diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_main.c b/bgpd/bgp_main.c
index 6b91a2cf1f16..1dc2d66fa0e7 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_main.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_main.c
@@ -488,6 +488,7 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv)
 
 	frr_config_fork();
 	/* must be called after fork() */
+	bgp_gr_apply_running_config();
 	bgp_pthreads_run();
 	frr_run(bm->master);
 
diff --git a/bgpd/bgp_open.c b/bgpd/bgp_open.c
index f17bc7b8c06e..7efc89b9222e 100644
--- a/bgpd/bgp_open.c
+++ b/bgpd/bgp_open.c
@@ -1293,6 +1293,89 @@ static void bgp_open_capability_orf(struct stream *s, struct peer *peer,
 	stream_putc_at(s, capp, cap_len);
 }
 
+
+static void bgp_peer_send_gr_capability(struct stream *s, struct peer *peer,
+				 unsigned long cp)
+{
+	int len;
+	iana_afi_t pkt_afi;
+	afi_t afi;
+	safi_t safi;
+	iana_safi_t pkt_safi;
+	uint32_t restart_time;
+	unsigned long capp = 0;
+	unsigned long rcapp = 0;
+
+	if ((bgp_peer_flag_check(peer,
+			PEER_FLAG_GRACEFUL_RESTART)) ||
+		(bgp_peer_flag_check(peer,
+			PEER_FLAG_GRACEFUL_RESTART_HELPER))) {
+
+		if (BGP_DEBUG(graceful_restart, GRACEFUL_RESTART))
+			zlog_debug(
+				"BGP_GR:: Sending helper Capability for Peer :%s :",
+				peer->host);
+
+		SET_FLAG(peer->cap, PEER_CAP_RESTART_ADV);
+		stream_putc(s, BGP_OPEN_OPT_CAP);
+		capp = stream_get_endp(s); /* Set Capability Len Pointer */
+		stream_putc(s, 0);	 /* Capability Length */
+		stream_putc(s, CAPABILITY_CODE_RESTART);
+		/* Set Restart Capability Len Pointer */
+		rcapp = stream_get_endp(s);
+		stream_putc(s, 0);
+		restart_time = peer->bgp->restart_time;
+		if ((peer->bgp->t_startup) &&
+			(bgp_peer_flag_check(peer,
+				PEER_FLAG_GRACEFUL_RESTART))) {
+			SET_FLAG(restart_time, RESTART_R_BIT);
+			SET_FLAG(peer->cap, PEER_CAP_RESTART_BIT_ADV);
+		}
+		stream_putw(s, restart_time);
+
+		/* Send address-family specific graceful-restart capability
+		 * only when GR config is present
+		 */
+		if (bgp_peer_flag_check(peer, PEER_FLAG_GRACEFUL_RESTART)) {
+			FOREACH_AFI_SAFI (afi, safi) {
+				if (peer->afc[afi][safi]) {
+					if (BGP_DEBUG(graceful_restart,
+							GRACEFUL_RESTART))
+						zlog_debug(
+						"BGP_GR:: Sending GR Capability for AFI :%d :, SAFI :%d:",
+						afi, safi);
+
+					/* Convert AFI, SAFI to values for
+					 * packet.
+					 */
+					bgp_map_afi_safi_int2iana(afi,
+							safi, &pkt_afi,
+							  &pkt_safi);
+					stream_putw(s, pkt_afi);
+					stream_putc(s, pkt_safi);
+					if (bgp_flag_check(peer->bgp,
+					   BGP_FLAG_GR_PRESERVE_FWD)) {
+						stream_putc(s, RESTART_F_BIT);
+
+					} else {
+						stream_putc(s, 0);
+					}
+				}
+			}
+		}
+
+		/* Total Graceful restart capability Len. */
+		len = stream_get_endp(s) - rcapp - 1;
+		stream_putc_at(s, rcapp, len);
+
+
+		/* Total Capability Len. */
+		len = stream_get_endp(s) - capp - 1;
+		stream_putc_at(s, capp, len);
+
+	}
+}
+
 /* Fill in capability open option to the packet. */
 void bgp_open_capability(struct stream *s, struct peer *peer)
 {
@@ -1303,7 +1386,6 @@ void bgp_open_capability(struct stream *s, struct peer *peer)
 	safi_t safi;
 	iana_safi_t pkt_safi;
 	as_t local_as;
-	uint32_t restart_time;
 	uint8_t afi_safi_count = 0;
 	int adv_addpath_tx = 0;
 
@@ -1496,52 +1578,10 @@ void bgp_open_capability(struct stream *s, struct peer *peer)
 				cmd_domainname_get());
 	}
 
-	/* Sending base graceful-restart capability irrespective of the config
-	 */
-	SET_FLAG(peer->cap, PEER_CAP_RESTART_ADV);
-	stream_putc(s, BGP_OPEN_OPT_CAP);
-	capp = stream_get_endp(s); /* Set Capability Len Pointer */
-	stream_putc(s, 0);	 /* Capability Length */
-	stream_putc(s, CAPABILITY_CODE_RESTART);
-	rcapp = stream_get_endp(s); /* Set Restart Capability Len Pointer */
-	stream_putc(s, 0);
-	restart_time = peer->bgp->restart_time;
-	if (peer->bgp->t_startup) {
-		SET_FLAG(restart_time, RESTART_R_BIT);
-		SET_FLAG(peer->cap, PEER_CAP_RESTART_BIT_ADV);
-	}
-	stream_putw(s, restart_time);
-
-	/* Send address-family specific graceful-restart capability only when GR
-	   config
-	   is present */
-	if (bgp_flag_check(peer->bgp, BGP_FLAG_GRACEFUL_RESTART)) {
-		FOREACH_AFI_SAFI (afi, safi) {
-			if (peer->afc[afi][safi]) {
-				/* Convert AFI, SAFI to values for
-				 * packet. */
-				bgp_map_afi_safi_int2iana(afi, safi, &pkt_afi,
-							  &pkt_safi);
-				stream_putw(s, pkt_afi);
-				stream_putc(s, pkt_safi);
-				if (bgp_flag_check(peer->bgp,
-						   BGP_FLAG_GR_PRESERVE_FWD))
-					stream_putc(s, RESTART_F_BIT);
-				else
-					stream_putc(s, 0);
-			}
-		}
-	}
-
-	/* Total Graceful restart capability Len. */
-	len = stream_get_endp(s) - rcapp - 1;
-	stream_putc_at(s, rcapp, len);
-
-	/* Total Capability Len. */
-	len = stream_get_endp(s) - capp - 1;
-	stream_putc_at(s, capp, len);
+	bgp_peer_send_gr_capability(s, peer, cp);
 
 	/* Total Opt Parm Len. */
 	len = stream_get_endp(s) - cp - 1;
 	stream_putc_at(s, cp, len);
+
 }