diff --git a/client/firewall/iptables/router_linux.go b/client/firewall/iptables/router_linux.go
index d3441c69a..e9dfbd7ab 100644
--- a/client/firewall/iptables/router_linux.go
+++ b/client/firewall/iptables/router_linux.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import (
 	nberrors "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/errors"
 	firewall "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/firewall/manager"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/acl/id"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/routemanager/ipfwdstate"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/routemanager/refcounter"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/statemanager"
 	nbnet "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util/net"
@@ -76,6 +77,7 @@ type router struct {
 	legacyManagement bool
 
 	stateManager *statemanager.Manager
+	ipFwdState   *ipfwdstate.IPForwardingState
 }
 
 func newRouter(iptablesClient *iptables.IPTables, wgIface iFaceMapper) (*router, error) {
@@ -83,6 +85,7 @@ func newRouter(iptablesClient *iptables.IPTables, wgIface iFaceMapper) (*router,
 		iptablesClient: iptablesClient,
 		rules:          make(map[string][]string),
 		wgIface:        wgIface,
+		ipFwdState:     ipfwdstate.NewIPForwardingState(),
 	}
 
 	r.ipsetCounter = refcounter.New(
@@ -217,6 +220,10 @@ func (r *router) deleteIpSet(setName string) error {
 
 // AddNatRule inserts an iptables rule pair into the nat chain
 func (r *router) AddNatRule(pair firewall.RouterPair) error {
+	if err := r.ipFwdState.RequestForwarding(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if r.legacyManagement {
 		log.Warnf("This peer is connected to a NetBird Management service with an older version. Allowing all traffic for %s", pair.Destination)
 		if err := r.addLegacyRouteRule(pair); err != nil {
@@ -243,6 +250,10 @@ func (r *router) AddNatRule(pair firewall.RouterPair) error {
 
 // RemoveNatRule removes an iptables rule pair from forwarding and nat chains
 func (r *router) RemoveNatRule(pair firewall.RouterPair) error {
+	if err := r.ipFwdState.ReleaseForwarding(); err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("%v", err)
+	}
+
 	if err := r.removeNatRule(pair); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("remove nat rule: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -575,6 +586,10 @@ func (r *router) updateState() {
 }
 
 func (r *router) AddDNATRule(rule firewall.ForwardRule) (firewall.Rule, error) {
+	if err := r.ipFwdState.RequestForwarding(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	ruleKey := rule.ID()
 	if _, exists := r.rules[ruleKey+dnatSuffix]; exists {
 		return rule, nil
@@ -669,6 +684,10 @@ func (r *router) rollbackRules(rules map[string]ruleInfo) error {
 }
 
 func (r *router) DeleteDNATRule(rule firewall.Rule) error {
+	if err := r.ipFwdState.ReleaseForwarding(); err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("%v", err)
+	}
+
 	ruleKey := rule.ID()
 
 	var merr *multierror.Error
diff --git a/client/firewall/nftables/router_linux.go b/client/firewall/nftables/router_linux.go
index 3a96ea39b..6f7ebde5a 100644
--- a/client/firewall/nftables/router_linux.go
+++ b/client/firewall/nftables/router_linux.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	nberrors "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/errors"
 	firewall "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/firewall/manager"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/acl/id"
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/routemanager/ipfwdstate"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/routemanager/refcounter"
 	nbnet "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/util/net"
 )
@@ -56,16 +57,18 @@ type router struct {
 	ipsetCounter *refcounter.Counter[string, []netip.Prefix, *nftables.Set]
 
 	wgIface          iFaceMapper
+	ipFwdState       *ipfwdstate.IPForwardingState
 	legacyManagement bool
 }
 
 func newRouter(workTable *nftables.Table, wgIface iFaceMapper) (*router, error) {
 	r := &router{
-		conn:      &nftables.Conn{},
-		workTable: workTable,
-		chains:    make(map[string]*nftables.Chain),
-		rules:     make(map[string]*nftables.Rule),
-		wgIface:   wgIface,
+		conn:       &nftables.Conn{},
+		workTable:  workTable,
+		chains:     make(map[string]*nftables.Chain),
+		rules:      make(map[string]*nftables.Rule),
+		wgIface:    wgIface,
+		ipFwdState: ipfwdstate.NewIPForwardingState(),
 	}
 
 	r.ipsetCounter = refcounter.New(
@@ -464,6 +467,10 @@ func (r *router) deleteNftRule(rule *nftables.Rule, ruleKey string) error {
 
 // AddNatRule appends a nftables rule pair to the nat chain
 func (r *router) AddNatRule(pair firewall.RouterPair) error {
+	if err := r.ipFwdState.RequestForwarding(); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
 	if err := r.refreshRulesMap(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf(refreshRulesMapError, err)
 	}
@@ -890,6 +897,10 @@ func (r *router) removeAcceptForwardRulesIptables(ipt *iptables.IPTables) error
 
 // RemoveNatRule removes the prerouting mark rule
 func (r *router) RemoveNatRule(pair firewall.RouterPair) error {
+	if err := r.ipFwdState.ReleaseForwarding(); err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("%v", err)
+	}
+
 	if err := r.refreshRulesMap(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf(refreshRulesMapError, err)
 	}
@@ -951,6 +962,10 @@ func (r *router) refreshRulesMap() error {
 }
 
 func (r *router) AddDNATRule(rule firewall.ForwardRule) (firewall.Rule, error) {
+	if err := r.ipFwdState.RequestForwarding(); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
 	ruleKey := rule.ID()
 	if _, exists := r.rules[ruleKey+dnatSuffix]; exists {
 		return rule, nil
@@ -1174,6 +1189,10 @@ func (r *router) addDnatMasq(rule firewall.ForwardRule, protoNum uint8, ruleKey
 }
 
 func (r *router) DeleteDNATRule(rule firewall.Rule) error {
+	if err := r.ipFwdState.ReleaseForwarding(); err != nil {
+		log.Errorf("%v", err)
+	}
+
 	ruleKey := rule.ID()
 
 	if err := r.refreshRulesMap(); err != nil {
diff --git a/client/internal/routemanager/ipfwdstate/ipfwdstate.go b/client/internal/routemanager/ipfwdstate/ipfwdstate.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da81c18f9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/internal/routemanager/ipfwdstate/ipfwdstate.go
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+package ipfwdstate
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
+
+	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/routemanager/systemops"
+)
+
+// IPForwardingState is a struct that keeps track of the IP forwarding state.
+// todo: read initial state of the IP forwarding from the system and reset the state based on it
+type IPForwardingState struct {
+	enabledCounter int
+}
+
+func NewIPForwardingState() *IPForwardingState {
+	return &IPForwardingState{}
+}
+
+func (f *IPForwardingState) RequestForwarding() error {
+	if f.enabledCounter != 0 {
+		f.enabledCounter++
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if err := systemops.EnableIPForwarding(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to enable IP forwarding with sysctl: %w", err)
+	}
+	f.enabledCounter = 1
+	log.Info("IP forwarding enabled")
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (f *IPForwardingState) ReleaseForwarding() error {
+	if f.enabledCounter == 0 {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	if f.enabledCounter > 1 {
+		f.enabledCounter--
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// if failed to disable IP forwarding we anyway decrement the counter
+	f.enabledCounter = 0
+
+	// todo call systemops.DisableIPForwarding()
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/client/internal/routemanager/server_nonandroid.go b/client/internal/routemanager/server_nonandroid.go
index b60cb318e..6ff80e52d 100644
--- a/client/internal/routemanager/server_nonandroid.go
+++ b/client/internal/routemanager/server_nonandroid.go
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import (
 	firewall "github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/firewall/manager"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/iface"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/peer"
-	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/client/internal/routemanager/systemops"
 	"github.com/netbirdio/netbird/route"
 )
 
@@ -70,13 +69,6 @@ func (m *serverRouter) updateRoutes(routesMap map[route.ID]*route.Route) error {
 		m.routes[id] = newRoute
 	}
 
-	if len(m.routes) > 0 {
-		err := systemops.EnableIPForwarding()
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }