diff --git a/pkg/util/iproute2/address.go b/pkg/util/iproute2/address.go
index 2c81c80d36..bac3ce1e4c 100644
--- a/pkg/util/iproute2/address.go
+++ b/pkg/util/iproute2/address.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package iproute2
 
 import (
 	"net"
+	"syscall"
 
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
 )
@@ -25,12 +26,17 @@ type Address struct {
 
 	addrBad bool
 	addrs   []*netlink.Addr
+
+	testcb func()
 }
 
+func nop() {}
+
 func NewAddress(ifname string, addresses ...string) *Address {
 	l := NewLink(ifname)
 	r := &Address{
-		Link: l,
+		Link:   l,
+		testcb: nop,
 	}
 
 	addrs := make([]*netlink.Addr, len(addresses))
@@ -76,6 +82,7 @@ func (address *Address) Exact() *Address {
 	if err != nil {
 		address.addErr(err, "Exact: AddrList")
 	}
+	address.testcb()
 	for _, oldAddr := range oldAddrs {
 		del := true
 		for _, addr := range address.addrs {
@@ -87,6 +94,13 @@ func (address *Address) Exact() *Address {
 		if del {
 			err := netlink.AddrDel(link, &oldAddr)
 			if err != nil {
+				if errno, ok := err.(syscall.Errno); ok {
+					switch errno {
+					case syscall.EADDRNOTAVAIL:
+						// "cannot assign requested address"
+						continue
+					}
+				}
 				address.addErr(err, "Exact: AddrDel %s", oldAddr)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/pkg/util/iproute2/address_test.go b/pkg/util/iproute2/address_test.go
index 7c36c94f4a..be883021ef 100644
--- a/pkg/util/iproute2/address_test.go
+++ b/pkg/util/iproute2/address_test.go
@@ -19,24 +19,24 @@ import (
 )
 
 func TestAddress(t *testing.T) {
-	ifname := genDummyName(t)
-	dum := addDummy(t, ifname)
-	defer delDummy(t, dum)
-
-	emptyT := func(t *testing.T) {
-		l := NewAddress(ifname)
-		l.Exact()
-		if err := l.Err(); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("got err: %v", err)
-		}
-		if ipnets, err := l.List4(); err != nil {
-			t.Fatalf("list4 err: %v", err)
-		} else if len(ipnets) > 0 {
-			t.Fatalf("want empty, got %#v", ipnets)
-		}
-	}
-
 	t.Run("exact some", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ifname := genDummyName(t)
+		dum := addDummy(t, ifname)
+		defer delDummy(t, dum)
+
+		emptyT := func(t *testing.T) {
+			l := NewAddress(ifname)
+			l.Exact()
+			if err := l.Err(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("got err: %v", err)
+			}
+			if ipnets, err := l.List4(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("list4 err: %v", err)
+			} else if len(ipnets) > 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("want empty, got %#v", ipnets)
+			}
+		}
+
 		want := "10.168.222.236/24"
 		l := NewAddress(ifname, want, "fe80::222:d5ff:fe9e:28d1/64")
 		l.Exact()
@@ -54,6 +54,35 @@ func TestAddress(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Run("empty empty", emptyT)
 	})
 
+	t.Run("exact indempotent", func(t *testing.T) {
+		ifname := genDummyName(t)
+		dum := addDummy(t, ifname)
+		defer delDummy(t, dum)
+
+		surprise := "10.127.190.240/32"
+		{
+			l := NewAddress(ifname, "10.127.190.217/24", surprise)
+			l.Exact()
+			if err := l.Err(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("got err: %v", err)
+			}
+		}
+		{
+			l := NewAddress(ifname)
+			l.testcb = func() {
+				if err := NewAddress(ifname, surprise).Del().Err(); err != nil {
+					t.Fatalf("sneak failed: %v", err)
+				}
+			}
+			if addrs, _ := l.List4(); len(addrs) == 0 {
+				t.Fatalf("expect at least 1 v4 addr")
+			}
+			l.Exact()
+			if err := l.Err(); err != nil {
+				t.Fatalf("got err: %v", err)
+			}
+		}
+	})
 }
 
 func TestAddress_nopriv(t *testing.T) {