README.md

@@ -70,9 +70,10 @@ both the kernel and BGP within one reconcile cycle (sub-second).
 NIC ↔ upstream router. No conntrack, no SNAT, no encapsulation.
 
 For IPv6 the host side of every veth carries the deterministic link-local
-gateway `fe80::1`, so every pod can use a fixed default route. For IPv4
+gateway `fe80::1`, and the isolated pod side carries `fe80::2` for neighbor
-the host side answers ARP for `169.254.1.1`, providing the same fixed
+discovery. Every IPv6 pod can use a fixed default route without depending on
-default route in v4.
+its global `/128` for gateway resolution. For IPv4 the host side answers ARP
+for `169.254.1.1`, providing the same fixed default route in v4.
 
 ## Requirements
 

go.mod

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/containernetworking/cni v1.3.0
 	github.com/containernetworking/plugins v1.9.1
 	github.com/vishvananda/netlink v1.3.1
+	golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0
 	k8s.io/api v0.36.0
 	k8s.io/apimachinery v0.36.0
 	k8s.io/client-go v0.36.0
@@ -35,7 +36,6 @@ require (
 	go.yaml.in/yaml/v3 v3.0.4 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/net v0.49.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/oauth2 v0.34.0 // indirect
-	golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/term v0.39.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/text v0.33.0 // indirect
 	golang.org/x/time v0.14.0 // indirect

pkg/agent/netns_linux.go

@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/containernetworking/plugins/pkg/ns"
 	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink"
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
 )
 
 // SetupRequest is the netlink setup input for one pod.
@@ -37,6 +38,11 @@ type SetupRequest struct {
 // LL DAD on the host side.
 var linkLocalGW = net.ParseIP("fe80::1")
 
+// linkLocalPod is the deterministic pod-side address used for IPv6 neighbor
+// discovery. Without a link-local source, gateway NUD probes use the pod's
+// global /128 and the host does not answer them reliably after neighbor expiry.
+var linkLocalPod = net.ParseIP("fe80::2")
+
 // v4ProxyGW is the well-known link-local IPv4 used by container CNIs as a
 // next-hop for proxy-arp gateways (cilium, calico, kindnet — all use this).
 var v4ProxyGW = net.IPv4(169, 254, 1, 1)
@@ -210,6 +216,14 @@ func configurePodSide(req SetupRequest) error {
 		}
 
 		if req.IP6 != nil {
+			// Keep automatic address generation disabled, but give every IPv6 pod
+			// veth a deterministic link-local address. This makes NUD for the
+			// fe80::1 gateway use an on-link source and prevents the default-route
+			// neighbor from aging into FAILED. DAD is unnecessary on a veth pair.
+			if err := netlink.AddrAdd(eth0, podLinkLocalAddr()); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrExist) {
+				return fmt.Errorf("pod link-local add: %w", err)
+			}
+
 			a := &netlink.Addr{IPNet: &net.IPNet{IP: req.IP6, Mask: net.CIDRMask(128, 128)}}
 			if err := netlink.AddrAdd(eth0, a); err != nil && !errors.Is(err, os.ErrExist) {
 				return fmt.Errorf("pod ip6 add: %w", err)
@@ -295,6 +309,13 @@ func configurePodSide(req SetupRequest) error {
 	})
 }
 
+func podLinkLocalAddr() *netlink.Addr {
+	return &netlink.Addr{
+		IPNet: &net.IPNet{IP: linkLocalPod, Mask: net.CIDRMask(64, 128)},
+		Flags: unix.IFA_F_NODAD,
+	}
+}
+
 func setHostRoute(linkIndex int, ip net.IP, prefix int) error {
 	r := &netlink.Route{
 		LinkIndex: linkIndex,

pkg/agent/netns_linux_test.go

@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+//go:build linux
+
+package agent
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+)
+
+func TestPodLinkLocalAddr(t *testing.T) {
+	addr := podLinkLocalAddr()
+	if got, want := addr.IP.String(), "fe80::2"; got != want {
+		t.Fatalf("pod link-local IP = %s, want %s", got, want)
+	}
+	if ones, bits := addr.Mask.Size(); ones != 64 || bits != 128 {
+		t.Fatalf("pod link-local mask = %d/%d, want 64/128", ones, bits)
+	}
+	if addr.Flags&unix.IFA_F_NODAD == 0 {
+		t.Fatal("pod link-local address must disable DAD")
+	}
+	if addr.IP.Equal(linkLocalGW) {
+		t.Fatal("pod and gateway link-local addresses must differ")
+	}
+}