diff --git a/doc/route.txt b/doc/route.txt
index 61a84c4..cd24eef 100644
--- a/doc/route.txt
+++ b/doc/route.txt
@@ -693,15 +693,12 @@ int master_index;
 if (!(master_index = rtnl_link_name2i(link_cache, "eth0")))
 	/* error */
 
-/* allocate new link object to configure the vlan device */
-link = rtnl_link_alloc();
+/* allocate new link object of type vlan */
+link = rtnl_link_vlan_alloc();
 
 /* set eth0 to be our master device */
 rtnl_link_set_link(link, master_index);
 
-if ((err = rtnl_link_set_type(link, "vlan")) < 0)
-	/* error */
-
 rtnl_link_vlan_set_id(link, 10);
 
 if ((err = rtnl_link_add(sk, link, NLM_F_CREATE)) < 0)
diff --git a/include/netlink/route/link/vlan.h b/include/netlink/route/link/vlan.h
index 42768b6..f274163 100644
--- a/include/netlink/route/link/vlan.h
+++ b/include/netlink/route/link/vlan.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  *	License as published by the Free Software Foundation version 2.1
  *	of the License.
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2003-2008 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
+ * Copyright (c) 2003-2013 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
  */
 
 #ifndef NETLINK_LINK_VLAN_H_
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@ struct vlan_map
 
 #define VLAN_PRIO_MAX 7
 
+extern struct rtnl_link *rtnl_link_vlan_alloc(void);
+
 extern int		rtnl_link_is_vlan(struct rtnl_link *);
 
 extern char *		rtnl_link_vlan_flags2str(int, char *, size_t);
diff --git a/lib/route/link/vlan.c b/lib/route/link/vlan.c
index 4f44aa5..9bbe7d5 100644
--- a/lib/route/link/vlan.c
+++ b/lib/route/link/vlan.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  *	License as published by the Free Software Foundation version 2.1
  *	of the License.
  *
- * Copyright (c) 2003-2010 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
+ * Copyright (c) 2003-2013 Thomas Graf <tgraf@suug.ch>
  */
 
 /**
@@ -340,6 +340,27 @@ static struct rtnl_link_info_ops vlan_info_ops = {
  * @{
  */
 
+/**
+ * Allocate link object of type VLAN
+ *
+ * @return Allocated link object or NULL.
+ */
+struct rtnl_link *rtnl_link_vlan_alloc(void)
+{
+	struct rtnl_link *link;
+	int err;
+
+	if (!(link = rtnl_link_alloc()))
+		return NULL;
+
+	if ((err = rtnl_link_set_type(link, "vlan")) < 0) {
+		rtnl_link_put(link);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+
+	return link;
+}
+
 /**
  * Check if link is a VLAN link
  * @arg link		Link object
diff --git a/tests/test-create-vlan.c b/tests/test-create-vlan.c
index 00a4d91..64e478f 100644
--- a/tests/test-create-vlan.c
+++ b/tests/test-create-vlan.c
@@ -25,15 +25,10 @@ int main(int argc, char *argv[])
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	link = rtnl_link_alloc();
+	link = rtnl_link_vlan_alloc();
 
 	rtnl_link_set_link(link, master_index);
 
-	if ((err = rtnl_link_set_type(link, "vlan")) < 0) {
-		nl_perror(err, "Unable to set link info type");
-		return err;
-	}
-
 	rtnl_link_vlan_set_id(link, 10);
 
 	if ((err = rtnl_link_add(sk, link, NLM_F_CREATE)) < 0) {