diff --git a/src/osmo-upf/upf_gtp.c b/src/osmo-upf/upf_gtp.c
index e2c6d07..528937b 100644
--- a/src/osmo-upf/upf_gtp.c
+++ b/src/osmo-upf/upf_gtp.c
@@ -178,6 +178,13 @@ static int dev_resolve_ifidx(struct upf_gtp_dev *dev)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static int upf_gtp_dev_create(struct upf_gtp_dev *dev, int gtp0_fd, int gtp1_fd)
+{
+	if (dev->sgsn_mode)
+		return gtp_dev_create_sgsn(-1, dev->name, gtp0_fd, gtp1_fd);
+	return gtp_dev_create(-1, dev->name, gtp0_fd, gtp1_fd);
+}
+
 int upf_gtp_dev_open(const char *name, bool create_gtp_dev, const char *local_addr, bool listen_for_gtpv0, bool sgsn_mode)
 {
 	const struct osmo_sockaddr any = {
@@ -235,10 +242,13 @@ int upf_gtp_dev_open(const char *name, bool create_gtp_dev, const char *local_ad
 	if (create_gtp_dev) {
 		int gtp0_fd = listen_for_gtpv0 ? dev->gtpv0.ofd.fd : -1;
 		int gtp1_fd = dev->gtpv1.ofd.fd;
-		if (dev->sgsn_mode)
-			rc = gtp_dev_create_sgsn(-1, dev->name, gtp0_fd, gtp1_fd);
-		else
-			rc = gtp_dev_create(-1, dev->name, gtp0_fd, gtp1_fd);
+
+		rc = upf_gtp_dev_create(dev, gtp0_fd, gtp1_fd);
+		if (rc == -EEXIST && gtp_dev_destroy(dev->name) == 0) {
+			LOG_GTP_DEV(dev, LOGL_ERROR, "deleted GTP device from unclean shutdown\n");
+			rc = upf_gtp_dev_create(dev, gtp0_fd, gtp1_fd);
+		}
+
 		if (rc < 0) {
 			LOG_GTP_DEV(dev, LOGL_ERROR, "Cannot create GTP device: rc=%d\n", rc);
 			/* name = NULL: signal to the destructor that it does not need to delete the device */