diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Compiler.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Compiler.pm
index 2be348182..fcd6a4068 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Compiler.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Compiler.pm
@@ -865,6 +865,11 @@ sub compiler {
 	#
 	compile_stop_firewall( $test, $export );
 	#
+	#                               U P D O W N
+	#               (Writes the updown() function to the compiled script)
+	#
+	compile_updown;
+	#
 	# Copy the footer to the script
 	#
 	unless ( $test ) {
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
index 4b60ae38b..d0d830001 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/Shorewall/Zones.pm
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ our @EXPORT = qw( NOTHING
 		  get_interface_option
 		  set_interface_option
 		  verify_required_interfaces
+		  compile_updown
 		  validate_hosts_file
 		  find_hosts_by_option
 		  all_ipsets
@@ -816,6 +817,8 @@ sub process_interface( $$ ) {
 
     my $hostoptionsref = {};
 
+    $options{ignore} = 1, $options = '-' if $options eq 'ignore';
+
     if ( $options ne '-' ) {
 
 	my %hostoptions = ( dynamic => 0 );
@@ -1225,6 +1228,91 @@ sub verify_required_interfaces() {
     $returnvalue;
 }
 
+#
+# Emit the updown() function
+#
+sub compile_updown() {
+    emit( '',
+	  '#',
+	  '# Handle the "up" and "down" commands',
+	  '#',
+	  'updown() # $1 = interface',
+	  '{',
+	);
+
+    push_indent;
+
+    emit( 'case $1 in' );
+
+    push_indent;
+
+    my $ignore   = find_interfaces_by_option 'ignore';
+    my $required = find_interfaces_by_option 'required';
+
+    if ( @$ignore ) {
+	my $interfaces = join '|', map $interfaces{$_}->{physical}, @$ignore;
+
+	$interfaces =~ s/\+/*/;
+
+	emit( "$interfaces)",
+	      '    exit 0',
+	      '    ;;'
+	    );
+    }
+
+    if ( @$required ) {
+	my $interfaces = join '|', map $interfaces{$_}->{physical}, @$required;
+
+	$interfaces =~ s/\+/*/;
+
+	emit( "$interfaces)",
+	      '    if [ "$COMMAND" = up ]; then',
+	      '        if shorewall_is_started; then',
+	      '            COMMAND=restart',
+	      '        else',
+	      '            COMMAND=start',
+	      '        fi',
+	      '',
+	      '        detect_configuration',
+	      '        define_firewall',
+	      '    else',
+	      '        COMMAND=close',
+	      '        detect_configuration',
+	      '        stop_firewall',
+	      '    fi',
+	      '    ;;'
+	    );
+    }
+
+    emit( "*)",
+	  '    if [ "$COMMAND" = up ]; then',
+	  '        if shorewall_is_started; then',
+	  '            COMMAND=restart',
+	  '        else',
+	  '            COMMAND=start',
+	  '        fi',
+	  '',
+	  '        detect_configuration',
+	  '        define_firewall',
+	  '    elif shorewall_is_started; then',        
+	  '        COMMAND=restart',
+	  '        detect_configuration',
+	  '        define_firewall',
+	  '    fi',
+	  '    ;;'
+	);
+
+    pop_indent;
+    
+    emit( 'esac' );
+
+    pop_indent;
+
+    emit( '}',
+	  '',
+	);
+}  
+
 #
 # Process a record in the hosts file
 #
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer
index 11e26dbf3..3d46159c9 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Give Usage Information
 #
 usage() {
-    echo "Usage: $0 [ options ] [ start|stop|close|clear|reset|refresh|restart|status|version ]"
+    echo "Usage: $0 [ options ] [ start|stop|close|clear|down|reset|refresh|restart|status|up|version ]"
     echo 
     echo "Options are:"
     echo
@@ -285,7 +285,7 @@ case "$COMMAND" in
 	if [ -f ${VARDIR}/state ]; then
 	    state="$(cat ${VARDIR}/state)"
 	    case $state in
-		Stopped*|Clear*)
+		Stopped*|Closed*|lClear*)
 		    status=3
 		    ;;
 	    esac
@@ -295,6 +295,13 @@ case "$COMMAND" in
 	echo "State:$state"
 	echo
 	;;
+    up|down)
+	[ $# -eq 1 ] && exit 0
+	shift
+	[ $# -ne 1 ] && usage 2
+	updown $@
+	status=0;
+	;;
     version)
 	[ $# -ne 1 ] && usage 2
 	echo $SHOREWALL_VERSION
diff --git a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer6 b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer6
index 253a2f2c9..312c67ef7 100644
--- a/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer6
+++ b/Shorewall/Perl/prog.footer6
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 # Give Usage Information
 #
 usage() {
-    echo "Usage: $0 [ options ] [ start|stop|close|clear|reset|refresh|restart|status|version ]"
+    echo "Usage: $0 [ options ] [ start|stop|close|clear|down|reset|refresh|restart|status|up|version ]"
     echo 
     echo "Options are:"
     echo
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ else
 	    if [ -f ${VARDIR}/state ]; then
 		state="$(cat ${VARDIR}/state)"
 		case $state in
-		    Stopped*|Clear*)
+		    Stopped*|Closed*|Clear*)
 			status=3
 			;;
 		esac
@@ -296,6 +296,13 @@ else
 	    echo "State:$state"
 	    echo
 	    ;;
+	up|down)
+	    [ $# -eq 1 ] && exit 0
+	    shift
+	    [ $# -ne 1 ] && usage 2
+	    updown $1
+	    status=0
+	    ;;
 	version)
 	    [ $# -ne 1 ] && usage 2
 	    echo $SHOREWALL_VERSION