diff --git a/pkg/link/opstate.go b/pkg/link/opstate.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..736ea4647
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pkg/link/opstate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+// Copyright 2024 CNI authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package link
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
+)
+
+func WaitForOperStateUp(linkName string) (netlink.Link, error) {
+	var link netlink.Link
+	var err error
+	retries := []int{0, 50, 500, 1000, 1000}
+	for idx, sleep := range retries {
+		time.Sleep(time.Duration(sleep) * time.Millisecond)
+
+		link, err = netlink.LinkByName(linkName)
+		if err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+		linkOpState := link.Attrs().OperState
+		if linkOpState == netlink.OperUp {
+			break
+		}
+
+		if idx == len(retries)-1 {
+			return nil, fmt.Errorf("timeout waiting for %q state %q to be up", linkName, linkOpState)
+		}
+	}
+	return link, nil
+}
+
+func SetUp(linkName string) error {
+	link, err := netlink.LinkByName(linkName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve link: %w", err)
+	}
+	if err = netlink.LinkSetUp(link); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to set %q up: %w", linkName, err)
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/plugins/main/bridge/bridge.go b/plugins/main/bridge/bridge.go
index a24d2d4aa..0278ce29d 100644
--- a/plugins/main/bridge/bridge.go
+++ b/plugins/main/bridge/bridge.go
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@ import (
 	"runtime"
 	"sort"
 	"syscall"
-	"time"
 
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
 
@@ -677,39 +676,18 @@ func cmdAdd(args *skel.CmdArgs) error {
 			}
 		}
 	} else {
+		// If layer 2 we still need to set the container veth to up
 		if err := netns.Do(func(_ ns.NetNS) error {
-			link, err := netlink.LinkByName(args.IfName)
-			if err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("failed to retrieve link: %v", err)
-			}
-			// If layer 2 we still need to set the container veth to up
-			if err = netlink.LinkSetUp(link); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("failed to set %q up: %v", args.IfName, err)
-			}
-			return nil
+			return link.SetUp(args.IfName)
 		}); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 	}
 
-	var hostVeth netlink.Link
-
 	// check bridge port state
-	retries := []int{0, 50, 500, 1000, 1000}
-	for idx, sleep := range retries {
-		time.Sleep(time.Duration(sleep) * time.Millisecond)
-
-		hostVeth, err = netlink.LinkByName(hostInterface.Name)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		if hostVeth.Attrs().OperState == netlink.OperUp {
-			break
-		}
-
-		if idx == len(retries)-1 {
-			return fmt.Errorf("bridge port in error state: %s", hostVeth.Attrs().OperState)
-		}
+	hostVeth, err := link.WaitForOperStateUp(hostInterface.Name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("bridge port in error state %q: %v", hostVeth.Attrs().OperState, err)
 	}
 
 	// In certain circumstances, the host-side of the veth may change addrs