diff --git a/ip/link.go b/ip/link.go
index ff0bdb29..a9842627 100644
--- a/ip/link.go
+++ b/ip/link.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package ip
 
 import (
 	"crypto/rand"
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"net"
 	"os"
@@ -25,6 +26,10 @@ import (
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
 )
 
+var (
+	ErrLinkNotFound = errors.New("link not found")
+)
+
 func makeVethPair(name, peer string, mtu int) (netlink.Link, error) {
 	veth := &netlink.Veth{
 		LinkAttrs: netlink.LinkAttrs{
@@ -168,6 +173,9 @@ func DelLinkByName(ifName string) error {
 func DelLinkByNameAddr(ifName string, family int) (*net.IPNet, error) {
 	iface, err := netlink.LinkByName(ifName)
 	if err != nil {
+		if err != nil && err.Error() == "Link not found" {
+			return nil, ErrLinkNotFound
+		}
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("failed to lookup %q: %v", ifName, err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/ip/link_test.go b/ip/link_test.go
index 85d8b944..23182a54 100644
--- a/ip/link_test.go
+++ b/ip/link_test.go
@@ -127,6 +127,20 @@ var _ = Describe("Link", func() {
 		})
 	})
 
+	Context("deleting an non-existent device", func() {
+		It("returns known error", func() {
+			_ = containerNetNS.Do(func(ns.NetNS) error {
+				defer GinkgoRecover()
+
+				// This string should match the expected error codes in the cmdDel functions of some of the plugins
+				_, err := ip.DelLinkByNameAddr("THIS_DONT_EXIST", netlink.FAMILY_V4)
+				Expect(err).To(Equal(ip.ErrLinkNotFound))
+
+				return nil
+			})
+		})
+	})
+
 	Context("when there is no name available for the host-side", func() {
 		BeforeEach(func() {
 			//adding different interface to container ns