diff --git a/lib/if.c b/lib/if.c
index 6f567861d19c..30618c53b965 100644
--- a/lib/if.c
+++ b/lib/if.c
@@ -322,8 +322,8 @@ struct interface *if_vrf_lookup_by_index_next(ifindex_t ifindex,
 
 	if (ifindex == 0) {
 		tmp_ifp = RB_MIN(if_index_head, &vrf->ifaces_by_index);
-		/* skip the vrf interface */
-		if (tmp_ifp && if_is_vrf(tmp_ifp))
+		/* skip the vrf interface or the lo interface */
+		if (tmp_ifp && if_is_loopback(tmp_ifp))
 			ifindex = tmp_ifp->ifindex;
 		else
 			return tmp_ifp;
@@ -331,8 +331,8 @@ struct interface *if_vrf_lookup_by_index_next(ifindex_t ifindex,
 
 	RB_FOREACH (tmp_ifp, if_index_head, &vrf->ifaces_by_index) {
 		if (found) {
-			/* skip the vrf interface */
-			if (tmp_ifp && if_is_vrf(tmp_ifp))
+			/* skip the vrf interface or the lo interface */
+			if (tmp_ifp && if_is_loopback(tmp_ifp))
 				continue;
 			else
 				return tmp_ifp;
diff --git a/lib/vrf.h b/lib/vrf.h
index 956730bac6ad..433de553e5f5 100644
--- a/lib/vrf.h
+++ b/lib/vrf.h
@@ -149,6 +149,9 @@ static inline uint32_t vrf_interface_count(struct vrf *vrf)
 	struct interface *ifp;
 
 	RB_FOREACH (ifp, if_name_head, &vrf->ifaces_by_name) {
+		/* skip the lo interface */
+		if (if_is_loopback_exact(ifp))
+			continue;
 		/* skip the l3mdev */
 		if (strncmp(ifp->name, vrf->name, VRF_NAMSIZ) == 0)
 			continue;