diff --git a/dataplane/forwarding/fwdport/ports/tap.go b/dataplane/forwarding/fwdport/ports/tap.go
index 05aa1426..90876c59 100644
--- a/dataplane/forwarding/fwdport/ports/tap.go
+++ b/dataplane/forwarding/fwdport/ports/tap.go
@@ -183,9 +183,9 @@ func stateFromAttrs(attrs *netlink.LinkAttrs) (fwdpb.PortState, fwdpb.PortState)
 
 	var state fwdpb.PortState
 	switch attrs.OperState {
-	case netlink.OperDown, netlink.OperLowerLayerDown:
+	case netlink.OperDown, netlink.OperLowerLayerDown, netlink.OperUnknown:
 		state = fwdpb.PortState_PORT_STATE_DISABLED_DOWN
-	case netlink.OperUp, netlink.OperUnknown: // TAP interface may be unknown state because the dataplane doesn't bind to its fd, so treat unknown as up.
+	case netlink.OperUp:
 		state = fwdpb.PortState_PORT_STATE_ENABLED_UP
 	}
 	return adminState, state
diff --git a/dataplane/saiserver/ports.go b/dataplane/saiserver/ports.go
index 9ab6f834..7e8b344b 100644
--- a/dataplane/saiserver/ports.go
+++ b/dataplane/saiserver/ports.go
@@ -241,10 +241,10 @@ func (port *port) CreatePort(ctx context.Context, req *saipb.CreatePortRequest)
 		}
 		// For ports that don't exist, do not create dataplane ports.
 		if _, err := getInterface(dev); err != nil {
-			attrs.OperStatus = saipb.PortOperStatus_PORT_OPER_STATUS_NOT_PRESENT.Enum()
+			attrs.OperStatus = saipb.PortOperStatus_PORT_OPER_STATUS_DOWN.Enum()
 			port.mgr.StoreAttributes(id, attrs)
 			// TODO: This should be a real error, improve once we a correct config solution.
-			// For now, create dummy port with no actions so we don't get a bunch error for a nonexistant port.
+			// For now, create dummy port with no actions so we don't get a bunch error for a nonexistent port.
 			fwdPort := &fwdpb.PortCreateRequest{
 				ContextId: &fwdpb.ContextId{Id: port.dataplane.ID()},
 				Port: &fwdpb.PortDesc{
@@ -527,28 +527,17 @@ func (port *port) createCPUPort(ctx context.Context) (uint64, error) {
 // SetPortAttributes sets the attributes in the request.
 func (port *port) SetPortAttribute(ctx context.Context, req *saipb.SetPortAttributeRequest) (*saipb.SetPortAttributeResponse, error) {
 	if req.AdminState != nil {
-		// Skip ports that don't exsit.
-		attrReq := &saipb.GetPortAttributeRequest{Oid: req.GetOid(), AttrType: []saipb.PortAttr{saipb.PortAttr_PORT_ATTR_OPER_STATUS}}
-		p := &saipb.GetPortAttributeResponse{}
-		if err := port.mgr.PopulateAttributes(attrReq, p); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
-		if p.GetAttr().GetOperStatus() == saipb.PortOperStatus_PORT_OPER_STATUS_NOT_PRESENT {
-			return nil, nil
-		}
-
 		stateReq := &fwdpb.PortStateRequest{
 			ContextId: &fwdpb.ContextId{Id: port.dataplane.ID()},
 			PortId:    &fwdpb.PortId{ObjectId: &fwdpb.ObjectId{Id: fmt.Sprint(req.GetOid())}},
 		}
-		stateReq.Operation = &fwdpb.PortInfo{
-			AdminStatus: fwdpb.PortState_PORT_STATE_DISABLED_DOWN,
-		}
+		stateReq.Operation = &fwdpb.PortInfo{}
 		if req.GetAdminState() {
 			stateReq.Operation.AdminStatus = fwdpb.PortState_PORT_STATE_ENABLED_UP
+		} else {
+			stateReq.Operation.AdminStatus = fwdpb.PortState_PORT_STATE_DISABLED_DOWN
 		}
-		_, err := port.dataplane.PortState(ctx, stateReq)
-		if err != nil {
+		if _, err := port.dataplane.PortState(ctx, stateReq); err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
 	}
@@ -709,7 +698,7 @@ func (port *port) RemovePort(ctx context.Context, req *saipb.RemovePortRequest)
 }
 
 func (port *port) Reset() {
-	slog.Info("reseting port")
+	slog.Info("resetting port")
 }
 
 type lagMember struct {
diff --git a/dataplane/saiserver/ports_test.go b/dataplane/saiserver/ports_test.go
index 6b853a41..8f1ca2fa 100644
--- a/dataplane/saiserver/ports_test.go
+++ b/dataplane/saiserver/ports_test.go
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ func TestCreatePort(t *testing.T) {
 			Oid: 3,
 		},
 		wantAttr: &saipb.PortAttribute{
-			OperStatus:                       saipb.PortOperStatus_PORT_OPER_STATUS_NOT_PRESENT.Enum(),
+			OperStatus:                       saipb.PortOperStatus_PORT_OPER_STATUS_DOWN.Enum(),
 			QosNumberOfQueues:                proto.Uint32(12),
 			HwLaneList:                       []uint32{1},
 			QosQueueList:                     []uint64{4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15},