diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
index f26a86f61..4bc9bb297 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Config.pm
@@ -440,6 +440,7 @@ sub initialize( $ ) {
 	      AUTOMAKE => undef ,
 	      WIDE_TC_MARKS => undef,
 	      TRACK_PROVIDERS => undef,
+	      LOGICAL_NAMES => undef,
 	      #
 	      # Packet Disposition
 	      #
@@ -547,6 +548,7 @@ sub initialize( $ ) {
 	      AUTOMAKE => undef ,
 	      WIDE_TC_MARKS => undef,
 	      TRACK_PROVIDERS => undef,
+	      LOGICAL_NAMES => undef,
 	      #
 	      # Packet Disposition
 	      #
@@ -2407,6 +2409,7 @@ sub get_configuration( $ ) {
     default_yes_no 'AUTOMAKE'                   , '';
     default_yes_no 'WIDE_TC_MARKS'              , '';
     default_yes_no 'TRACK_PROVIDERS'            , '';
+    default_yes_no 'LOGICAL_NAMES'              , '';
 
     $capabilities{XCONNMARK} = '' unless $capabilities{XCONNMARK_MATCH} and $capabilities{XMARK};
 
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
index fcd4a3d6a..db5c6c9b6 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
@@ -893,7 +893,7 @@ sub process_interface( $ ) {
 
 		if ( $option eq 'physical' ) {
 		    fatal_error "Invalid Physical interface name ($value)" unless $value =~ /^[\w.@%-]+\+?$/;
-		    # fatal_error "The 'physical' option is only allowed on bridge ports" unless $port;
+		    fatal_error "The 'physical' option is only allowed on bridge ports" unless $port || $config{LOGICAL_NAMES};
 		    my $wildphy = $value =~ /\+$/ ? 1 : 0;
 		    fatal_error "The type of 'physical' name ($value) doesn't match the type of interface name ($interface)" unless $wildphy == $wildcard;
 		    $physical = $value;