Index: share/man/man4/ng_ether.4
===================================================================
--- share/man/man4/ng_ether.4
+++ share/man/man4/ng_ether.4
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@
 .\"
 .\" $FreeBSD$
 .\"
-.Dd June 23, 2011
+.Dd December 27, 2021
 .Dt NG_ETHER 4
 .Os
 .Sh NAME
@@ -122,6 +122,16 @@
 .Va lower ,
 but only receives unrecognized packets.
 .El
+.Pp
+If a node was detached without the associated interface also going down,
+it is possible to reattach a
+.Nm
+node to an interface again by sending a
+.Dv mkpeer
+request connecting to the initial hook with the same name as the
+interface.
+This temporary helper hook is removed directly after a successful
+creation of the node.
 .Sh CONTROL MESSAGES
 This node type supports the generic control messages, plus the following:
 .Bl -tag -width foo
Index: sys/netgraph/ng_ether.c
===================================================================
--- sys/netgraph/ng_ether.c
+++ sys/netgraph/ng_ether.c
@@ -437,14 +437,65 @@
 ******************************************************************/
 
 /*
- * It is not possible or allowable to create a node of this type.
- * Nodes get created when the interface is attached (or, when
- * this node type's KLD is loaded).
+ * Usually all ng_ether nodes are automatically created by loading
+ * the module or creating a new interface.  If a ng_ether node was
+ * manually destroyed while the interface persists, the ng_ether
+ * node can be recreated by calling:
+ *   # ngctl mkpeer . ether <any> <ifname>
+ *
+ * This will implicitly create the new node first and then try to
+ * connect the hook.  So let's create an empty node and fill the
+ * remaining data later.  If the second step fails, the node will be
+ * removed automatically.  So either the whole process will succeed
+ * or no node will be created.
  */
 static int
 ng_ether_constructor(node_p node)
 {
-	return (EINVAL);
+	priv_p priv;
+
+	/* Initialize private descriptor. */
+	priv = malloc(sizeof(*priv), M_NETGRAPH, M_WAITOK | M_ZERO);
+	NG_NODE_SET_PRIVATE(node, priv);
+
+	/* Initialization is delayed to the first newhook call */
+	return (0);
+}
+
+/* second half of initialization for a new node */
+static int
+ng_ether_constructor2(node_p node, struct ifnet *ifp) {
+	const priv_p priv = NG_NODE_PRIVATE(node);
+	char name[IFNAMSIZ];
+
+	if (ifp == NULL)
+		return (ENXIO);
+
+	if (IFP2NG(ifp) != NULL)
+		return (EISCONN);
+
+	switch (ifp->if_type) {
+	case IFT_ETHER:
+	case IFT_L2VLAN:
+	case IFT_BRIDGE:
+		break;
+	default:
+		return (EOPNOTSUPP);
+	}
+
+	ng_ether_sanitize_ifname(ifp->if_xname, name);
+	if (ng_name2noderef(NULL, name) != NULL)
+		return (EEXIST);
+
+	priv->ifp = ifp;
+	IFP2NG(ifp) = node;
+	priv->hwassist = ifp->if_hwassist;
+
+	/* Try to give the node the same name as the interface */
+	if (ng_name_node(node, name) != 0)
+		log(LOG_WARNING, "%s: can't name node %s\n", __func__, name);
+
+	return (0);
 }
 
 /*
@@ -456,6 +507,18 @@
 	const priv_p priv = NG_NODE_PRIVATE(node);
 	hook_p *hookptr;
 
+	/* first hook on an uninitialized node */
+	if (priv->ifp == NULL) {
+		int error = ng_ether_constructor2(node, ifunit(name));
+		/*
+		 * TODO: Remove helper hook asap, if no error occured!
+		 *
+		 * Calling ng_rmhook_self(hook) right now fails,
+		 * because the hook does not exist yet (we are creating it)
+		 */
+		return (error);
+	}
+
 	/* Divert hook is an alias for lower */
 	if (strcmp(name, NG_ETHER_HOOK_DIVERT) == 0)
 		name = NG_ETHER_HOOK_LOWER;