diff --git a/sys/netlink/netlink_domain.c b/sys/netlink/netlink_domain.c
--- a/sys/netlink/netlink_domain.c
+++ b/sys/netlink/netlink_domain.c
@@ -46,6 +46,8 @@
 #include <sys/syslog.h>
 #include <sys/priv.h> /* priv_check */
 
+#include <sys/syscallsubr.h>
+
 #include <netlink/netlink.h>
 #include <netlink/netlink_ctl.h>
 #include <netlink/netlink_var.h>
@@ -268,6 +270,18 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+static int
+nlp_thread_init(struct thread *td, void *thunk)
+{
+	struct nlpcb *nlp = thunk;
+
+	nlp->nl_thread = td;
+
+	cpu_fork_kthread_handler(td, nl_taskqueue_handler, nlp);
+
+	return (0);
+}
+
 static int
 nl_pru_attach(struct socket *so, int proto, struct thread *td)
 {
@@ -312,11 +326,20 @@
 	refcount_init(&nlp->nl_refcount, 1);
 	nl_init_io(nlp);
 
+	error = thread_create(td, NULL, nlp_thread_init, nlp);
+	if (error != 0) {
+		free(nlp, M_PCB);
+		return (error);
+	}
+	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "thread %p created", nlp->nl_thread);
+
+#if 0
 	nlp->nl_taskqueue = taskqueue_create("netlink_socket", M_WAITOK,
 	    taskqueue_thread_enqueue, &nlp->nl_taskqueue);
 	TASK_INIT(&nlp->nl_task, 0, nl_taskqueue_handler, nlp);
-	taskqueue_start_threads(&nlp->nl_taskqueue, 1, PWAIT,
-	    "netlink_socket (PID %u)", nlp->nl_process_id);
+	taskqueue_start_threads_in_proc(&nlp->nl_taskqueue, 1, PWAIT,
+	    td->td_proc, "netlink_socket (PID %u)", nlp->nl_process_id);
+#endif
 
 	NLCTL_WLOCK(ctl);
 	/* XXX: check ctl is still alive */
@@ -477,9 +500,26 @@
 	nlp->nl_active = false;
 	NLP_UNLOCK(nlp);
 
+	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "Waking up thread %p", nlp->nl_thread);
+	wakeup_any(nlp);
+
+	NLP_LOCK(nlp);
+	if (!nlp->nl_dead) {
+		NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "Waiting till the thread dies");
+		mtx_sleep(&nlp->nl_epoch_ctx, &nlp->nl_lock, 0, "dying", 0);
+	}
+	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "Thread %p set dead to %s", nlp->nl_thread, nlp->nl_dead ? "true" : "false");
+	MPASS(nlp->nl_dead);
+	NLP_UNLOCK(nlp);
+
+	int error = kern_thr_exit(nlp->nl_thread);
+	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "thread_exit(%p) returned %d", nlp->nl_thread, error);
+
+#if 0
 	/* Wait till all scheduled work has been completed  */
 	taskqueue_drain_all(nlp->nl_taskqueue);
 	taskqueue_free(nlp->nl_taskqueue);
+#endif
 
 	NLCTL_WLOCK(ctl);
 	NLP_LOCK(nlp);
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
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@
 {
 	if (!nlp->nl_task_pending) {
 		nlp->nl_task_pending = true;
-		taskqueue_enqueue(nlp->nl_taskqueue, &nlp->nl_task);
+		wakeup_any(nlp);
 		NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG3, "taskqueue scheduled");
 	} else {
 		NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG3, "taskqueue schedule skipped");
@@ -301,13 +301,33 @@
 }
 
 void
-nl_taskqueue_handler(void *_arg, int pending)
+nl_taskqueue_handler(void *_arg)
 {
 	struct nlpcb *nlp = (struct nlpcb *)_arg;
 
 	CURVNET_SET(nlp->nl_socket->so_vnet);
-	nl_process_received(nlp);
+
+	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "work thread %p for nlp %p started", nlp->nl_thread, nlp);
+
+	NLP_LOCK(nlp);
+	while (true) {
+		NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "sleeping / waiting for work");
+		mtx_sleep(nlp, &nlp->nl_lock, 0, "nlp sleep", 0);
+		NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "worken up, socket is %s", nlp->nl_active ? "active":"dying");
+		if (__predict_false(!nlp->nl_active))
+			break;
+		NLP_UNLOCK(nlp);
+		nl_process_received(nlp);
+		NLP_LOCK(nlp);
+	}
+	nlp->nl_dead = true;
+	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "SET dead to true");
+	NLP_UNLOCK(nlp);
+
 	CURVNET_RESTORE();
+
+	wakeup_one(&nlp->nl_epoch_ctx);
+	NL_LOG(LOG_DEBUG2, "work thread %p for nlp %p ended", nlp->nl_thread, nlp);
 }
 
 static __noinline void
diff --git a/sys/netlink/netlink_var.h b/sys/netlink/netlink_var.h
--- a/sys/netlink/netlink_var.h
+++ b/sys/netlink/netlink_var.h
@@ -61,10 +61,10 @@
         bool			nl_task_pending;
 	bool			nl_tx_blocked; /* No new requests accepted */
 	bool			nl_linux; /* true if running under compat */
+	bool			nl_dead;
 	struct nl_io_queue	rx_queue;
 	struct nl_io_queue	tx_queue;
-	struct taskqueue	*nl_taskqueue;
-	struct task		nl_task;
+	struct thread		*nl_thread;
 	struct ucred		*nl_cred; /* Copy of nl_socket->so_cred */
 	uint64_t		nl_dropped_bytes;
 	uint64_t		nl_dropped_messages;
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@
 void nl_init_io(struct nlpcb *nlp);
 void nl_free_io(struct nlpcb *nlp);
 
-void nl_taskqueue_handler(void *_arg, int pending);
+void nl_taskqueue_handler(void *_arg);
 int nl_receive_async(struct mbuf *m, struct socket *so);
 void nl_process_receive_locked(struct nlpcb *nlp);
 
diff --git a/sys/netlink/route/iface.c b/sys/netlink/route/iface.c
--- a/sys/netlink/route/iface.c
+++ b/sys/netlink/route/iface.c
@@ -928,14 +928,11 @@
 }
 
 static void
-rtnl_handle_ifevent(struct ifnet *ifp, int nlmsg_type, bool modify, int if_flags_mask)
+rtnl_handle_ifevent(struct ifnet *ifp, int nlmsg_type, int if_flags_mask)
 {
 	struct nlmsghdr hdr = { .nlmsg_type = nlmsg_type };
 	struct nl_writer nw = {};
 
-	if (modify)
-		hdr.nlmsg_flags |= NLM_F_REPLACE;
-
 	if (!nl_has_listeners(NETLINK_ROUTE, RTNLGRP_LINK))
 		return;