diff --git a/drivers/overlay/ostweaks_linux.go b/drivers/overlay/ostweaks_linux.go
index c00243ad2c..68f1ee9cee 100644
--- a/drivers/overlay/ostweaks_linux.go
+++ b/drivers/overlay/ostweaks_linux.go
@@ -3,15 +3,36 @@ package overlay
 import (
 	"io/ioutil"
 	"path"
+	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
 	"github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
 )
 
-var sysctlConf = map[string]string{
-	"net.ipv4.neigh.default.gc_thresh1": "8192",
-	"net.ipv4.neigh.default.gc_thresh2": "49152",
-	"net.ipv4.neigh.default.gc_thresh3": "65536",
+type conditionalCheck func(val1, val2 string) bool
+
+type osValue struct {
+	value   string
+	checkFn conditionalCheck
+}
+
+var osConfig = map[string]osValue{
+	"net.ipv4.neigh.default.gc_thresh1": {"8192", checkHigher},
+	"net.ipv4.neigh.default.gc_thresh2": {"49152", checkHigher},
+	"net.ipv4.neigh.default.gc_thresh3": {"65536", checkHigher},
+}
+
+func propertyIsValid(val1, val2 string, check conditionalCheck) bool {
+	if check == nil || check(val1, val2) {
+		return true
+	}
+	return false
+}
+
+func checkHigher(val1, val2 string) bool {
+	val1Int, _ := strconv.ParseInt(val1, 10, 32)
+	val2Int, _ := strconv.ParseInt(val2, 10, 32)
+	return val1Int < val2Int
 }
 
 // writeSystemProperty writes the value to a path under /proc/sys as determined from the key.
@@ -21,10 +42,31 @@ func writeSystemProperty(key, value string) error {
 	return ioutil.WriteFile(path.Join("/proc/sys", keyPath), []byte(value), 0644)
 }
 
+func readSystemProperty(key string) (string, error) {
+	keyPath := strings.Replace(key, ".", "/", -1)
+	value, err := ioutil.ReadFile(path.Join("/proc/sys", keyPath))
+	if err != nil {
+		return "", err
+	}
+	return string(value), nil
+}
+
 func applyOStweaks() {
-	for k, v := range sysctlConf {
-		if err := writeSystemProperty(k, v); err != nil {
-			logrus.Errorf("error setting the kernel parameter %s = %s, err: %s", k, v, err)
+	for k, v := range osConfig {
+		// read the existing property from disk
+		oldv, err := readSystemProperty(k)
+		if err != nil {
+			logrus.Errorf("error reading the kernel parameter %s, error: %s", k, err)
+			continue
+		}
+
+		if propertyIsValid(oldv, v.value, v.checkFn) {
+			// write new prop value to disk
+			if err := writeSystemProperty(k, v.value); err != nil {
+				logrus.Errorf("error setting the kernel parameter %s = %s, (leaving as %s) error: %s", k, v.value, oldv, err)
+				continue
+			}
+			logrus.Debugf("updated kernel parameter %s = %s (was %s)", k, v.value, oldv)
 		}
 	}
 }