diff --git a/doc/man/man5/keepalived.conf.5.in b/doc/man/man5/keepalived.conf.5.in
index 76570fec2..00d6d7781 100644
--- a/doc/man/man5/keepalived.conf.5.in
+++ b/doc/man/man5/keepalived.conf.5.in
@@ -1625,7 +1625,8 @@ The syntax for vrrp_instance is :
     # interface it will force a netlink message to be sent for the base interface
     # since the kernel does not send one, even if the promiscuity of the base
     # interface has been updated.
-    \fBuse_vmac \fR[<VMAC_INTERFACE_NAME>] [MAC_ADDRESS] [netlink_notify_msg]
+    # The name option can be specified if you want to avoid ambiguity.
+    \fBuse_vmac \fR[[name] <VMAC_INTERFACE_NAME>] [MAC_ADDRESS] [netlink_notify_msg]
 
     # use_vmac_addr is used to create VMAC (macvlan) interfaces for
     # each interface that is used by a VIP or eVIP where the interface
@@ -1649,12 +1650,14 @@ The syntax for vrrp_instance is :
     # For IPv4 instances, an IP address is required, for IPv6
     # the address is optional, in which case the link local
     # address will be used.
-    # The mode flags default to bridge. NOTE: the mode flags must be the
+    # The mode flags defaults to bridge. NOTE: the mode flags must be the
     # same for all ipvlans on the same underlying interface.
     # It is safer to configure an interface name, in case keepalived crashes
     # and restarts, in which case it can more reliably find a previously
     # created interface.
-    \fBuse_ipvlan \fR[<INTERFACE_NAME>] [IP_ADDRESS] [bridge|private|vepa]
+    # The name option can be specified if you want to use a name that would cause
+    # a parsing error (e.g. "bridge").
+    \fBuse_ipvlan \fR[[name] <INTERFACE_NAME>] [IP_ADDRESS] [bridge|private|vepa]
 
     # force instance to use IPv6 (this option is deprecated since
     # the virtual ip addresses determine whether IPv4 or IPv6 is used).
diff --git a/keepalived/vrrp/vrrp_parser.c b/keepalived/vrrp/vrrp_parser.c
index a43edc7df..8e39412a9 100644
--- a/keepalived/vrrp/vrrp_parser.c
+++ b/keepalived/vrrp/vrrp_parser.c
@@ -560,49 +560,54 @@ vrrp_vmac_handler(const vector_t *strvec)
 				report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "VMAC MAC address not allowed to be RFC5798 address (%s) - ignoring", strvec_slot(strvec, i));
 			else
 				__set_bit(VRRP_VMAC_MAC_SPECIFIED, &current_vrrp->flags);
-		} else {
-			name = strvec_slot(strvec, i);
 
-			/* The string "netlink_notify_msg" needs to be longer than IFNAMSIZ
-			 * so that it cannot be a valid interface name. */
-			if (!strcmp(name, "netlink_notify_msg")) {
-				__set_bit(VRRP_VMAC_NETLINK_NOTIFY, &current_vrrp->flags);
-				continue;
-			}
+			continue;
+		}
 
-			if (current_vrrp->vmac_ifname[0]) {
-				report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "VMAC interface name already specified");
-				continue;
-			}
+		if (!strcmp(strvec_slot(strvec, i), "netlink_notify_msg")) {
+			__set_bit(VRRP_VMAC_NETLINK_NOTIFY, &current_vrrp->flags);
+			continue;
+		}
 
-			if (!dev_name_valid(name)) {
-				report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "VMAC interface name '%s' too long or invalid characters - ignoring", name);
-				continue;
-			}
+		if (!strcmp(strvec_slot(strvec, i), "name")) {
+			/* Skip over "name" */
+			i++;
+		}
 
-			/* Check another vrrp instance isn't using this name */
-			list_for_each_entry(ovrrp, &vrrp_data->vrrp, e_list) {
-				if (!strcmp(name, ovrrp->vmac_ifname)) {
-					report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "(%s) VRRP instance %s is already using %s - ignoring name", current_vrrp->iname, ovrrp->iname, name);
-					name = NULL;
-					break;
-				}
-			}
+		if (current_vrrp->vmac_ifname[0]) {
+			report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "VMAC interface name already specified");
+			continue;
+		}
 
-			if (!name)
-				continue;
+		name = strvec_slot(strvec, i);
 
-			strcpy(current_vrrp->vmac_ifname, name);
+		if (!dev_name_valid(name)) {
+			report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "VMAC interface name '%s' too long or invalid characters - ignoring", name);
+			continue;
+		}
 
-			/* Check if the interface exists and is a macvlan we can use */
-			if ((ifp = if_get_by_ifname(current_vrrp->vmac_ifname, IF_NO_CREATE)) &&
-			    (ifp->if_type != IF_TYPE_MACVLAN ||
-			     ifp->vmac_type != MACVLAN_MODE_PRIVATE)) {
-				/* ??? also check ADDR_GEN_MODE and VRF enslavement matches parent */
-				report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "(%s) interface %s already exists and is not a private macvlan; ignoring vmac if_name", current_vrrp->iname, current_vrrp->vmac_ifname);
-				current_vrrp->vmac_ifname[0] = '\0';
+		/* Check another vrrp instance isn't using this name */
+		list_for_each_entry(ovrrp, &vrrp_data->vrrp, e_list) {
+			if (!strcmp(name, ovrrp->vmac_ifname)) {
+				report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "(%s) VRRP instance %s is already using %s - ignoring name", current_vrrp->iname, ovrrp->iname, name);
+				name = NULL;
+				break;
 			}
 		}
+
+		if (!name)
+			continue;
+
+		strcpy(current_vrrp->vmac_ifname, name);
+
+		/* Check if the interface exists and is a macvlan we can use */
+		if ((ifp = if_get_by_ifname(current_vrrp->vmac_ifname, IF_NO_CREATE)) &&
+		    (ifp->if_type != IF_TYPE_MACVLAN ||
+		     ifp->vmac_type != MACVLAN_MODE_PRIVATE)) {
+			/* ??? also check ADDR_GEN_MODE and VRF enslavement matches parent */
+			report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "(%s) interface %s already exists and is not a private macvlan; ignoring vmac if_name", current_vrrp->iname, current_vrrp->vmac_ifname);
+			current_vrrp->vmac_ifname[0] = '\0';
+		}
 	}
 }
 
@@ -677,7 +682,9 @@ vrrp_ipvlan_handler(const vector_t *strvec)
 			continue;
 		}
 
-		if (check_valid_ipaddress(strvec_slot(strvec, i), true)) {
+		if (!strcmp(strvec_slot(strvec, i), "name")) {
+			i++;
+		} else if (check_valid_ipaddress(strvec_slot(strvec, i), true)) {
 			parse_ipaddress(&addr, strvec_slot(strvec, i), true);
 			if (current_vrrp->ipvlan_addr) {
 				report_config_error(CONFIG_GENERAL_ERROR, "(%s) ipvlan address already specified - ignoring '%s'", current_vrrp->iname, strvec_slot(strvec, i));