diff --git a/client/internal/networkmonitor/check_change_linux.go b/client/internal/networkmonitor/check_change_linux.go
index efd8b5884..4fbff4448 100644
--- a/client/internal/networkmonitor/check_change_linux.go
+++ b/client/internal/networkmonitor/check_change_linux.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"net"
 	"syscall"
 
 	log "github.com/sirupsen/logrus"
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ func checkChange(ctx context.Context, nexthopv4, nexthopv6 systemops.Nexthop) er
 		// handle route changes
 		case route := <-routeChan:
 			// default route and main table
-			if route.Dst != nil || route.Table != syscall.RT_TABLE_MAIN {
+			if !isDefaultRoute(route.Dst) || route.Table != syscall.RT_TABLE_MAIN {
 				continue
 			}
 			switch route.Type {
@@ -52,3 +53,13 @@ func checkChange(ctx context.Context, nexthopv4, nexthopv6 systemops.Nexthop) er
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+// isDefaultRoute reports whether dst is a default route. netlink v1.3 reports
+// the default as 0.0.0.0/0 or ::/0, older versions as a nil Dst.
+func isDefaultRoute(dst *net.IPNet) bool {
+	if dst == nil {
+		return true
+	}
+	ones, _ := dst.Mask.Size()
+	return ones == 0
+}
diff --git a/client/internal/networkmonitor/check_change_linux_test.go b/client/internal/networkmonitor/check_change_linux_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..13e1c9e6d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/internal/networkmonitor/check_change_linux_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+//go:build !android
+
+package networkmonitor
+
+import (
+	"net"
+	"testing"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+)
+
+func TestIsDefaultRoute(t *testing.T) {
+	mustCIDR := func(s string) *net.IPNet {
+		t.Helper()
+		_, n, err := net.ParseCIDR(s)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatalf("parse %s: %v", s, err)
+		}
+		return n
+	}
+
+	tests := []struct {
+		name string
+		dst  *net.IPNet
+		want bool
+	}{
+		// netlink before v1.3 left Dst nil for the default route.
+		{name: "nil dst", dst: nil, want: true},
+		// netlink v1.3 reports the default route with an explicit zero-length prefix.
+		{name: "v4 default", dst: mustCIDR("0.0.0.0/0"), want: true},
+		{name: "v6 default", dst: mustCIDR("::/0"), want: true},
+		// The exit node split routes and ordinary prefixes are not defaults.
+		{name: "v4 split half", dst: mustCIDR("0.0.0.0/1"), want: false},
+		{name: "v4 subnet", dst: mustCIDR("10.0.0.0/8"), want: false},
+		{name: "v4 host", dst: mustCIDR("1.1.1.1/32"), want: false},
+	}
+
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, tt.want, isDefaultRoute(tt.dst), "default route detection")
+		})
+	}
+}