diff --git a/pkg/lwip/contrib/_netif.c b/pkg/lwip/contrib/_netif.c
index 42902c7bff07..a931e68f1aad 100644
--- a/pkg/lwip/contrib/_netif.c
+++ b/pkg/lwip/contrib/_netif.c
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 
 #include "fmt.h"
 #include "lwip/netif/compat.h"
+#include "lwip/netifapi.h"
 #include "net/netif.h"
 
 int netif_get_name(netif_t *iface, char *name)
@@ -42,6 +43,17 @@ int netif_get_opt(netif_t *iface, netopt_t opt, uint16_t context,
     struct netdev *dev = netif->state;
     int res = -ENOTSUP;
     switch (opt) {
+    case NETOPT_ACTIVE: {
+            assert(max_len >= sizeof(netopt_enable_t));
+            netopt_enable_t *tgt = value;
+            if (netif_is_up(netif)) {
+                *tgt = NETOPT_ENABLE;
+            } else {
+                *tgt = NETOPT_DISABLE;
+            }
+            res = 0;
+        }
+        break;
 #ifdef MODULE_LWIP_IPV6
     case NETOPT_IPV6_ADDR: {
             assert(max_len >= sizeof(ipv6_addr_t));
@@ -74,13 +86,28 @@ int netif_get_opt(netif_t *iface, netopt_t opt, uint16_t context,
 int netif_set_opt(netif_t *iface, netopt_t opt, uint16_t context,
                   void *value, size_t value_len)
 {
-    (void)iface;
-    (void)opt;
     (void)context;
-    (void)value;
-    (void)value_len;
+    int res = -ENOTSUP;
+    lwip_netif_t *lwip_netif = (lwip_netif_t*) iface;
+    struct netif *netif = &lwip_netif->lwip_netif;
 
-    return -ENOTSUP;
+    switch (opt) {
+    case NETOPT_ACTIVE: {
+            assert(value_len >= sizeof(netopt_enable_t));
+            netopt_enable_t *state = value;
+            if (*state == NETOPT_ENABLE) {
+                netifapi_netif_set_up(netif);
+            } else {
+                netifapi_netif_set_down(netif);
+            }
+            res = 0;
+        }
+        break;
+    default:
+        break;
+    }
+
+    return res;
 }
 
 /** @} */
diff --git a/sys/include/net/netopt.h b/sys/include/net/netopt.h
index 6385e681450b..e94842dd90bd 100644
--- a/sys/include/net/netopt.h
+++ b/sys/include/net/netopt.h
@@ -299,6 +299,16 @@ typedef enum {
      */
     NETOPT_LINK,
 
+    /**
+     * @brief (@ref netopt_enable_t) network interface status.
+     *
+     * This option is used check state or to enable/disable the interface,
+     * regardless of link status.
+     *
+     * @note On error this option should return a negative number.
+     */
+    NETOPT_ACTIVE,
+
     /**
      * @brief   (@ref netopt_enable_t) CSMA/CA support
      *
diff --git a/sys/net/crosslayer/netopt/netopt.c b/sys/net/crosslayer/netopt/netopt.c
index 9c66cbc0b420..bfadebe8b6e2 100644
--- a/sys/net/crosslayer/netopt/netopt.c
+++ b/sys/net/crosslayer/netopt/netopt.c
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ static const char *_netopt_strmap[] = {
     [NETOPT_MAC_NO_SLEEP]          = "NETOPT_MAC_NO_SLEEP",
     [NETOPT_IS_WIRED]              = "NETOPT_IS_WIRED",
     [NETOPT_LINK]                  = "NETOPT_LINK",
+    [NETOPT_ACTIVE]                = "NETOPT_ACTIVE",
     [NETOPT_DEVICE_TYPE]           = "NETOPT_DEVICE_TYPE",
     [NETOPT_CHANNEL_PAGE]          = "NETOPT_CHANNEL_PAGE",
     [NETOPT_CCA_THRESHOLD]         = "NETOPT_CCA_THRESHOLD",
diff --git a/sys/shell/cmds/gnrc_netif.c b/sys/shell/cmds/gnrc_netif.c
index ac990ab97d6b..48aab41250ad 100644
--- a/sys/shell/cmds/gnrc_netif.c
+++ b/sys/shell/cmds/gnrc_netif.c
@@ -775,11 +775,17 @@ static void _netif_list(netif_t *iface)
         }
     }
 #endif /* MODULE_NETDEV_IEEE802154 */
-    netopt_enable_t link;
-    res = netif_get_opt(iface, NETOPT_LINK, 0, &link, sizeof(netopt_enable_t));
+    netopt_enable_t enabled;
+    res = netif_get_opt(iface, NETOPT_LINK, 0, &enabled, sizeof(enabled));
     if (res >= 0) {
-        printf(" Link: %s ", (link == NETOPT_ENABLE) ? "up" : "down" );
+        printf(" Link: %s ", (enabled == NETOPT_ENABLE) ? "up" : "down" );
     }
+#if IS_USED(MODULE_LWIP_NETIF) /* only supported on lwIP for now */
+    res = netif_get_opt(iface, NETOPT_ACTIVE, 0, &enabled, sizeof(enabled));
+    if (res >= 0) {
+        printf(" State: %s ", (enabled == NETOPT_ENABLE) ? "up" : "down" );
+    }
+#endif /* MODULE_LWIP_NETIF */
     line_thresh = _newline(0U, line_thresh);
     res = netif_get_opt(iface, NETOPT_ADDRESS_LONG, 0, hwaddr, sizeof(hwaddr));
     if (res >= 0) {
@@ -805,9 +811,9 @@ static void _netif_list(netif_t *iface)
     }
     res = netif_get_opt(iface, NETOPT_CSMA_RETRIES, 0, &u8, sizeof(u8));
     if (res >= 0) {
-        netopt_enable_t enable = NETOPT_DISABLE;
-        res = netif_get_opt(iface, NETOPT_CSMA, 0, &enable, sizeof(enable));
-        if ((res >= 0) && (enable == NETOPT_ENABLE)) {
+        enabled = NETOPT_DISABLE;
+        res = netif_get_opt(iface, NETOPT_CSMA, 0, &enabled, sizeof(enabled));
+        if ((res >= 0) && (enabled == NETOPT_ENABLE)) {
             printf(" CSMA Retries: %u ", (unsigned)u8);
         }
         line_thresh++;
@@ -1677,10 +1683,17 @@ static uint8_t _get_prefix_len(char *addr)
 
 static int _netif_link(netif_t *iface, netopt_enable_t en)
 {
+#if IS_USED(MODULE_LWIP_NETIF) /* lwIP sets netif state, not link state */
+    if (netif_set_opt(iface, NETOPT_ACTIVE, 0, &en, sizeof(en)) < 0) {
+        printf("error: unable to set state %s\n", en == NETOPT_ENABLE ? "up" : "down");
+        return 1;
+    }
+#else
     if (netif_set_opt(iface, NETOPT_LINK, 0, &en, sizeof(en)) < 0) {
         printf("error: unable to set link %s\n", en == NETOPT_ENABLE ? "up" : "down");
         return 1;
     }
+#endif
     return 0;
 }