diff --git a/clock.c b/clock.c
index 9f4207d..7d13b3b 100644
--- a/clock.c
+++ b/clock.c
@@ -849,7 +849,7 @@ int clock_required_modes(struct clock *c)
 static void ensure_ts_label(struct interface *iface)
 {
 	if (iface->ts_label[0] == '\0')
-		strncpy(iface->ts_label, iface->name, MAX_IFNAME_SIZE);
+		strncpy(iface->ts_label, interface_name(iface), MAX_IFNAME_SIZE);
 }
 
 struct clock *clock_create(enum clock_type type, struct config *config,
@@ -960,13 +960,13 @@ struct clock *clock_create(enum clock_type type, struct config *config,
 	c->timestamping = timestamping;
 	required_modes = clock_required_modes(c);
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(iface, &config->interfaces, list) {
-		rtnl_get_ts_device(iface->name, iface->ts_label);
+		rtnl_get_ts_device(interface_name(iface), iface->ts_label);
 		ensure_ts_label(iface);
 		sk_get_ts_info(iface->ts_label, &iface->ts_info);
 		if (iface->ts_info.valid &&
 		    ((iface->ts_info.so_timestamping & required_modes) != required_modes)) {
-			pr_err("interface '%s' does not support "
-			       "requested timestamping mode", iface->name);
+			pr_err("interface '%s' does not support requested timestamping mode",
+			       interface_name(iface));
 			return NULL;
 		}
 	}
@@ -996,7 +996,7 @@ struct clock *clock_create(enum clock_type type, struct config *config,
 	if (strcmp(config_get_string(config, NULL, "clockIdentity"),
 		   "000000.0000.000000") == 0) {
 		if (generate_clock_identity(&c->dds.clockIdentity,
-					    iface->name)) {
+					    interface_name(iface))) {
 			pr_err("failed to generate a clock identity");
 			return NULL;
 		}
@@ -1011,19 +1011,20 @@ struct clock *clock_create(enum clock_type type, struct config *config,
 	/* Configure the UDS. */
 	snprintf(udsif->name, sizeof(udsif->name), "%s",
 		 config_get_string(config, NULL, "uds_address"));
-	if (config_set_section_int(config, udsif->name,
+	if (config_set_section_int(config, interface_name(udsif),
 				   "announceReceiptTimeout", 0)) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	if (config_set_section_int(config, udsif->name,
+	if (config_set_section_int(config, interface_name(udsif),
 				    "delay_mechanism", DM_AUTO)) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	if (config_set_section_int(config, udsif->name,
+	if (config_set_section_int(config, interface_name(udsif),
 				    "network_transport", TRANS_UDS)) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	if (config_set_section_int(config, udsif->name, "delay_filter_length", 1)) {
+	if (config_set_section_int(config, interface_name(udsif),
+				   "delay_filter_length", 1)) {
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
@@ -1147,7 +1148,7 @@ struct clock *clock_create(enum clock_type type, struct config *config,
 	/* Create the ports. */
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(iface, &config->interfaces, list) {
 		if (clock_add_port(c, phc_device, phc_index, timestamping, iface)) {
-			pr_err("failed to open port %s", iface->name);
+			pr_err("failed to open port %s", interface_name(iface));
 			return NULL;
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index 65afa70..c30f6bc 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -775,15 +775,15 @@ int config_read(const char *name, struct config *cfg)
 		if (parse_setting_line(line, &option, &value)) {
 			fprintf(stderr, "could not parse line %d in %s section\n",
 				line_num, current_section == GLOBAL_SECTION ?
-				"global" : current_port->name);
+				"global" : interface_name(current_port));
 			goto parse_error;
 		}
 
 		check_deprecated_options(&option);
 
 		parser_res = parse_item(cfg, 0, current_section == GLOBAL_SECTION ?
-					NULL : current_port->name, option, value);
-
+					NULL : interface_name(current_port),
+					option, value);
 		switch (parser_res) {
 		case PARSED_OK:
 			break;
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ int config_read(const char *name, struct config *cfg)
 			fprintf(stderr, "unknown option %s at line %d in %s section\n",
 				option, line_num,
 				current_section == GLOBAL_SECTION ? "global" :
-				current_port->name);
+				interface_name(current_port));
 			goto parse_error;
 		case BAD_VALUE:
 			fprintf(stderr, "%s is a bad value for option %s at line %d\n",
@@ -820,10 +820,12 @@ parse_error:
 struct interface *config_create_interface(const char *name, struct config *cfg)
 {
 	struct interface *iface;
+	const char *ifname;
 
 	/* only create each interface once (by name) */
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(iface, &cfg->interfaces, list) {
-		if (0 == strncmp(name, iface->name, MAX_IFNAME_SIZE))
+		ifname = interface_name(iface);
+		if (0 == strncmp(name, ifname, MAX_IFNAME_SIZE))
 			return iface;
 	}
 
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index e1e0e99..e1dd3fa 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -57,13 +57,13 @@ all: $(PRG)
 
 ptp4l: $(OBJ)
 
-nsm: config.o $(FILTERS) hash.o msg.o nsm.o phc.o print.o \
+nsm: config.o $(FILTERS) hash.o interface.o msg.o nsm.o phc.o print.o \
  rtnl.o sk.o $(TRANSP) tlv.o tsproc.o util.o version.o
 
-pmc: config.o hash.o msg.o phc.o pmc.o pmc_common.o print.o sk.o tlv.o \
- $(TRANSP) util.o version.o
+pmc: config.o hash.o interface.o msg.o phc.o pmc.o pmc_common.o print.o sk.o \
+ tlv.o $(TRANSP) util.o version.o
 
-phc2sys: clockadj.o clockcheck.o config.o hash.o msg.o \
+phc2sys: clockadj.o clockcheck.o config.o hash.o interface.o msg.o \
  phc.o phc2sys.o pmc_common.o print.o $(SERVOS) sk.o stats.o \
  sysoff.o tlv.o $(TRANSP) util.o version.o
 
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ hwstamp_ctl: hwstamp_ctl.o version.o
 
 phc_ctl: phc_ctl.o phc.o sk.o util.o clockadj.o sysoff.o print.o version.o
 
-snmp4lptp: config.o hash.o msg.o phc.o pmc_common.o print.o sk.o \
+snmp4lptp: config.o hash.o interface.o msg.o phc.o pmc_common.o print.o sk.o \
  snmp4lptp.o tlv.o $(TRANSP) util.o
 	$(CC) $^ $(LDFLAGS) $(LOADLIBES) $(LDLIBS) $(snmplib) -o $@
 
diff --git a/nsm.c b/nsm.c
index 43daf59..269c3c8 100644
--- a/nsm.c
+++ b/nsm.c
@@ -262,14 +262,15 @@ static void nsm_help(FILE *fp)
 static int nsm_open(struct nsm *nsm, struct config *cfg)
 {
 	enum transport_type transport;
+	const char *ifname, *name;
 	struct interface *iface;
-	const char *name;
 	int count = 0;
 
 	STAILQ_FOREACH(iface, &cfg->interfaces, list) {
-		rtnl_get_ts_device(iface->name, iface->ts_label);
+		ifname = interface_name(iface);
+		rtnl_get_ts_device(ifname, iface->ts_label);
 		if (iface->ts_label[0] == '\0') {
-			strncpy(iface->ts_label, iface->name, MAX_IFNAME_SIZE);
+			strncpy(iface->ts_label, ifname, MAX_IFNAME_SIZE);
 		}
 		count++;
 	}
@@ -278,7 +279,7 @@ static int nsm_open(struct nsm *nsm, struct config *cfg)
 		return -1;
 	}
 	iface = STAILQ_FIRST(&cfg->interfaces);
-	nsm->name = name = iface->name;
+	nsm->name = name = interface_name(iface);
 	nsm->cfg = cfg;
 
 	transport = config_get_int(cfg, name, "network_transport");
diff --git a/pmc_common.c b/pmc_common.c
index 46aac30..d5c8b61 100644
--- a/pmc_common.c
+++ b/pmc_common.c
@@ -352,7 +352,7 @@ struct pmc *pmc_create(struct config *cfg, enum transport_type transport_type,
 
 	strncpy(iface.name, iface_name, MAX_IFNAME_SIZE);
 	if (iface.ts_label[0] == '\0') {
-		strncpy(iface.ts_label, iface.name, MAX_IFNAME_SIZE);
+		strncpy(iface.ts_label, interface_name(&iface), MAX_IFNAME_SIZE);
 	}
 
 	if (transport_open(pmc->transport, &iface,
diff --git a/port.c b/port.c
index 27d9885..6423568 100644
--- a/port.c
+++ b/port.c
@@ -1717,10 +1717,13 @@ int port_initialize(struct port *p)
 		if (p->bmca == BMCA_NOOP) {
 			port_set_delay_tmo(p);
 		}
-		if (p->fda.fd[FD_RTNL] == -1)
+		if (p->fda.fd[FD_RTNL] == -1) {
 			p->fda.fd[FD_RTNL] = rtnl_open();
-		if (p->fda.fd[FD_RTNL] >= 0)
-			rtnl_link_query(p->fda.fd[FD_RTNL], p->iface->name);
+		}
+		if (p->fda.fd[FD_RTNL] >= 0) {
+			const char *ifname = interface_name(p->iface);
+			rtnl_link_query(p->fda.fd[FD_RTNL], ifname);
+		}
 	}
 
 	port_nrate_initialize(p);
@@ -2974,10 +2977,10 @@ struct port *port_open(const char *phc_device,
 	}
 
 	p->phc_index = phc_index;
-	p->jbod = config_get_int(cfg, interface->name, "boundary_clock_jbod");
-	transport = config_get_int(cfg, interface->name, "network_transport");
-	p->master_only = config_get_int(cfg, interface->name, "masterOnly");
-	p->bmca = config_get_int(cfg, interface->name, "BMCA");
+	p->jbod = config_get_int(cfg, interface_name(interface), "boundary_clock_jbod");
+	transport = config_get_int(cfg, interface_name(interface), "network_transport");
+	p->master_only = config_get_int(cfg, interface_name(interface), "masterOnly");
+	p->bmca = config_get_int(cfg, interface_name(interface), "BMCA");
 
 	if (p->bmca == BMCA_NOOP && transport != TRANS_UDS) {
 		if (p->master_only) {
@@ -3013,7 +3016,7 @@ struct port *port_open(const char *phc_device,
 		}
 	}
 
-	p->name = interface->name;
+	p->name = interface_name(interface);
 	p->iface = interface;
 	p->asymmetry = config_get_int(cfg, p->name, "delayAsymmetry");
 	p->asymmetry <<= 16;
diff --git a/port_private.h b/port_private.h
index 5789fbb..bc16d95 100644
--- a/port_private.h
+++ b/port_private.h
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ struct tc_txd {
 
 struct port {
 	LIST_ENTRY(port) list;
-	char *name;
+	const char *name;
 	struct interface *iface;
 	struct clock *clock;
 	struct transport *trp;
diff --git a/udp.c b/udp.c
index 48af482..143f714 100644
--- a/udp.c
+++ b/udp.c
@@ -154,9 +154,9 @@ static int udp_open(struct transport *t, struct interface *iface,
 		    struct fdarray *fda, enum timestamp_type ts_type)
 {
 	struct udp *udp = container_of(t, struct udp, t);
+	const char *name = interface_name(iface);
 	uint8_t event_dscp, general_dscp;
 	int efd, gfd, ttl;
-	char *name = iface->name;
 
 	ttl = config_get_int(t->cfg, name, "udp_ttl");
 	udp->mac.len = 0;
diff --git a/udp6.c b/udp6.c
index 74ebc7f..6e5f86f 100644
--- a/udp6.c
+++ b/udp6.c
@@ -164,9 +164,9 @@ static int udp6_open(struct transport *t, struct interface *iface,
 		     struct fdarray *fda, enum timestamp_type ts_type)
 {
 	struct udp6 *udp6 = container_of(t, struct udp6, t);
+	const char *name = interface_name(iface);
 	uint8_t event_dscp, general_dscp;
 	int efd, gfd, hop_limit;
-	char *name = iface->name;
 
 	hop_limit = config_get_int(t->cfg, name, "udp_ttl");
 	udp6->mac.len = 0;
diff --git a/uds.c b/uds.c
index 44d135f..a4c856b 100644
--- a/uds.c
+++ b/uds.c
@@ -55,11 +55,11 @@ static int uds_close(struct transport *t, struct fdarray *fda)
 static int uds_open(struct transport *t, struct interface *iface, struct fdarray *fda,
 		    enum timestamp_type tt)
 {
-	int fd, err;
-	struct sockaddr_un sa;
-	struct uds *uds = container_of(t, struct uds, t);
 	char *uds_path = config_get_string(t->cfg, NULL, "uds_address");
-	char *name = iface->name;
+	struct uds *uds = container_of(t, struct uds, t);
+	const char *name = interface_name(iface);
+	struct sockaddr_un sa;
+	int fd, err;
 
 	fd = socket(AF_LOCAL, SOCK_DGRAM, 0);
 	if (fd < 0) {