diff --git a/sys/netlink/netlink_io.c b/sys/netlink/netlink_io.c
--- a/sys/netlink/netlink_io.c
+++ b/sys/netlink/netlink_io.c
@@ -405,8 +405,9 @@
 	nl_handler_f handler = nl_handlers[nlp->nl_proto].cb;
 	int error = 0;
 
-	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "msg len: %d type: %d", hdr->nlmsg_len,
-	    hdr->nlmsg_type);
+	NLP_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, nlp, "msg len: %u type: %d: flags: 0x%X seq: %u pid: %u",
+	    hdr->nlmsg_len, hdr->nlmsg_type, hdr->nlmsg_flags, hdr->nlmsg_seq,
+	    hdr->nlmsg_pid);
 
 	if (__predict_false(hdr->nlmsg_len > remaining_length)) {
 		NLP_LOG(LOG_DEBUG, nlp, "message is not entirely present: want %d got %d",
@@ -439,9 +440,10 @@
 		NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "retcode: %d", error);
 	}
 	if ((hdr->nlmsg_flags & NLM_F_ACK) || (error != 0 && error != EINTR)) {
-		NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG3, "ack");
-		nlmsg_ack(nlp, error, hdr, npt);
-		NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG3, "done");
+		if (!npt->nw->suppress_ack) {
+			NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG3, "ack");
+			nlmsg_ack(nlp, error, hdr, npt);
+		}
 	}
 
 	return (0);
@@ -455,6 +457,7 @@
 	npt->err_msg = NULL;
 	npt->err_off = 0;
 	npt->hdr = NULL;
+	npt->nw->suppress_ack = false;
 }
 
 /*
diff --git a/sys/netlink/netlink_message_writer.h b/sys/netlink/netlink_message_writer.h
--- a/sys/netlink/netlink_message_writer.h
+++ b/sys/netlink/netlink_message_writer.h
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 	uint8_t			writer_target;	/* NS_WRITER_TARGET_*  */
 	bool			ignore_limit;	/* If true, ignores RCVBUF limit */
 	bool			enomem;		/* True if ENOMEM occured */
+	bool			suppress_ack;	/* If true, don't send NLMSG_ERR */
 };
 #define	NS_WRITER_TARGET_SOCKET	0
 #define	NS_WRITER_TARGET_GROUP	1
diff --git a/sys/netlink/netlink_message_writer.c b/sys/netlink/netlink_message_writer.c
--- a/sys/netlink/netlink_message_writer.c
+++ b/sys/netlink/netlink_message_writer.c
@@ -600,6 +600,9 @@
 	}
 
         nw->hdr->nlmsg_len = (uint32_t)(nw->data + nw->offset - (char *)nw->hdr);
+	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "wrote msg len: %u type: %d: flags: 0x%X seq: %u pid: %u",
+	    nw->hdr->nlmsg_len, nw->hdr->nlmsg_type, nw->hdr->nlmsg_flags,
+	    nw->hdr->nlmsg_seq, nw->hdr->nlmsg_pid);
         nw->hdr = NULL;
 	nw->num_messages++;
 	return (true);
@@ -681,6 +684,7 @@
 	    nw->offset, perror);
 	*perror = error;
 	nlmsg_end(nw);
+	nw->suppress_ack = true;
 
 	return (true);
 }