diff --git a/TEST_MAPPING b/TEST_MAPPING
index c1bc31e..1d2041b 100644
--- a/TEST_MAPPING
+++ b/TEST_MAPPING
@@ -427,6 +427,9 @@
   "automotive-mumd-presubmit": [
     {
       "name": "CtsNetTestCases"
+    },
+    {
+      "name": "CtsNetTestCasesUpdateStatsPermission"
     }
   ],
   "imports": [
diff --git a/Tethering/common/TetheringLib/src/android/net/TetheringManager.java b/Tethering/common/TetheringLib/src/android/net/TetheringManager.java
index 25bfb45..e0de592 100644
--- a/Tethering/common/TetheringLib/src/android/net/TetheringManager.java
+++ b/Tethering/common/TetheringLib/src/android/net/TetheringManager.java
@@ -388,7 +388,9 @@
         // up and be sent from a worker thread; later, they are always sent from the caller thread.
         // Considering that it's just oneway binder calls, and ordering is preserved, this seems
         // better than inconsistent behavior persisting after boot.
-        if (connector != null) {
+        // If system server restarted, mConnectorSupplier might temporarily return a stale (i.e.
+        // dead) version of TetheringService.
+        if (connector != null && connector.isBinderAlive()) {
             mConnector = ITetheringConnector.Stub.asInterface(connector);
         } else {
             startPollingForConnector();
@@ -423,9 +425,8 @@
                 } catch (InterruptedException e) {
                     // Not much to do here, the system needs to wait for the connector
                 }
-
                 final IBinder connector = mConnectorSupplier.get();
-                if (connector != null) {
+                if (connector != null && connector.isBinderAlive()) {
                     onTetheringConnected(ITetheringConnector.Stub.asInterface(connector));
                     return;
                 }
diff --git a/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetTracker.java b/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetTracker.java
index adfb694..6079413 100644
--- a/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetTracker.java
+++ b/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetTracker.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import static android.net.TestNetworkManager.TEST_TAP_PREFIX;
 
 import static com.android.internal.annotations.VisibleForTesting.Visibility.PACKAGE;
+import static com.android.net.module.util.netlink.NetlinkConstants.IFF_UP;
 
 import android.annotation.NonNull;
 import android.annotation.Nullable;
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@
 import com.android.net.module.util.ip.NetlinkMonitor;
 import com.android.net.module.util.netlink.NetlinkConstants;
 import com.android.net.module.util.netlink.NetlinkMessage;
+import com.android.net.module.util.netlink.NetlinkUtils;
 import com.android.net.module.util.netlink.RtNetlinkLinkMessage;
 import com.android.net.module.util.netlink.StructIfinfoMsg;
 import com.android.server.connectivity.ConnectivityResources;
@@ -596,14 +598,8 @@
             // Read the flags before attempting to bring up the interface. If the interface is
             // already running an UP event is created after adding the interface.
             config = NetdUtils.getInterfaceConfigParcel(mNetd, iface);
-            // Only bring the interface up when ethernet is enabled.
-            if (mIsEthernetEnabled) {
-                // As a side-effect, NetdUtils#setInterfaceUp() also clears the interface's IPv4
-                // address and readds it which *could* lead to unexpected behavior in the future.
-                NetdUtils.setInterfaceUp(mNetd, iface);
-            } else {
-                NetdUtils.setInterfaceDown(mNetd, iface);
-            }
+            // Only bring the interface up when ethernet is enabled, otherwise set interface down.
+            setInterfaceUpState(iface, mIsEthernetEnabled);
         } catch (IllegalStateException e) {
             // Either the system is crashing or the interface has disappeared. Just ignore the
             // error; we haven't modified any state because we only do that if our calls succeed.
@@ -663,15 +659,7 @@
             return;
         }
 
-        if (up) {
-            // WARNING! setInterfaceUp() clears the IPv4 address and readds it. Calling
-            // enableInterface() on an active interface can lead to a provisioning failure which
-            // will cause IpClient to be restarted.
-            // TODO: use netlink directly rather than calling into netd.
-            NetdUtils.setInterfaceUp(mNetd, iface);
-        } else {
-            NetdUtils.setInterfaceDown(mNetd, iface);
-        }
+        setInterfaceUpState(iface, up);
         cb.onResult(iface);
     }
 
@@ -973,11 +961,7 @@
             }
 
             for (String iface : interfaces) {
-                if (enabled) {
-                    NetdUtils.setInterfaceUp(mNetd, iface);
-                } else {
-                    NetdUtils.setInterfaceDown(mNetd, iface);
-                }
+                setInterfaceUpState(iface, enabled);
             }
             broadcastEthernetStateChange(mIsEthernetEnabled);
         });
@@ -1011,6 +995,12 @@
         mListeners.finishBroadcast();
     }
 
+    private void setInterfaceUpState(@NonNull String interfaceName, boolean up) {
+        if (!NetlinkUtils.setInterfaceFlags(interfaceName, up ? IFF_UP : ~IFF_UP)) {
+            Log.e(TAG, "Failed to set interface " + interfaceName + (up ? " up" : " down"));
+        }
+    }
+
     void dump(FileDescriptor fd, IndentingPrintWriter pw, String[] args) {
         postAndWaitForRunnable(() -> {
             pw.println(getClass().getSimpleName());