diff --git a/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/ovs_neutron_agent.py b/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/ovs_neutron_agent.py
index 46574cd5e25..50987c02852 100644
--- a/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/ovs_neutron_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/ovs_neutron_agent.py
@@ -981,8 +981,11 @@ class OVSNeutronAgent(sg_rpc.SecurityGroupAgentRpcCallbackMixin,
         self.int_br.set_secure_mode()
         self.int_br.setup_controllers(self.conf)
 
-        self.int_br.delete_port(self.conf.OVS.int_peer_patch_port)
         if self.conf.AGENT.drop_flows_on_start:
+            # Delete the patch port between br-int and br-tun if we're deleting
+            # the flows on br-int, so that traffic doesn't get flooded over
+            # while flows are missing.
+            self.int_br.delete_port(self.conf.OVS.int_peer_patch_port)
             self.int_br.delete_flows()
         self.int_br.setup_default_table()
 
diff --git a/neutron/tests/functional/agent/test_l2_ovs_agent.py b/neutron/tests/functional/agent/test_l2_ovs_agent.py
index 7e9a5930e75..2d983844e39 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/functional/agent/test_l2_ovs_agent.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/functional/agent/test_l2_ovs_agent.py
@@ -227,6 +227,17 @@ class TestOVSAgent(base.OVSAgentTestFramework):
                 self.agent.setup_integration_br()
                 time.sleep(0.25)
 
+    def test_assert_patch_port_ofports_dont_change(self):
+        # When the integration bridge is setup, it should reuse the existing
+        # patch ports between br-int and br-tun.
+        self.setup_agent_and_ports(port_dicts=[], create_tunnels=True)
+        patch_int_ofport_before = self.agent.patch_int_ofport
+        patch_tun_ofport_before = self.agent.patch_tun_ofport
+
+        self.setup_agent_and_ports(port_dicts=[], create_tunnels=True)
+        self.assertEqual(patch_int_ofport_before, self.agent.patch_int_ofport)
+        self.assertEqual(patch_tun_ofport_before, self.agent.patch_tun_ofport)
+
     def test_noresync_after_port_gone(self):
         '''This will test the scenario where a port is removed after listing
         it but before getting vif info about it.
diff --git a/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/test_ovs_tunnel.py b/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/test_ovs_tunnel.py
index 7f43246494e..8d3f9b9e761 100644
--- a/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/test_ovs_tunnel.py
+++ b/neutron/tests/unit/plugins/ml2/drivers/openvswitch/agent/test_ovs_tunnel.py
@@ -182,7 +182,6 @@ class TunnelTest(object):
             mock.call.create(),
             mock.call.set_secure_mode(),
             mock.call.setup_controllers(mock.ANY),
-            mock.call.delete_port('patch-tun'),
             mock.call.setup_default_table(),
         ]
 
@@ -628,7 +627,6 @@ class TunnelTestUseVethInterco(TunnelTest):
             mock.call.create(),
             mock.call.set_secure_mode(),
             mock.call.setup_controllers(mock.ANY),
-            mock.call.delete_port('patch-tun'),
             mock.call.setup_default_table(),
         ]