diff --git a/link.go b/link.go
index 0869ab3..24f480d 100644
--- a/link.go
+++ b/link.go
@@ -157,9 +157,17 @@ func (l *LinkService) Get(index uint32) (LinkMessage, error) {
 }
 
 // Set sets interface attributes according to the LinkMessage information.
+//
+// ref: https://lwn.net/Articles/236919/
+// We explicitly use RTM_NEWLINK to set link attributes instead of
+// RTM_SETLINK because:
+// - using RTM_SETLINK is actually an old rtnetlink API, not supporting most
+//   attributes common today
+// - using RTM_NEWLINK is the prefered way to create AND update links
+// - RTM_NEWLINK is backward compatible to RTM_SETLINK
 func (l *LinkService) Set(req *LinkMessage) error {
 	flags := netlink.Request | netlink.Acknowledge
-	_, err := l.c.Execute(req, unix.RTM_SETLINK, flags)
+	_, err := l.c.Execute(req, unix.RTM_NEWLINK, flags)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}