diff --git a/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetNetworkFactory.java b/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetNetworkFactory.java
index ce0d77c..ef3abba 100644
--- a/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetNetworkFactory.java
+++ b/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetNetworkFactory.java
@@ -233,7 +233,8 @@
      * Update a network's configuration and restart it if necessary.
      *
      * @param ifaceName the interface name of the network to be updated.
-     * @param ipConfig the desired {@link IpConfiguration} for the given network.
+     * @param ipConfig the desired {@link IpConfiguration} for the given network or null. If
+     *                 {@code null} is passed, the existing IpConfiguration is not updated.
      * @param capabilities the desired {@link NetworkCapabilities} for the given network. If
      *                     {@code null} is passed, then the network's current
      *                     {@link NetworkCapabilities} will be used in support of existing APIs as
@@ -243,7 +244,7 @@
      */
     @VisibleForTesting(visibility = VisibleForTesting.Visibility.PACKAGE)
     protected void updateInterface(@NonNull final String ifaceName,
-            @NonNull final IpConfiguration ipConfig,
+            @Nullable final IpConfiguration ipConfig,
             @Nullable final NetworkCapabilities capabilities,
             @Nullable final IEthernetNetworkManagementListener listener) {
         if (!hasInterface(ifaceName)) {
@@ -499,7 +500,7 @@
             mLegacyType = getLegacyType(mCapabilities);
         }
 
-        void updateInterface(@NonNull final IpConfiguration ipConfig,
+        void updateInterface(@Nullable final IpConfiguration ipConfig,
                 @Nullable final NetworkCapabilities capabilities,
                 @Nullable final IEthernetNetworkManagementListener listener) {
             if (DBG) {
@@ -510,7 +511,9 @@
                 );
             }
 
-            mIpConfig = ipConfig;
+            if (null != ipConfig){
+                mIpConfig = ipConfig;
+            }
             if (null != capabilities) {
                 setCapabilities(capabilities);
             }
diff --git a/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetTracker.java b/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetTracker.java
index 1b696a4..074c81b 100644
--- a/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetTracker.java
+++ b/service-t/src/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetTracker.java
@@ -289,15 +289,20 @@
 
     @VisibleForTesting(visibility = PACKAGE)
     protected void updateConfiguration(@NonNull final String iface,
-            @NonNull final IpConfiguration ipConfig,
+            @Nullable final IpConfiguration ipConfig,
             @Nullable final NetworkCapabilities capabilities,
             @Nullable final IEthernetNetworkManagementListener listener) {
         if (DBG) {
             Log.i(TAG, "updateConfiguration, iface: " + iface + ", capabilities: " + capabilities
                     + ", ipConfig: " + ipConfig);
         }
-        final IpConfiguration localIpConfig = new IpConfiguration(ipConfig);
-        writeIpConfiguration(iface, localIpConfig);
+
+        final IpConfiguration localIpConfig = ipConfig == null
+                ? null : new IpConfiguration(ipConfig);
+        if (ipConfig != null) {
+            writeIpConfiguration(iface, localIpConfig);
+        }
+
         if (null != capabilities) {
             mNetworkCapabilities.put(iface, capabilities);
         }
diff --git a/tests/ethernet/java/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetNetworkFactoryTest.java b/tests/ethernet/java/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetNetworkFactoryTest.java
index 501324a..726833f 100644
--- a/tests/ethernet/java/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetNetworkFactoryTest.java
+++ b/tests/ethernet/java/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetNetworkFactoryTest.java
@@ -776,4 +776,28 @@
         verifyNoStopOrStart();
         assertFailedListener(listener, "can't be updated as it is not available");
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void testUpdateInterfaceWithNullIpConfiguration() throws Exception {
+        initEthernetNetworkFactory();
+        createAndVerifyProvisionedInterface(TEST_IFACE);
+
+        final IpConfiguration initialIpConfig = createStaticIpConfig();
+        mNetFactory.updateInterface(TEST_IFACE, initialIpConfig, null /*capabilities*/,
+                null /*listener*/);
+        triggerOnProvisioningSuccess();
+        verifyRestart(initialIpConfig);
+
+        // TODO: have verifyXyz functions clear invocations.
+        clearInvocations(mDeps);
+        clearInvocations(mIpClient);
+        clearInvocations(mNetworkAgent);
+
+
+        // verify that sending a null ipConfig does not update the current ipConfig.
+        mNetFactory.updateInterface(TEST_IFACE, null /*ipConfig*/, null /*capabilities*/,
+                null /*listener*/);
+        triggerOnProvisioningSuccess();
+        verifyRestart(initialIpConfig);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/tests/ethernet/java/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetServiceImplTest.java b/tests/ethernet/java/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetServiceImplTest.java
index 175a97d..2131f7f 100644
--- a/tests/ethernet/java/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetServiceImplTest.java
+++ b/tests/ethernet/java/com/android/server/ethernet/EthernetServiceImplTest.java
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@
             new EthernetNetworkUpdateRequest.Builder()
                     .setIpConfiguration(new IpConfiguration())
                     .build();
+    private static final EthernetNetworkUpdateRequest UPDATE_REQUEST_WITHOUT_IP_CONFIG =
+            new EthernetNetworkUpdateRequest.Builder()
+                    .setNetworkCapabilities(new NetworkCapabilities.Builder().build())
+                    .build();
     private static final IEthernetNetworkManagementListener NULL_LISTENER = null;
     private EthernetServiceImpl mEthernetServiceImpl;
     @Mock private Context mContext;
@@ -276,6 +280,15 @@
     }
 
     @Test
+    public void testUpdateConfigurationAcceptsRequestWithNullIpConfiguration() {
+        mEthernetServiceImpl.updateConfiguration(TEST_IFACE, UPDATE_REQUEST_WITHOUT_IP_CONFIG,
+                NULL_LISTENER);
+        verify(mEthernetTracker).updateConfiguration(eq(TEST_IFACE),
+                eq(UPDATE_REQUEST_WITHOUT_IP_CONFIG.getIpConfiguration()),
+                eq(UPDATE_REQUEST_WITHOUT_IP_CONFIG.getNetworkCapabilities()), isNull());
+    }
+
+    @Test
     public void testUpdateConfigurationRejectsInvalidTestRequest() {
         enableTestInterface();
         assertThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> {