diff --git a/doc/route.txt b/doc/route.txt
index cd24eef..c8f1735 100644
--- a/doc/route.txt
+++ b/doc/route.txt
@@ -645,9 +645,8 @@ This attribute is unused and obsoleted in all recent kernels.
 
 struct rtnl_link *link;
 
-link = rtnl_link_alloc();
+link = rtnl_link_bond_alloc();
 rtnl_link_set_name(link, "my_bond");
-rtnl_link_set_type(link, "bond");
 
 /* requires admin privileges */
 if (rtnl_link_add(sk, link, NLM_F_CREATE) < 0)
diff --git a/include/netlink/route/link/bonding.h b/include/netlink/route/link/bonding.h
index 78ee6bd..5c34662 100644
--- a/include/netlink/route/link/bonding.h
+++ b/include/netlink/route/link/bonding.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  *	License as published by the Free Software Foundation version 2.1
  *	of the License.
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2011 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
  */
 
 #ifndef NETLINK_LINK_BONDING_H_
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 extern "C" {
 #endif
 
+extern struct rtnl_link *rtnl_link_bond_alloc(void);
+
 extern int	rtnl_link_bond_add(struct nl_sock *, const char *,
 				   struct rtnl_link *);
 
diff --git a/lib/route/link/bonding.c b/lib/route/link/bonding.c
index b060ee1..f4c520b 100644
--- a/lib/route/link/bonding.c
+++ b/lib/route/link/bonding.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  *	License as published by the Free Software Foundation version 2.1
  *	of the License.
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2011 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
+ * Copyright (c) 2011-2013 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
  */
 
 /**
@@ -24,6 +24,27 @@
 #include <netlink/netlink.h>
 #include <netlink-private/route/link/api.h>
 
+/**
+ * Allocate link object of type bond
+ *
+ * @return Allocated link object or NULL.
+ */
+struct rtnl_link *rtnl_link_bond_alloc(void)
+{
+	struct rtnl_link *link;
+	int err;
+
+	if (!(link = rtnl_link_alloc()))
+		return NULL;
+
+	if ((err = rtnl_link_set_type(link, "bond")) < 0) {
+		rtnl_link_put(link);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return link;
+}
+
 /**
  * Create a new kernel bonding device
  * @arg sock		netlink socket
@@ -54,22 +75,17 @@ int rtnl_link_bond_add(struct nl_sock *sock, const char *name,
 	struct rtnl_link *link;
 	int err;
 
-	if (!(link = rtnl_link_alloc()))
+	if (!(link = rtnl_link_bond_alloc()))
 		return -NLE_NOMEM;
 
-	if (!name) {
-		if (opts)
-			name = rtnl_link_get_name(opts);
-	}
-
-	if ((err = rtnl_link_set_type(link, "bond")) < 0)
-		goto errout;
+	if (!name && opts)
+		name = rtnl_link_get_name(opts);
 
 	if (name)
 		rtnl_link_set_name(link, name);
 
 	err = rtnl_link_add(sock, link, NLM_F_CREATE);
-errout:
+
 	rtnl_link_put(link);
 
 	return err;
@@ -94,12 +110,9 @@ int rtnl_link_bond_enslave_ifindex(struct nl_sock *sock, int master,
 	struct rtnl_link *link;
 	int err;
 
-	if (!(link = rtnl_link_alloc()))
+	if (!(link = rtnl_link_bond_alloc()))
 		return -NLE_NOMEM;
 
-	if ((err = rtnl_link_set_type(link, "bond")) < 0)
-		goto errout;
-
 	rtnl_link_set_ifindex(link, slave);
 	rtnl_link_set_master(link, master);
 	
diff --git a/tests/test-create-bond.c b/tests/test-create-bond.c
index e54b0e6..11bc5b0 100644
--- a/tests/test-create-bond.c
+++ b/tests/test-create-bond.c
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 #include <netlink/netlink.h>
 #include <netlink/route/link.h>
+#include <netlink/route/link/bonding.h>
 
 int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 {
@@ -13,14 +14,9 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return err;
 	}
 
-	link = rtnl_link_alloc();
+	link = rtnl_link_bond_alloc();
 	rtnl_link_set_name(link, "my_bond");
 
-	if ((err = rtnl_link_set_type(link, "bond")) < 0) {
-		nl_perror(err, "Unable to set link info type");
-		return err;
-	}
-
 	if ((err = rtnl_link_add(sk, link, NLM_F_CREATE)) < 0) {
 		nl_perror(err, "Unable to add link");
 		return err;