diff --git a/attributes/default.rb b/attributes/default.rb
index 982b4a21..2a8be1ac 100644
--- a/attributes/default.rb
+++ b/attributes/default.rb
@@ -72,6 +72,12 @@ default["openstack"]["network"]["api"]["bind_port"] = 9696
 # logging attribute
 default["openstack"]["network"]["syslog"]["use"] = false
 
+# Whether or not we want to disable offloading
+# on all the NIC interfaces (currently only supports
+# ubuntu and debian).  This can help if openvswitch
+# or nicira plugins are crashing the sdn routers
+default['openstack']['network']['disable_offload'] = false
+
 # the plugins to install on the server.  this will be
 # quantum-plugin-%plugin% and the first plugin in the
 # list should match the core plugin below
diff --git a/files/default/disable-eth-offload.sh b/files/default/disable-eth-offload.sh
new file mode 100755
index 00000000..2ffad12a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/files/default/disable-eth-offload.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+#
+# Copyright (C) 2013 ATT Services, Inc.
+#
+# 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.
+#
+### BEGIN INIT INFO
+# Provides:          disable-eth-offload
+# Required-Start:    $network
+# Required-Stop:     $remote_fs
+# Default-Start:     2 3 4 5
+# Default-Stop:      0 1 6
+# Short-Description: Disable NIC Offloads
+### END INIT INFO
+
+function check_setting() {
+  setting_on="false"
+  INTERFACE=$1
+  SETTING=$2
+  if [ -z $INTERFACE ] || [ -z $SETTING ]; then
+    echo "You didn't call check_setting right, it needs interfaces as \$1 and setting as \$2"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+
+  if [ $LOGGING == "true" ]; then
+    ethtool -k $INTERFACE | grep $SETTING | grep ": on"
+  fi
+
+  ethtool -k $INTERFACE | grep $SETTING | grep ": on" > /dev/null
+  if [ $? == 0 ]; then
+    setting_on="true"
+  fi
+}
+
+start () {
+
+    INTERFACES=$( grep auto /etc/network/interfaces | grep -v lo | awk '{ print $NF }' )
+    declare -A SETTINGS
+    SETTINGS=( ["lro"]="large-receive-offload" ["tso"]="tcp-segmentation-offload" ["gso"]="generic-segmentation-offload" ["gro"]="generic-receive-offload" )
+    ETHTOOL_BIN="/sbin/ethtool"
+    LOGGING="false"
+    setting_on="false"
+
+    for interface in $INTERFACES; do
+      for setting in "${!SETTINGS[@]}"; do
+        check_setting $interface ${SETTINGS[$setting]}
+        if [ $setting_on == "true" ]; then
+          $ETHTOOL_BIN -K $interface $setting off
+          if [ $LOGGING == "true" ]; then
+            echo "RUNNING: $ETHTOOL_BIN -K $interface $setting off"
+          fi
+        fi
+      done
+    done
+}
+
+case $1 in
+    start)
+        start
+        ;;
+    *)
+        echo "Usage: $0 {start}" >&2
+        exit 1
+        ;;
+esac
+
+exit 0
+
diff --git a/recipes/openvswitch.rb b/recipes/openvswitch.rb
index d7d81060..2ea3bbd4 100644
--- a/recipes/openvswitch.rb
+++ b/recipes/openvswitch.rb
@@ -99,3 +99,29 @@ if not ["nicira", "plumgrid", "bigswitch"].include?(main_plugin)
     notifies :restart, "service[quantum-plugin-openvswitch-agent]", :delayed
   end
 end
+
+if node['openstack']['network']['disable_offload']
+
+  package "ethtool" do
+    action :install
+    options platform_options["package_overrides"]
+  end
+
+  service "disable-eth-offload" do
+    supports :restart => false, :start => true, :stop => false, :reload => false
+    priority({ 2 => [ :start, 19 ]})
+    action :nothing
+  end
+
+  # a priority of 19 ensures we start before openvswitch
+  # at least on ubuntu and debian
+  cookbook_file "disable-eth-offload-script" do
+    path "/etc/init.d/disable-eth-offload"
+    source "disable-eth-offload.sh"
+    owner "root"
+    group "root"
+    mode "0755"
+    notifies :enable, "service[disable-eth-offload]"
+    notifies :start, "service[disable-eth-offload]"
+  end
+end