diff --git a/netns_linux.go b/netns_linux.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9a0d662
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netns_linux.go
@@ -0,0 +1,141 @@
+package netlink
+
+// Network namespace ID functions
+//
+// The kernel has a weird concept called the network namespace ID.
+// This is different from the file reference in proc (and any bind-mounted
+// namespaces, etc.)
+//
+// Instead, namespaces can be assigned a numeric ID at any time. Once set,
+// the ID is fixed. The ID can either be set manually by the user, or
+// automatically, triggered by certain kernel actions. The most common kernel
+// action that triggers namespace ID creation is moving one end of a veth pair
+// in to that namespace.
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+
+	"github.com/vishvananda/netlink/nl"
+	"golang.org/x/sys/unix"
+)
+
+// These can be replaced by the values from sys/unix when it is next released.
+const (
+	_ = iota
+	NETNSA_NSID
+	NETNSA_PID
+	NETNSA_FD
+)
+
+// GetNetNsIdByPid looks up the network namespace ID for a given pid (really thread id).
+// Returns -1 if the namespace does not have an ID set.
+func (h *Handle) GetNetNsIdByPid(pid int) (int, error) {
+	return h.getNetNsId(NETNSA_PID, uint32(pid))
+}
+
+// GetNetNsIdByPid looks up the network namespace ID for a given pid (really thread id).
+// Returns -1 if the namespace does not have an ID set.
+func GetNetNsIdByPid(pid int) (int, error) {
+	return pkgHandle.GetNetNsIdByPid(pid)
+}
+
+// SetNetNSIdByPid sets the ID of the network namespace for a given pid (really thread id).
+// The ID can only be set for namespaces without an ID already set.
+func (h *Handle) SetNetNsIdByPid(pid, nsid int) error {
+	return h.setNetNsId(NETNSA_PID, uint32(pid), uint32(nsid))
+}
+
+// SetNetNSIdByPid sets the ID of the network namespace for a given pid (really thread id).
+// The ID can only be set for namespaces without an ID already set.
+func SetNetNsIdByPid(pid, nsid int) error {
+	return pkgHandle.SetNetNsIdByPid(pid, nsid)
+}
+
+// GetNetNsIdByPid looks up the network namespace ID for a given fd.
+// fd must be an open file descriptor to a namespace file.
+// Returns -1 if the namespace does not have an ID set.
+func (h *Handle) GetNetNsIdByFd(fd int) (int, error) {
+	return h.getNetNsId(NETNSA_FD, uint32(fd))
+}
+
+// GetNetNsIdByPid looks up the network namespace ID for a given fd.
+// fd must be an open file descriptor to a namespace file.
+// Returns -1 if the namespace does not have an ID set.
+func GetNetNsIdByFd(fd int) (int, error) {
+	return pkgHandle.GetNetNsIdByFd(fd)
+}
+
+// SetNetNSIdByFd sets the ID of the network namespace for a given fd.
+// fd must be an open file descriptor to a namespace file.
+// The ID can only be set for namespaces without an ID already set.
+func (h *Handle) SetNetNsIdByFd(fd, nsid int) error {
+	return h.setNetNsId(NETNSA_FD, uint32(fd), uint32(nsid))
+}
+
+// SetNetNSIdByFd sets the ID of the network namespace for a given fd.
+// fd must be an open file descriptor to a namespace file.
+// The ID can only be set for namespaces without an ID already set.
+func SetNetNsIdByFd(fd, nsid int) error {
+	return pkgHandle.SetNetNsIdByFd(fd, nsid)
+}
+
+// getNetNsId requests the netnsid for a given type-val pair
+// type should be either NETNSA_PID or NETNSA_FD
+func (h *Handle) getNetNsId(attrType int, val uint32) (int, error) {
+	req := h.newNetlinkRequest(unix.RTM_GETNSID, unix.NLM_F_REQUEST)
+
+	rtgen := nl.NewRtGenMsg()
+	req.AddData(rtgen)
+
+	b := make([]byte, 4, 4)
+	native.PutUint32(b, val)
+	attr := nl.NewRtAttr(attrType, b)
+	req.AddData(attr)
+
+	msgs, err := req.Execute(unix.NETLINK_ROUTE, unix.RTM_NEWNSID)
+
+	if err != nil {
+		return 0, err
+	}
+
+	for _, m := range msgs {
+		msg := nl.DeserializeRtGenMsg(m)
+
+		attrs, err := nl.ParseRouteAttr(m[msg.Len():])
+		if err != nil {
+			return 0, err
+		}
+
+		for _, attr := range attrs {
+			switch attr.Attr.Type {
+			case NETNSA_NSID:
+				return int(int32(native.Uint32(attr.Value))), nil
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	return 0, fmt.Errorf("unexpected empty result")
+}
+
+// setNetNsId sets the netnsid for a given type-val pair
+// type should be either NETNSA_PID or NETNSA_FD
+// The ID can only be set for namespaces without an ID already set
+func (h *Handle) setNetNsId(attrType int, val uint32, newnsid uint32) error {
+	req := h.newNetlinkRequest(unix.RTM_NEWNSID, unix.NLM_F_REQUEST|unix.NLM_F_ACK)
+
+	rtgen := nl.NewRtGenMsg()
+	req.AddData(rtgen)
+
+	b := make([]byte, 4, 4)
+	native.PutUint32(b, val)
+	attr := nl.NewRtAttr(attrType, b)
+	req.AddData(attr)
+
+	b1 := make([]byte, 4, 4)
+	native.PutUint32(b1, newnsid)
+	attr1 := nl.NewRtAttr(NETNSA_NSID, b1)
+	req.AddData(attr1)
+
+	_, err := req.Execute(unix.NETLINK_ROUTE, unix.RTM_NEWNSID)
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/netns_test.go b/netns_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3415b9b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netns_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+// +build linux
+
+package netlink
+
+import (
+	"os"
+	"runtime"
+	"syscall"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/vishvananda/netns"
+)
+
+// TestNetNsIdByFd tests setting and getting the network namespace ID
+// by file descriptor. It opens a namespace fd, sets it to a random id,
+// then retrieves the ID.
+// This does not do any namespace switching.
+func TestNetNsIdByFd(t *testing.T) {
+	// create a network namespace
+	ns, err := netns.New()
+	CheckErrorFail(t, err)
+
+	// set its ID
+	// In an attempt to avoid namespace id collisions, set this to something
+	// insanely high. When the kernel assigns IDs, it does so starting from 0
+	// So, just use our pid shifted up 16 bits
+	wantID := os.Getpid() << 16
+
+	h, err := NewHandle()
+	CheckErrorFail(t, err)
+	err = h.SetNetNsIdByFd(int(ns), wantID)
+	CheckErrorFail(t, err)
+
+	// Get the ID back, make sure it matches
+	haveID, err := h.GetNetNsIdByFd(int(ns))
+	if haveID != wantID {
+		t.Errorf("GetNetNsIdByFd returned %d, want %d", haveID, wantID)
+	}
+
+	ns.Close()
+}
+
+// TestNetNsIdByPid tests manipulating namespace IDs by pid (really, task / thread id)
+// Does the same as TestNetNsIdByFd, but we need to change namespaces so we
+// actually have a pid in that namespace
+func TestNetNsIdByPid(t *testing.T) {
+	runtime.LockOSThread() // we need a constant OS thread
+	origNs, _ := netns.Get()
+
+	// create and enter a new netns
+	ns, err := netns.New()
+	CheckErrorFail(t, err)
+	err = netns.Set(ns)
+	CheckErrorFail(t, err)
+	// make sure we go back to the original namespace when done
+	defer func() {
+		err := netns.Set(origNs)
+		if err != nil {
+			panic("failed to restore network ns, bailing!")
+		}
+		runtime.UnlockOSThread()
+	}()
+
+	// As above, we'll pick a crazy large netnsid to avoid collisions
+	wantID := syscall.Gettid() << 16
+
+	h, err := NewHandle()
+	CheckErrorFail(t, err)
+	err = h.SetNetNsIdByPid(syscall.Gettid(), wantID)
+	CheckErrorFail(t, err)
+
+	//Get the ID and see if it worked
+	haveID, err := h.GetNetNsIdByPid(syscall.Gettid())
+	if haveID != wantID {
+		t.Errorf("GetNetNsIdByPid returned %d, want %d", haveID, wantID)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/netns_unspecified.go b/netns_unspecified.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5c5899e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/netns_unspecified.go
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+// +build !linux
+
+package netlink
+
+func GetNetNsIdByPid(pid int) (int, error) {
+	return 0, ErrNotImplemented
+}
+
+func SetNetNsIdByPid(pid, nsid int) error {
+	return ErrNotImplemented
+}
+
+func GetNetNsIdByFd(fd int) (int, error) {
+	return 0, ErrNotImplemented
+}
+
+func SetNetNsIdByFd(fd, nsid int) error {
+	return ErrNotImplemented
+}
diff --git a/nl/route_linux.go b/nl/route_linux.go
index f6906fc..03c1900 100644
--- a/nl/route_linux.go
+++ b/nl/route_linux.go
@@ -79,3 +79,29 @@ func (msg *RtNexthop) Serialize() []byte {
 	}
 	return buf
 }
+
+type RtGenMsg struct {
+	unix.RtGenmsg
+}
+
+func NewRtGenMsg() *RtGenMsg {
+	return &RtGenMsg{
+		RtGenmsg: unix.RtGenmsg{
+			Family: unix.AF_UNSPEC,
+		},
+	}
+}
+
+func (msg *RtGenMsg) Len() int {
+	return rtaAlignOf(unix.SizeofRtGenmsg)
+}
+
+func DeserializeRtGenMsg(b []byte) *RtGenMsg {
+	return &RtGenMsg{RtGenmsg: unix.RtGenmsg{Family: b[0]}}
+}
+
+func (msg *RtGenMsg) Serialize() []byte {
+	out := make([]byte, msg.Len())
+	out[0] = msg.Family
+	return out
+}