Index: sys/dev/ntb/ntb_hw/ntb_hw.h
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/ntb/ntb_hw/ntb_hw.h
+++ sys/dev/ntb/ntb_hw/ntb_hw.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 void ntb_link_event(struct ntb_softc *);
 int ntb_link_enable(struct ntb_softc *, enum ntb_speed, enum ntb_width);
 int ntb_link_disable(struct ntb_softc *);
+bool ntb_link_enabled(struct ntb_softc *);
 
 int ntb_set_ctx(struct ntb_softc *, void *, const struct ntb_ctx_ops *);
 void *ntb_get_ctx(struct ntb_softc *, const struct ntb_ctx_ops **);
Index: sys/dev/ntb/ntb_hw/ntb_hw.c
===================================================================
--- sys/dev/ntb/ntb_hw/ntb_hw.c
+++ sys/dev/ntb/ntb_hw/ntb_hw.c
@@ -364,6 +364,8 @@
 static void save_bar_parameters(struct ntb_pci_bar_info *bar);
 static void ntb_sysctl_init(struct ntb_softc *);
 static int sysctl_handle_features(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS);
+static int sysctl_handle_link_admin(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS);
+static int sysctl_handle_link_status_human(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS);
 static int sysctl_handle_link_status(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS);
 static int sysctl_handle_register(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS);
 
@@ -2132,6 +2134,8 @@
 {
 	uint32_t cntl;
 
+	ntb_printf(2, "%s\n", __func__);
+
 	if (ntb->type == NTB_ATOM) {
 		pci_write_config(ntb->device, NTB_PPD_OFFSET,
 		    ntb->ppd | ATOM_PPD_INIT_LINK, 4);
@@ -2170,6 +2174,8 @@
 {
 	uint32_t cntl;
 
+	ntb_printf(2, "%s\n", __func__);
+
 	if (ntb->conn_type == NTB_CONN_TRANSPARENT) {
 		ntb_link_event(ntb);
 		return (0);
@@ -2185,6 +2191,23 @@
 	return (0);
 }
 
+bool
+ntb_link_enabled(struct ntb_softc *ntb)
+{
+	uint32_t cntl;
+
+	if (ntb->type == NTB_ATOM) {
+		cntl = pci_read_config(ntb->device, NTB_PPD_OFFSET, 4);
+		return ((cntl & ATOM_PPD_INIT_LINK) != 0);
+	}
+
+	if (ntb->conn_type == NTB_CONN_TRANSPARENT)
+		return (true);
+
+	cntl = ntb_reg_read(4, ntb->reg->ntb_ctl);
+	return ((cntl & NTB_CNTL_LINK_DISABLE) == 0);
+}
+
 static void
 recover_atom_link(void *arg)
 {
@@ -2304,16 +2327,26 @@
 static void
 ntb_sysctl_init(struct ntb_softc *ntb)
 {
-	struct sysctl_oid_list *tree_par, *regpar, *statpar, *errpar;
+	struct sysctl_oid_list *globals, *tree_par, *regpar, *statpar, *errpar;
 	struct sysctl_ctx_list *ctx;
 	struct sysctl_oid *tree, *tmptree;
 
 	ctx = device_get_sysctl_ctx(ntb->device);
-
-	tree = SYSCTL_ADD_NODE(ctx,
-	    SYSCTL_CHILDREN(device_get_sysctl_tree(ntb->device)), OID_AUTO,
-	    "debug_info", CTLFLAG_RD, NULL,
-	    "Driver state, statistics, and HW registers");
+	globals = SYSCTL_CHILDREN(device_get_sysctl_tree(ntb->device));
+
+	SYSCTL_ADD_PROC(ctx, globals, OID_AUTO, "link_status",
+	    CTLFLAG_RD | CTLTYPE_STRING, ntb, 0,
+	    sysctl_handle_link_status_human, "A",
+	    "Link status (human readable)");
+	SYSCTL_ADD_PROC(ctx, globals, OID_AUTO, "active",
+	    CTLFLAG_RD | CTLTYPE_UINT, ntb, 0, sysctl_handle_link_status,
+	    "IU", "Link status (1=active, 0=inactive)");
+	SYSCTL_ADD_PROC(ctx, globals, OID_AUTO, "admin_up",
+	    CTLFLAG_RW | CTLTYPE_UINT, ntb, 0, sysctl_handle_link_admin,
+	    "IU", "Set/get interface status (1=UP, 0=DOWN)");
+
+	tree = SYSCTL_ADD_NODE(ctx, globals, OID_AUTO, "debug_info",
+	    CTLFLAG_RD, NULL, "Driver state, statistics, and HW registers");
 	tree_par = SYSCTL_CHILDREN(tree);
 
 	SYSCTL_ADD_UINT(ctx, tree_par, OID_AUTO, "conn_type", CTLFLAG_RD,
@@ -2343,10 +2376,6 @@
 	    __DEVOLATILE(uint32_t *, &ntb->lnk_sta), 0,
 	    "LNK STA register (cached)");
 
-	SYSCTL_ADD_PROC(ctx, tree_par, OID_AUTO, "link_status",
-	    CTLFLAG_RD | CTLTYPE_STRING, ntb, 0, sysctl_handle_link_status,
-	    "A", "Link status");
-
 	SYSCTL_ADD_U8(ctx, tree_par, OID_AUTO, "mw_count", CTLFLAG_RD,
 	    &ntb->mw_count, 0, "MW count");
 	SYSCTL_ADD_U8(ctx, tree_par, OID_AUTO, "spad_count", CTLFLAG_RD,
@@ -2592,7 +2621,37 @@
 }
 
 static int
-sysctl_handle_link_status(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
+sysctl_handle_link_admin(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
+{
+	struct ntb_softc *ntb;
+	unsigned old, new;
+	int error;
+
+	error = 0;
+	ntb = arg1;
+
+	old = ntb_link_enabled(ntb);
+
+	error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, &old, sizeof(old));
+	if (error != 0 || req->newptr == NULL)
+		return (error);
+
+	error = SYSCTL_IN(req, &new, sizeof(new));
+	if (error != 0)
+		return (error);
+
+	ntb_printf(0, "Admin set interface state to '%sabled'\n",
+	    (new != 0)? "en" : "dis");
+
+	if (new != 0)
+		error = ntb_link_enable(ntb, NTB_SPEED_AUTO, NTB_WIDTH_AUTO);
+	else
+		error = ntb_link_disable(ntb);
+	return (error);
+}
+
+static int
+sysctl_handle_link_status_human(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 {
 	struct ntb_softc *ntb;
 	struct sbuf sb;
@@ -2620,6 +2679,24 @@
 }
 
 static int
+sysctl_handle_link_status(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
+{
+	struct ntb_softc *ntb;
+	unsigned res;
+	int error;
+
+	error = 0;
+	ntb = arg1;
+
+	res = ntb_link_is_up(ntb, NULL, NULL);
+
+	error = SYSCTL_OUT(req, &res, sizeof(res));
+	if (error || !req->newptr)
+		return (error);
+	return (EINVAL);
+}
+
+static int
 sysctl_handle_register(SYSCTL_HANDLER_ARGS)
 {
 	struct ntb_softc *ntb;