diff --git a/meta-google/recipes-google/networking/gbmc-bridge/gbmc-br-gw-src.sh b/meta-google/recipes-google/networking/gbmc-bridge/gbmc-br-gw-src.sh
index 1d420c1..56dd840 100644
--- a/meta-google/recipes-google/networking/gbmc-bridge/gbmc-br-gw-src.sh
+++ b/meta-google/recipes-google/networking/gbmc-bridge/gbmc-br-gw-src.sh
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@
       break
     fi
   done
+  # Make becoming a router sticky, if we ever have a default route we are
+  # always treated as a router. Otherwise, we end up reloading unnecessarily
+  # a number of times. The reload causes the network configuration to be
+  # reappplied with packet drops for a short amount of time.
+  [[ -z $defgw ]] && return
   [[ $defgw == "$gbmc_br_gw_defgw" ]] && return
   gbmc_br_gw_defgw="$defgw"