diff --git a/src/vrouter/VirtualRouter.cc b/src/vrouter/VirtualRouter.cc
index 9e0d889689..530bc112da 100644
--- a/src/vrouter/VirtualRouter.cc
+++ b/src/vrouter/VirtualRouter.cc
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ int VirtualRouter::release_network_leases(const VectorAttribute * nic)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    mac = nic->vector_value("MAC");
+    mac = nic->vector_value("VROUTER_MAC");
 
     vn = vnpool->get(vnid, true);
 
@@ -457,8 +457,7 @@ static void prepare_nic_vm(VectorAttribute * nic)
 
     if (floating)
     {
-        nic->remove("MAC");
-
+        vrouter_prefix(nic, "MAC");
         vrouter_prefix(nic, "IP");
         vrouter_prefix(nic, "IP6_LINK");
         vrouter_prefix(nic, "IP6_ULA");
@@ -659,10 +658,10 @@ int VirtualRouter::detach_nic(int nic_id)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    obj_template->remove(nic);
-
     release_network_leases(nic);
 
+    obj_template->remove(nic);
+
     // Update quotas
     tmpl.set(nic);