diff --git a/sys/net/if_bridge.c b/sys/net/if_bridge.c
--- a/sys/net/if_bridge.c
+++ b/sys/net/if_bridge.c
@@ -526,7 +526,7 @@
 #define	V_member_ifaddrs	VNET(member_ifaddrs)
 SYSCTL_BOOL(_net_link_bridge, OID_AUTO, member_ifaddrs,
     CTLFLAG_RW | CTLFLAG_VNET, &VNET_NAME(member_ifaddrs), false,
-    "Allow layer 3 addresses on bridge members");
+    "Allow layer 3 addresses on bridge members (deprecated)");
 
 static bool
 bridge_member_ifaddrs(void)
@@ -1447,25 +1447,31 @@
 #endif
 
 	/*
-	 * If member_ifaddrs is disabled, do not allow an Ethernet-like
-	 * interface with assigned IP addresses to be added to a bridge.
+	 * If member_ifaddrs is disabled, do not allow an interface with
+	 * assigned IP addresses to be added to a bridge.  Skip this check
+	 * for gif interfaces, because the IP address assigned to a gif
+	 * interface is separate from the bridge's Ethernet segment.
 	 */
-	if (!V_member_ifaddrs && ifs->if_type != IFT_GIF) {
+	if (ifs->if_type != IFT_GIF) {
 		struct ifaddr *ifa;
 
 		CK_STAILQ_FOREACH(ifa, &ifs->if_addrhead, ifa_link) {
-#ifdef INET
-			if (ifa->ifa_addr->sa_family == AF_INET)
-				return (EXTERROR(EINVAL,
-				    "Member interface may not have "
-				    "an IPv4 address configured"));
-#endif
-#ifdef INET6
-			if (ifa->ifa_addr->sa_family == AF_INET6)
+			if (ifa->ifa_addr->sa_family != AF_INET &&
+			    ifa->ifa_addr->sa_family != AF_INET6)
+				continue;
+
+			if (V_member_ifaddrs) {
+				if_printf(sc->sc_ifp,
+				    "WARNING: Adding member interface %s which "
+				    "has an IP address assigned is deprecated "
+				    "and will be unsupported in a future "
+				    "release.\n", ifs->if_xname);
+				break;
+			} else {
 				return (EXTERROR(EINVAL,
 				    "Member interface may not have "
-				    "an IPv6 address configured"));
-#endif
+				    "an IP address assigned"));
+			}
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/sys/netinet/in.c b/sys/netinet/in.c
--- a/sys/netinet/in.c
+++ b/sys/netinet/in.c
@@ -523,8 +523,15 @@
 	 * Check if bridge wants to allow adding addrs to member interfaces.
 	 */
 	if (ifp->if_bridge != NULL && ifp->if_type != IFT_GIF &&
-	    bridge_member_ifaddrs_p != NULL && !bridge_member_ifaddrs_p())
-		return (EINVAL);
+	    bridge_member_ifaddrs_p != NULL) {
+		if (bridge_member_ifaddrs_p())
+			if_printf(ifp, "WARNING: Assigning an IP address to "
+			    "an interface which is also a bridge member is "
+			    "deprecated and will be unsupported in a future "
+			    "release.\n");
+		else
+			return (EINVAL);
+	}
 
 	/*
 	 * See whether address already exist.
diff --git a/sys/netinet6/in6.c b/sys/netinet6/in6.c
--- a/sys/netinet6/in6.c
+++ b/sys/netinet6/in6.c
@@ -1235,11 +1235,20 @@
 	int carp_attached = 0;
 	int error;
 
-	/* Check if this interface is a bridge member */
+	/*
+	 * Check if bridge wants to allow adding addrs to member interfaces.
+	 */
 	if (ifp->if_bridge != NULL && ifp->if_type != IFT_GIF &&
-	    bridge_member_ifaddrs_p != NULL && !bridge_member_ifaddrs_p()) {
-		error = EINVAL;
-		goto out;
+	    bridge_member_ifaddrs_p != NULL) {
+		if (bridge_member_ifaddrs_p()) {
+			if_printf(ifp, "WARNING: Assigning an IP address to "
+			    "an interface which is also a bridge member is "
+			    "deprecated and will be unsupported in a future "
+			    "release.\n");
+		} else {
+			error = EINVAL;
+			goto out;
+		}
 	}
 
 	/*