diff --git a/criu/cr-service.c b/criu/cr-service.c
index a1987e713..88d4af725 100644
--- a/criu/cr-service.c
+++ b/criu/cr-service.c
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@
 #include <sys/wait.h>
 #include <sys/stat.h>
 #include <arpa/inet.h>
+#include <sched.h>
 
 #include "crtools.h"
 #include "cr_options.h"
@@ -459,6 +460,12 @@ static int setup_opts_from_req(int sk, CriuOpts *req)
 	if (req->has_ghost_limit)
 		opts.ghost_limit = req->ghost_limit;
 
+	if (req->has_empty_ns) {
+		opts.empty_ns = req->empty_ns;
+		if (req->empty_ns & ~(CLONE_NEWNET))
+			goto err;
+	}
+
 	if (req->n_irmap_scan_paths) {
 		for (i = 0; i < req->n_irmap_scan_paths; i++) {
 			if (irmap_scan_path_add(req->irmap_scan_paths[i]))
diff --git a/criu/crtools.c b/criu/crtools.c
index 9cf747593..fa4c4f766 100644
--- a/criu/crtools.c
+++ b/criu/crtools.c
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ void init_opts(void)
 	opts.ps_socket = -1;
 	opts.ghost_limit = DEFAULT_GHOST_LIMIT;
 	opts.timeout = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;
+	opts.empty_ns = 0;
 }
 
 static int parse_ns_string(const char *ptr)
@@ -272,6 +273,7 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *envp[])
 		{ "lsm-profile",		required_argument,	0, 1071 },
 		{ "timeout",			required_argument,	0, 1072 },
 		{ "external",			required_argument,	0, 1073	},
+		{ "empty-ns",			required_argument,	0, 1074	},
 		{ },
 	};
 
@@ -543,6 +545,14 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[], char *envp[])
 			if (add_external(optarg))
 				return 1;
 			break;
+		case 1074:
+			if (!strcmp("net", optarg))
+				opts.empty_ns |= CLONE_NEWNET;
+			else {
+				pr_err("Unsupported empty namespace: %s", optarg);
+				return 1;
+			}
+			break;
 		case 'V':
 			pr_msg("Version: %s\n", CRIU_VERSION);
 			if (strcmp(CRIU_GITID, "0"))
@@ -792,6 +802,9 @@ usage:
 "                            tty[rdev:dev]\n"
 "                            pipe[inode]\n"
 "                            socket[inode]\n"
+"  --empty-ns {net}\n"
+"			Create a namespace, but don't restore its properies.\n"
+"			An user will retore them from action scripts.\n"
 "\n"
 "* Logging:\n"
 "  -o|--log-file FILE    log file name\n"
diff --git a/criu/include/cr_options.h b/criu/include/cr_options.h
index 5c0e6332e..a6f0b3ee6 100644
--- a/criu/include/cr_options.h
+++ b/criu/include/cr_options.h
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ struct cr_options {
 	bool			lsm_supplied;
 	char			*lsm_profile;
 	unsigned int		timeout;
+	unsigned int		empty_ns;
 };
 
 extern struct cr_options opts;
diff --git a/criu/net.c b/criu/net.c
index 349859c6a..cf1e821bc 100644
--- a/criu/net.c
+++ b/criu/net.c
@@ -1062,16 +1062,18 @@ int dump_net_ns(int ns_id)
 		return -1;
 
 	ret = mount_ns_sysfs();
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = dump_netns_conf(fds);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = dump_links(fds);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = dump_ifaddr(fds);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = dump_route(fds);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = dump_rule(fds);
+	if (!(opts.empty_ns & CLONE_NEWNET)) {
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = dump_netns_conf(fds);
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = dump_links(fds);
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = dump_ifaddr(fds);
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = dump_route(fds);
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = dump_rule(fds);
+	}
 	if (!ret)
 		ret = dump_iptables(fds);
 	if (!ret)
@@ -1088,21 +1090,23 @@ int dump_net_ns(int ns_id)
 
 int prepare_net_ns(int pid)
 {
-	int ret;
+	int ret = 0;
 	NetnsEntry *netns = NULL;
 
-	ret = restore_netns_conf(pid, &netns);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = restore_links(pid, &netns);
-	if (netns)
-		netns_entry__free_unpacked(netns, NULL);
+	if (!(opts.empty_ns & CLONE_NEWNET)) {
+		ret = restore_netns_conf(pid, &netns);
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = restore_links(pid, &netns);
+		if (netns)
+			netns_entry__free_unpacked(netns, NULL);
 
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = restore_ifaddr(pid);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = restore_route(pid);
-	if (!ret)
-		ret = restore_rule(pid);
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = restore_ifaddr(pid);
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = restore_route(pid);
+		if (!ret)
+			ret = restore_rule(pid);
+	}
 	if (!ret)
 		ret = restore_iptables(pid);
 	if (!ret)
diff --git a/images/rpc.proto b/images/rpc.proto
index 4f6ed8df1..fac4b9fa0 100644
--- a/images/rpc.proto
+++ b/images/rpc.proto
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ message criu_opts {
 	optional uint32			ghost_limit	= 35 [default = 0x100000];
 	repeated string			irmap_scan_paths = 36;
 	repeated string			external	= 37;
+	optional uint32			empty_ns	= 38;
 }
 
 message criu_dump_resp {