diff --git a/dp-core/vr_flow.c b/dp-core/vr_flow.c
index c3685b114..c86fc8b9d 100644
--- a/dp-core/vr_flow.c
+++ b/dp-core/vr_flow.c
@@ -343,7 +343,8 @@ vr_flow_start_modify(struct vrouter *router, struct vr_flow_entry *fe)
     unsigned short flags;
 
     flags = fe->fe_flags;
-    if (!(flags & (VR_FLOW_FLAG_MODIFIED | VR_FLOW_FLAG_EVICTED))) {
+    if (!(flags & (VR_FLOW_FLAG_MODIFIED | VR_FLOW_FLAG_EVICTED |
+                    VR_FLOW_FLAG_NEW_FLOW))) {
         if (__sync_bool_compare_and_swap(&fe->fe_flags, flags,
                     flags | VR_FLOW_FLAG_MODIFIED)) {
             return true;
diff --git a/include/vr_flow.h b/include/vr_flow.h
index 391113567..68f8fb59e 100644
--- a/include/vr_flow.h
+++ b/include/vr_flow.h
@@ -34,7 +34,8 @@ typedef enum {
 
 #define VR_FLOW_FLAG_DP_FLAGS           (VR_FLOW_FLAG_EVICT_CANDIDATE |\
                                             VR_FLOW_FLAG_EVICTED |\
-                                            VR_FLOW_FLAG_NEW_FLOW)
+                                            VR_FLOW_FLAG_NEW_FLOW |\
+                                            VR_FLOW_FLAG_MODIFIED)
 
 #define VR_FLOW_FLAG_DP_BITS(fe)        (((fe)->fe_flags) &\
                                             (VR_FLOW_FLAG_DP_FLAGS))