbni.c
+++ head/sys/dev/sbni/if_sbni.c
@@ -243,8 +243,7 @@
 	ifp->if_baudrate =
 		(csr0 & 0x01 ? 500000 : 2000000) / (1 << flags.rate);
 
-	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST |
-	    IFF_NEEDSEPOCH;
+	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST;
 
 	mtx_init(&sc->lock, ifp->if_xname, MTX_NETWORK_LOCK, MTX_DEF);
 	callout_init_mtx(&sc->wch, &sc->lock, 0);
Index: head/sys/dev/virtio/network/if_vtnet.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/dev/virtio/network/if_vtnet.c
+++ head/sys/dev/virtio/network/if_vtnet.c
@@ -950,7 +950,8 @@
 	if_initname(ifp, device_get_name(dev), device_get_unit(dev));
 	ifp->if_baudrate = IF_Gbps(10);	/* Approx. */
 	ifp->if_softc = sc;
-	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST;
+	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST |
+	    IFF_KNOWSEPOCH;
 	ifp->if_init = vtnet_init;
 	ifp->if_ioctl = vtnet_ioctl;
 	ifp->if_get_counter = vtnet_get_counter;
Index: head/sys/mips/nlm/dev/net/xlpge.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/mips/nlm/dev/net/xlpge.c
+++ head/sys/mips/nlm/dev/net/xlpge.c
@@ -1052,8 +1052,7 @@
 	}
 	ifp->if_softc = sc;
 	if_initname(ifp, device_get_name(dev), device_get_unit(dev));
-	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST |
-	    IFF_NEEDSEPOCH;
+	ifp->if_flags = IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST;
 	sc->if_flags = ifp->if_flags;
 	/*ifp->if_capabilities = IFCAP_TXCSUM | IFCAP_VLAN_HWTAGGING;*/
 	ifp->if_capabilities = 0;
Index: head/sys/net/if.h
===================================================================
--- head/sys/net/if.h
+++ head/sys/net/if.h
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@
 #define	IFF_DEBUG	0x4		/* (n) turn on debugging */
 #define	IFF_LOOPBACK	0x8		/* (i) is a loopback net */
 #define	IFF_POINTOPOINT	0x10		/* (i) is a point-to-point link */
-#define	IFF_NEEDSEPOCH	0x20		/* (i) calls if_input w/o epoch */
+#define	IFF_KNOWSEPOCH	0x20		/* (i) calls if_input in net epoch */
 #define	IFF_DRV_RUNNING	0x40		/* (d) resources allocated */
 #define	IFF_NOARP	0x80		/* (n) no address resolution protocol */
 #define	IFF_PROMISC	0x100		/* (n) receive all packets */
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@
 #define	IFF_CANTCHANGE \
 	(IFF_BROADCAST|IFF_POINTOPOINT|IFF_DRV_RUNNING|IFF_DRV_OACTIVE|\
 	    IFF_SIMPLEX|IFF_MULTICAST|IFF_ALLMULTI|IFF_PROMISC|\
-	    IFF_DYING|IFF_CANTCONFIG)
+	    IFF_DYING|IFF_CANTCONFIG|IFF_KNOWSEPOCH)
 
 /*
  * Values for if_link_state.
Index: head/sys/net/if.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/net/if.c
+++ head/sys/net/if.c
@@ -551,8 +551,6 @@
 #ifdef VIMAGE
 	ifp->if_vnet = curvnet;
 #endif
-	/* XXX */
-	ifp->if_flags |= IFF_NEEDSEPOCH;
 	if (if_com_alloc[type] != NULL) {
 		ifp->if_l2com = if_com_alloc[type](type, ifp);
 		if (ifp->if_l2com == NULL) {
@@ -4167,8 +4165,8 @@
 int
 if_setflags(if_t ifp, int flags)
 {
-	/* XXX Temporary */
-	((struct ifnet *)ifp)->if_flags = flags | IFF_NEEDSEPOCH;
+
+	ifp->if_flags = flags;
 	return (0);
 }
 
Index: head/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c
+++ head/sys/net/if_ethersubr.c
@@ -802,14 +802,17 @@
 {
 	struct epoch_tracker et;
 	struct mbuf *mn;
+	bool needs_epoch;
 
+	needs_epoch = !(ifp->if_flags & IFF_KNOWSEPOCH);
+
 	/*
 	 * The drivers are allowed to pass in a chain of packets linked with
 	 * m_nextpkt. We split them up into separate packets here and pass
 	 * them up. This allows the drivers to amortize the receive lock.
 	 */
 	CURVNET_SET_QUIET(ifp->if_vnet);
-	if (__predict_false(ifp->if_flags & IFF_NEEDSEPOCH))
+	if (__predict_false(needs_epoch))
 		NET_EPOCH_ENTER(et);
 	while (m) {
 		mn = m->m_nextpkt;
@@ -825,7 +828,7 @@
 		netisr_dispatch(NETISR_ETHER, m);
 		m = mn;
 	}
-	if (__predict_false(ifp->if_flags & IFF_NEEDSEPOCH))
+	if (__predict_false(needs_epoch))
 		NET_EPOCH_EXIT(et);
 	CURVNET_RESTORE();
 }
Index: head/sys/net/iflib.c
===================================================================
--- head/sys/net/iflib.c
+++ head/sys/net/iflib.c
@@ -5400,7 +5400,8 @@
 	if_settransmitfn(ifp, iflib_if_transmit);
 #endif
 	if_setqflushfn(ifp, iflib_if_qflush);
-	if_setflags(ifp, IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST);
+	if_setflags(ifp, IFF_BROADCAST | IFF_SIMPLEX | IFF_MULTICAST |
+	    IFF_KNOWSEPOCH);
 
 	ctx->ifc_vlan_attach_event =
 		EVENTHANDLER_REGISTER(vlan_config, iflib_vlan_register, ctx,