diff --git a/pkg/daemon/gateway_linux.go b/pkg/daemon/gateway_linux.go
index e8ae2adbf21..7557d7f30a1 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/gateway_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/gateway_linux.go
@@ -1422,6 +1422,12 @@ func (c *Controller) setExGateway() error {
 		klog.Errorf("failed to get node, %v", err)
 		return err
 	}
+	var isUserspaceDP bool
+	isUserspaceDP, err = ovs.IsUserspaceDataPath()
+	if err != nil {
+		klog.Error(err)
+		return err
+	}
 	enable := node.Labels[util.ExGatewayLabel]
 	externalBridge := util.ExternalBridgeName(c.config.ExternalGatewaySwitch)
 	if enable == "true" {
@@ -1437,15 +1443,19 @@ func (c *Controller) setExGateway() error {
 			klog.Error(err)
 			return err
 		}
-		link, err := netlink.LinkByName(linkName)
-		if err != nil {
-			klog.Errorf("failed to get nic %s, %v", linkName, err)
-			return err
-		}
-		if err := netlink.LinkSetUp(link); err != nil {
-			klog.Errorf("failed to set gateway nic %s up, %v", linkName, err)
-			return err
+
+		if !isUserspaceDP {
+			link, err := netlink.LinkByName(linkName)
+			if err != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("failed to get nic %s, %v", linkName, err)
+				return err
+			}
+			if err := netlink.LinkSetUp(link); err != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("failed to set gateway nic %s up, %v", linkName, err)
+				return err
+			}
 		}
+
 		externalBrReady := false
 		// if external nic already attached into another bridge
 		if existBr, err := ovs.Exec("port-to-br", linkName); err == nil {
@@ -1513,7 +1523,7 @@ func (c *Controller) setExGateway() error {
 			}
 		}
 
-		if !keepExternalSubnet {
+		if !isUserspaceDP && !keepExternalSubnet {
 			klog.Infof("delete external bridge %s", externalBridge)
 			if _, err := ovs.Exec(
 				ovs.IfExists, "del-br", externalBridge); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/init.go b/pkg/daemon/init.go
index 3d7095e2da8..2b3ed3bc3e6 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/init.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/init.go
@@ -159,43 +159,53 @@ func (c *Controller) ovsCleanProviderNetwork(provider string) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 
-	// get host nic
-	if output, err = ovs.Exec("list-ports", brName); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to list ports of OVS bridge %s, %w: %q", brName, err, output)
+	isUserspaceDP, err := ovs.IsUserspaceDataPath()
+	if err != nil {
+		klog.Error(err)
+		return err
 	}
 
-	// remove host nic from the external bridge
-	if output != "" {
-		for _, port := range strings.Split(output, "\n") {
-			// patch port created by ovn-controller has an external ID ovn-localnet-port=localnet.<SUBNET>
-			if output, err = ovs.Exec("--data=bare", "--no-heading", "--columns=_uuid", "find", "port", "name="+port, `external-ids:ovn-localnet-port!=""`); err != nil {
-				return fmt.Errorf("failed to find ovs port %s, %w: %q", port, err, output)
-			}
-			if output != "" {
-				continue
-			}
-			klog.V(3).Infof("removing ovs port %s from bridge %s", port, brName)
-			if err = c.removeProviderNic(port, brName); err != nil {
-				errMsg := fmt.Errorf("failed to remove port %s from external bridge %s: %w", port, brName, err)
-				klog.Error(errMsg)
-				return errMsg
-			}
-			klog.V(3).Infof("ovs port %s has been removed from bridge %s", port, brName)
+	if !isUserspaceDP {
+		// get host nic
+		if output, err = ovs.Exec("list-ports", brName); err != nil {
+			klog.Errorf("failed to list ports of OVS bridge %s, %v: %q", brName, err, output)
+			return err
 		}
-	}
 
-	// remove OVS bridge
-	klog.Infof("delete external bridge %s", brName)
-	if output, err = ovs.Exec(ovs.IfExists, "del-br", brName); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to remove OVS bridge %s, %w: %q", brName, err, output)
-	}
-	klog.V(3).Infof("ovs bridge %s has been deleted", brName)
+		// remove host nic from the external bridge
+		if output != "" {
+			for _, port := range strings.Split(output, "\n") {
+				// patch port created by ovn-controller has an external ID ovn-localnet-port=localnet.<SUBNET>
+				if output, err = ovs.Exec("--data=bare", "--no-heading", "--columns=_uuid", "find", "port", "name="+port, `external-ids:ovn-localnet-port!=""`); err != nil {
+					klog.Errorf("failed to find ovs port %s, %v: %q", port, err, output)
+					return err
+				}
+				if output != "" {
+					continue
+				}
+				klog.Infof("removing ovs port %s from bridge %s", port, brName)
+				if err = c.removeProviderNic(port, brName); err != nil {
+					klog.Errorf("failed to remove port %s from external bridge %s: %v", port, brName, err)
+					return err
+				}
+				klog.Infof("ovs port %s has been removed from bridge %s", port, brName)
+			}
+		}
 
-	if br := util.ExternalBridgeName(provider); br != brName {
-		if _, err = c.changeProvideNicName(br, brName); err != nil {
-			klog.Errorf("failed to change provider nic name from %s to %s: %v", br, brName, err)
+		// remove OVS bridge
+		klog.Infof("delete external bridge %s", brName)
+		if output, err = ovs.Exec(ovs.IfExists, "del-br", brName); err != nil {
+			klog.Errorf("failed to remove OVS bridge %s, %v: %q", brName, err, output)
 			return err
 		}
+		klog.Infof("ovs bridge %s has been deleted", brName)
+
+		if br := util.ExternalBridgeName(provider); br != brName {
+			if _, err = c.changeProvideNicName(br, brName); err != nil {
+				klog.Errorf("failed to change provider nic name from %s to %s: %v", br, brName, err)
+				return err
+			}
+		}
 	}
 
 	if err := removeOvnMapping("ovn-chassis-mac-mappings", provider); err != nil {
diff --git a/pkg/daemon/ovs_linux.go b/pkg/daemon/ovs_linux.go
index efec4b27056..9d80b48feae 100644
--- a/pkg/daemon/ovs_linux.go
+++ b/pkg/daemon/ovs_linux.go
@@ -1342,16 +1342,29 @@ func (c *Controller) transferAddrsAndRoutes(nicName, brName string, delNonExiste
 // Add host nic to external bridge
 // Mac address, MTU, IP addresses & routes will be copied/transferred to the external bridge
 func (c *Controller) configProviderNic(nicName, brName string, trunks []string) (int, error) {
-	mtu, err := c.transferAddrsAndRoutes(nicName, brName, false)
+	isUserspaceDP, err := ovs.IsUserspaceDataPath()
 	if err != nil {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to transfer addresses and routes from %s to %s: %w", nicName, brName, err)
+		klog.Error(err)
+		return 0, err
 	}
 
-	if _, err = ovs.Exec(ovs.MayExist, "add-port", brName, nicName,
-		"--", "set", "port", nicName, "trunks="+strings.Join(trunks, ","), "external_ids:vendor="+util.CniTypeName); err != nil {
-		return 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to add %s to OVS bridge %s: %w", nicName, brName, err)
+	var mtu int
+	if !isUserspaceDP {
+		mtu, err = c.transferAddrsAndRoutes(nicName, brName, false)
+		if err != nil {
+			klog.Errorf("failed to transfer addresses and routes from %s to %s: %v", nicName, brName, err)
+			return 0, err
+		}
+
+		if _, err = ovs.Exec(ovs.MayExist, "add-port", brName, nicName,
+			"--", "set", "port", nicName, "trunks="+strings.Join(trunks, ","), "external_ids:vendor="+util.CniTypeName); err != nil {
+			klog.Errorf("failed to add %s to OVS bridge %s: %v", nicName, brName, err)
+			return 0, err
+		}
+		klog.V(3).Infof("ovs port %s has been added to bridge %s", nicName, brName)
+	} else {
+		mtu = c.config.MTU
 	}
-	klog.V(3).Infof("ovs port %s has been added to bridge %s", nicName, brName)
 
 	return mtu, nil
 }