diff --git a/lcpng.c b/lcpng.c
index 2ffd611..b611c9a 100644
--- a/lcpng.c
+++ b/lcpng.c
@@ -24,28 +24,28 @@
 lcp_main_t lcp_main;
 
 u8 *
-lcp_get_default_ns (void)
+lcp_get_netns (void)
 {
   lcp_main_t *lcpm = &lcp_main;
 
-  if (lcpm->default_namespace[0] == 0)
+  if (lcpm->netns_name[0] == 0)
     return 0;
-  return lcpm->default_namespace;
+  return lcpm->netns_name;
 }
 
 int
-lcp_get_default_ns_fd (void)
+lcp_get_netns_fd (void)
 {
   lcp_main_t *lcpm = &lcp_main;
 
-  return lcpm->default_ns_fd;
+  return lcpm->netns_fd;
 }
 
 /*
  * ns is expected to be or look like a NUL-terminated C string.
  */
 int
-lcp_set_default_ns (u8 *ns)
+lcp_set_netns (u8 *ns)
 {
   lcp_main_t *lcpm = &lcp_main;
   char *p;
@@ -59,18 +59,18 @@ lcp_set_default_ns (u8 *ns)
 
   if (!p || *p == 0)
     {
-      clib_memset (lcpm->default_namespace, 0,
-		   sizeof (lcpm->default_namespace));
-      if (lcpm->default_ns_fd > 0)
-	close (lcpm->default_ns_fd);
-      lcpm->default_ns_fd = 0;
+      clib_memset (lcpm->netns_name, 0,
+		   sizeof (lcpm->netns_name));
+      if (lcpm->netns_fd > 0)
+	close (lcpm->netns_fd);
+      lcpm->netns_fd = 0;
       return 0;
     }
 
-  clib_strncpy ((char *) lcpm->default_namespace, p, LCP_NS_LEN - 1);
+  clib_strncpy ((char *) lcpm->netns_name, p, LCP_NS_LEN - 1);
 
-  s = format (0, "/var/run/netns/%s%c", (char *) lcpm->default_namespace, 0);
-  lcpm->default_ns_fd = open ((char *) s, O_RDONLY);
+  s = format (0, "/var/run/netns/%s%c", (char *) lcpm->netns_name, 0);
+  lcpm->netns_fd = open ((char *) s, O_RDONLY);
   vec_free (s);
 
   return 0;
diff --git a/lcpng.h b/lcpng.h
index efddec3..4a47e6b 100644
--- a/lcpng.h
+++ b/lcpng.h
@@ -22,8 +22,8 @@
 typedef struct lcp_main_s
 {
   u16 msg_id_base;		    /* API message ID base */
-  u8 default_namespace[LCP_NS_LEN]; /* default namespace if set */
-  int default_ns_fd;
+  u8 netns_name[LCP_NS_LEN];        /* namespace, if set */
+  int netns_fd;
   /* Set when Unit testing */
   u8 test_mode;
 } lcp_main_t;
@@ -31,11 +31,11 @@ typedef struct lcp_main_s
 extern lcp_main_t lcp_main;
 
 /**
- * Get/Set the default namespace for LCP host taps.
+ * Get/Set the namespace in which to create LCP host taps.
  */
-int lcp_set_default_ns (u8 *ns);
-u8 *lcp_get_default_ns (void); /* Returns NULL or shared string */
-int lcp_get_default_ns_fd (void);
+int lcp_set_netns (u8 *ns);
+u8 *lcp_get_netns (void); /* Returns NULL or shared string */
+int lcp_get_netns_fd (void);
 
 #endif
 
diff --git a/lcpng_if.api b/lcpng_if.api
index da65814..d40c9a5 100644
--- a/lcpng_if.api
+++ b/lcpng_if.api
@@ -21,34 +21,34 @@ option version = "1.0.0";
 
 import "vnet/interface_types.api";
 
-/** \brief Set the default Linux Control Plane namespace
+/** \brief Set the namespace for Linux Control Plane host taps
     @param client_index - opaque cookie to identify the sender
     @param context - sender context, to match reply w/ request
-    @param namespace - the new default namespace; namespace[0] == 0 iff none
+    @param namespace - the new namespace; namespace[0] == 0 iff none
 */
-autoreply define lcp_default_ns_set
+autoreply define lcp_netns_set
 {
   u32 client_index;
   u32 context;
   string namespace[32];		/* LCP_NS_LEN */
 };
 
-/** \brief get the default Linux Control Plane namespace
+/** \brief get the Linux Control Plane namespace
     @param client_index - opaque cookie to identify the sender
     @param context - sender context, to match reply w/ request
 */
-define lcp_default_ns_get
+define lcp_netns_get
 {
   u32 client_index;
   u32 context;
 };
 
-/** \brief get the default Linux Control Plane namespace
+/** \brief get the Linux Control Plane namespace
     @param client_index - opaque cookie to identify the sender
     @param context - sender context, to match reply w/ request
-    @param namespace - the default namespace; namespace[0] == 0 iff none
+    @param namespace - the namespace; namespace[0] == 0 iff none
 */
-define lcp_default_ns_get_reply
+define lcp_netns_get_reply
 {
   u32 context;
   string namespace[32];		/* LCP_NS_LEN */
diff --git a/lcpng_if_api.c b/lcpng_if_api.c
index ba504d1..b9cc476 100644
--- a/lcpng_if_api.c
+++ b/lcpng_if_api.c
@@ -169,22 +169,22 @@ vl_api_lcp_itf_pair_get_t_handler (vl_api_lcp_itf_pair_get_t *mp)
 }
 
 static void
-vl_api_lcp_default_ns_set_t_handler (vl_api_lcp_default_ns_set_t *mp)
+vl_api_lcp_netns_set_t_handler (vl_api_lcp_netns_set_t *mp)
 {
-  vl_api_lcp_default_ns_set_reply_t *rmp;
+  vl_api_lcp_netns_set_reply_t *rmp;
   int rv;
 
   mp->namespace[LCP_NS_LEN - 1] = 0;
-  rv = lcp_set_default_ns (mp->namespace);
+  rv = lcp_set_netns (mp->namespace);
 
-  REPLY_MACRO (VL_API_LCP_DEFAULT_NS_SET_REPLY);
+  REPLY_MACRO (VL_API_LCP_NETNS_SET_REPLY);
 }
 
 static void
-vl_api_lcp_default_ns_get_t_handler (vl_api_lcp_default_ns_get_t *mp)
+vl_api_lcp_netns_get_t_handler (vl_api_lcp_netns_get_t *mp)
 {
   lcp_main_t *lcpm = &lcp_main;
-  vl_api_lcp_default_ns_get_reply_t *rmp;
+  vl_api_lcp_netns_get_reply_t *rmp;
   vl_api_registration_t *reg;
   char *ns;
 
@@ -194,10 +194,10 @@ vl_api_lcp_default_ns_get_t_handler (vl_api_lcp_default_ns_get_t *mp)
 
   rmp = vl_msg_api_alloc (sizeof (*rmp));
   clib_memset (rmp, 0, sizeof (*rmp));
-  rmp->_vl_msg_id = (VL_API_LCP_DEFAULT_NS_GET_REPLY + lcpm->msg_id_base);
+  rmp->_vl_msg_id = (VL_API_LCP_NETNS_GET_REPLY + lcpm->msg_id_base);
   rmp->context = mp->context;
 
-  ns = (char *) lcp_get_default_ns ();
+  ns = (char *) lcp_get_netns ();
   if (ns)
     clib_strncpy ((char *) rmp->namespace, ns, LCP_NS_LEN - 1);
 
diff --git a/lcpng_if_cli.c b/lcpng_if_cli.c
index e4f41d8..b09204e 100644
--- a/lcpng_if_cli.c
+++ b/lcpng_if_cli.c
@@ -111,45 +111,6 @@ VLIB_CLI_COMMAND (lcp_itf_pair_create_command, static) = {
   .function = lcp_itf_pair_create_command_fn,
 };
 
-static clib_error_t *
-lcp_default_netns_command_fn (vlib_main_t *vm, unformat_input_t *input,
-			      vlib_cli_command_t *cmd)
-{
-  unformat_input_t _line_input, *line_input = &_line_input;
-  u8 *ns;
-  int r;
-
-  if (!unformat_user (input, unformat_line_input, line_input))
-    return 0;
-
-  ns = 0;
-
-  while (unformat_check_input (line_input) != UNFORMAT_END_OF_INPUT)
-    {
-      if (unformat (line_input, "netns %s", &ns))
-	;
-      else if (unformat (line_input, "clear netns"))
-	;
-    }
-
-  unformat_free (line_input);
-
-  vlib_cli_output (vm, "lcp set default netns '%s'\n", (char *) ns);
-
-  r = lcp_set_default_ns (ns);
-
-  if (r)
-    return clib_error_return (0, "lcnpg set default netns failed (%d)", r);
-
-  return 0;
-}
-
-VLIB_CLI_COMMAND (lcp_default_netns_command, static) = {
-  .path = "lcpng default",
-  .short_help = "lcpng default netns [<namespace>]",
-  .function = lcp_default_netns_command_fn,
-};
-
 static clib_error_t *
 lcp_itf_pair_delete_command_fn (vlib_main_t *vm, unformat_input_t *input,
 				vlib_cli_command_t *cmd)
diff --git a/lcpng_interface.c b/lcpng_interface.c
index 690976f..304b4bf 100644
--- a/lcpng_interface.c
+++ b/lcpng_interface.c
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ lcp_itf_pair_show (u32 phy_sw_if_index)
   index_t api;
 
   vm = vlib_get_main ();
-  ns = lcp_get_default_ns ();
-  vlib_cli_output (vm, "lcp default netns '%s'\n",
+  ns = lcp_get_netns ();
+  vlib_cli_output (vm, "lcpng netns '%s'\n",
 		   ns ? (char *) ns : "<unset>");
 
   if (phy_sw_if_index == ~0)
@@ -516,9 +516,9 @@ lcp_itf_pair_config (vlib_main_t *vm, unformat_input_t *input)
 {
   u8 *host, *phy;
   u8 *ns;
-  u8 *default_ns;
+  u8 *netns;
 
-  host = phy = ns = default_ns = NULL;
+  host = phy = ns = netns = NULL;
 
   while (unformat_check_input (input) != UNFORMAT_END_OF_INPUT)
     {
@@ -552,14 +552,13 @@ lcp_itf_pair_config (vlib_main_t *vm, unformat_input_t *input)
 	  lipn->lipn_phy_name = vec_dup (phy);
 	  lipn->lipn_namespace = 0;
 	}
-      else if (unformat (input, "default netns %v", &default_ns))
+      else if (unformat (input, "netns %v", &netns))
 	{
-	  vec_add1 (default_ns, 0);
-	  if (lcp_set_default_ns (default_ns) < 0)
+	  vec_add1 (netns, 0);
+	  if (lcp_set_netns (netns) < 0)
 	    {
 	      return clib_error_return (0,
-					"lcpng default namespace must"
-					" be less than %d characters",
+					"lcpng namespace must be less than %d characters",
 					LCP_NS_LEN);
 	    }
 	}
@@ -569,7 +568,7 @@ lcp_itf_pair_config (vlib_main_t *vm, unformat_input_t *input)
 
   vec_free (host);
   vec_free (phy);
-  vec_free (default_ns);
+  vec_free (netns);
 
   return NULL;
 }
@@ -663,11 +662,10 @@ lcp_itf_pair_create (u32 phy_sw_if_index, u8 *host_if_name,
 
   /*
    * Use interface-specific netns if supplied.
-   * Otherwise, use default netns if defined.
-   * Otherwise ignore a netns and use the OS default.
+   * Otherwise, use netns if defined, otherwise use the OS default.
    */
   if (ns == 0 || ns[0] == 0)
-    ns = lcp_get_default_ns ();
+    ns = lcp_get_netns ();
 
   /* sub interfaces do not need a tap created */
   if (vnet_sw_interface_is_sub (vnm, phy_sw_if_index))