diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
index f4da40fed..c755101c9 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
@@ -265,7 +265,7 @@ our %prohibitunmanaged = (
 			  upnpclient     => 1,
 			 );
 
-our %defaultinterfaceoptions = ( routefilter => 1 , wait => 60, accept_ra => 1 , ignore => 3 );
+our %defaultinterfaceoptions = ( routefilter => 1 , wait => 60, accept_ra => 1 , ignore => 3, routeback => 1 );
 
 our %maxoptionvalue = ( routefilter => 2, mss => 100000 , wait => 120 , ignore => NO_UPDOWN | NO_SFILTER, accept_ra => 2 );
 
@@ -343,7 +343,7 @@ sub initialize( $$ ) {
 				  optional    => SIMPLE_IF_OPTION,
 				  proxyarp    => BINARY_IF_OPTION,
 				  required    => SIMPLE_IF_OPTION,
-				  routeback   => SIMPLE_IF_OPTION + IF_OPTION_ZONEONLY + IF_OPTION_HOST + IF_OPTION_VSERVER,
+				  routeback   => BINARY_IF_OPTION + IF_OPTION_ZONEONLY + IF_OPTION_HOST + IF_OPTION_VSERVER,
 				  routefilter => NUMERIC_IF_OPTION ,
 				  rpfilter    => SIMPLE_IF_OPTION,
 				  sfilter     => IPLIST_IF_OPTION,
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ sub initialize( $$ ) {
 				    optional    => SIMPLE_IF_OPTION,
 				    proxyndp    => BINARY_IF_OPTION,
 				    required    => SIMPLE_IF_OPTION,
-				    routeback   => SIMPLE_IF_OPTION + IF_OPTION_ZONEONLY + IF_OPTION_HOST + IF_OPTION_VSERVER,
+				    routeback   => BINARY_IF_OPTION + IF_OPTION_ZONEONLY + IF_OPTION_HOST + IF_OPTION_VSERVER,
 				    rpfilter    => SIMPLE_IF_OPTION,
 				    sfilter     => IPLIST_IF_OPTION,
 				    sourceroute => BINARY_IF_OPTION,
@@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@ sub process_interface( $$ ) {
 	    } elsif ( $type == BINARY_IF_OPTION ) {
 		$value = 1 unless defined $value;
 		fatal_error "Option value for '$option' must be 0 or 1" unless ( $value eq '0' || $value eq '1' );
-		fatal_error "The '$option' option may not be used with a wild-card interface name" if $wildcard;
+		fatal_error "The '$option' option may not be used with a wild-card interface name" if $wildcard && ! $type && IF_OPTION_WILDOK;
 		$options{$option} = $value;
 		$hostoptions{$option} = $value if $hostopt;
 	    } elsif ( $type == ENUM_IF_OPTION ) {
@@ -1325,10 +1325,10 @@ sub process_interface( $$ ) {
 	if ( $options{bridge} ) {
 	    require_capability( 'PHYSDEV_MATCH', 'The "bridge" option', 's');
 	    fatal_error "Bridges may not have wildcard names" if $wildcard;
-	    $hostoptions{routeback} = $options{routeback} = 1;
+	    $hostoptions{routeback} = $options{routeback} = 1 unless supplied $options{routeback};
 	}
 
-	$hostoptions{routeback} = $options{routeback} = is_a_bridge( $physical ) unless $export || $options{routeback} || $options{unmanaged};
+	$hostoptions{routeback} = $options{routeback} = is_a_bridge( $physical ) unless $export || supplied $options{routeback} || $options{unmanaged};
 
 	$hostoptionsref = \%hostoptions;
     } else {
diff --git a/Shorewall/manpages/shorewall-interfaces.xml b/Shorewall/manpages/shorewall-interfaces.xml
index eb039a784..6429defce 100644
--- a/Shorewall/manpages/shorewall-interfaces.xml
+++ b/Shorewall/manpages/shorewall-interfaces.xml
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ loc     eth2            -</programlisting>
                 changed; the value assigned to the setting will be the value
                 specified (if any) or 1 if no value is given.</para>
 
-                <para/>
+                <para></para>
 
                 <note>
                   <para>This option does not work with a wild-card
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ loc     eth2            -</programlisting>
 
                 <para>8 - do not reply for all local addresses</para>
 
-                <para/>
+                <para></para>
 
                 <note>
                   <para>This option does not work with a wild-card
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ loc     eth2            -</programlisting>
                   the INTERFACE column.</para>
                 </note>
 
-                <para/>
+                <para></para>
 
                 <warning>
                   <para>Do not specify <emphasis
@@ -411,7 +411,7 @@ loc     eth2            -</programlisting>
         1
         teastep@lists:~$ </programlisting>
 
-                <para/>
+                <para></para>
 
                 <note>
                   <para>This option does not work with a wild-card
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ loc     eth2            -</programlisting>
             </varlistentry>
 
             <varlistentry>
-              <term><emphasis role="bold">routeback</emphasis></term>
+              <term><emphasis role="bold">routeback[={0|1}]</emphasis></term>
 
               <listitem>
                 <para>If specified, indicates that Shorewall should include
@@ -591,6 +591,12 @@ loc     eth2            -</programlisting>
                 <option>sfilter</option> (see below) or
                 <option>routefilter</option> on all interfaces (see
                 below).</para>
+
+                <para>Beginning with Shorewall 4.5.18, you may specify this
+                option to explicitly reset (e.g., <emphasis
+                role="bold">routeback=0</emphasis>). This can be used to
+                override Shorewall's default setting for bridge devices which
+                is <emphasis role="bold">routeback=1</emphasis>.</para>
               </listitem>
             </varlistentry>
 
diff --git a/Shorewall6/manpages/shorewall6-interfaces.xml b/Shorewall6/manpages/shorewall6-interfaces.xml
index de27a9f51..0e7a1cc1b 100644
--- a/Shorewall6/manpages/shorewall6-interfaces.xml
+++ b/Shorewall6/manpages/shorewall6-interfaces.xml
@@ -413,7 +413,7 @@ loc     eth2            -</programlisting>
             </varlistentry>
 
             <varlistentry>
-              <term><emphasis role="bold">routeback</emphasis></term>
+              <term><emphasis role="bold">routeback[={0|1}]</emphasis></term>
 
               <listitem>
                 <para>If specified, indicates that shorewall6 should include
@@ -427,6 +427,12 @@ loc     eth2            -</programlisting>
                 <option>rpfilter</option> (see below) if you are running
                 Shorewall 4.5.7 or later; otherwise, you should specify
                 <option>sfilter</option> (see below).</para>
+
+                <para>Beginning with Shorewall 4.5.18, you may specify this
+                option to explicitly reset (e.g., <emphasis
+                role="bold">routeback=0</emphasis>). This can be used to
+                override Shorewall's default setting for bridge devices which
+                is <emphasis role="bold">routeback=1</emphasis>.</para>
               </listitem>
             </varlistentry>