diff --git a/include/uapi/linux/openvswitch.h b/include/uapi/linux/openvswitch.h
index 66d1c3ccfd8e..61b7d36dfe34 100644
--- a/include/uapi/linux/openvswitch.h
+++ b/include/uapi/linux/openvswitch.h
@@ -693,6 +693,17 @@ struct ovs_action_hash {
  * nothing if the connection is already committed will check that the current
  * packet is in conntrack entry's original direction.  If directionality does
  * not match, will delete the existing conntrack entry and commit a new one.
+ * @OVS_CT_ATTR_EVENTMASK: Mask of bits indicating which conntrack event types
+ * (enum ip_conntrack_events IPCT_*) should be reported.  For any bit set to
+ * zero, the corresponding event type is not generated.  Default behavior
+ * depends on system configuration, but typically all event types are
+ * generated, hence listening on NFNLGRP_CONNTRACK_UPDATE events may get a lot
+ * of events.  Explicitly passing this attribute allows limiting the updates
+ * received to the events of interest.  The bit 1 << IPCT_NEW, 1 <<
+ * IPCT_RELATED, and 1 << IPCT_DESTROY must be set to ones for those events to
+ * be received on NFNLGRP_CONNTRACK_NEW and NFNLGRP_CONNTRACK_DESTROY groups,
+ * respectively.  Remaining bits control the changes for which an event is
+ * delivered on the NFNLGRP_CONNTRACK_UPDATE group.
  */
 enum ovs_ct_attr {
 	OVS_CT_ATTR_UNSPEC,
@@ -704,6 +715,7 @@ enum ovs_ct_attr {
 				   related connections. */
 	OVS_CT_ATTR_NAT,        /* Nested OVS_NAT_ATTR_* */
 	OVS_CT_ATTR_FORCE_COMMIT,  /* No argument */
+	OVS_CT_ATTR_EVENTMASK,  /* u32 mask of IPCT_* events. */
 	__OVS_CT_ATTR_MAX
 };
 
diff --git a/net/openvswitch/conntrack.c b/net/openvswitch/conntrack.c
index 58de4c2da673..4f7c3b5c080b 100644
--- a/net/openvswitch/conntrack.c
+++ b/net/openvswitch/conntrack.c
@@ -66,7 +66,9 @@ struct ovs_conntrack_info {
 	u8 commit : 1;
 	u8 nat : 3;                 /* enum ovs_ct_nat */
 	u8 force : 1;
+	u8 have_eventmask : 1;
 	u16 family;
+	u32 eventmask;              /* Mask of 1 << IPCT_*. */
 	struct md_mark mark;
 	struct md_labels labels;
 #ifdef CONFIG_NF_NAT_NEEDED
@@ -1007,6 +1009,20 @@ static int ovs_ct_commit(struct net *net, struct sw_flow_key *key,
 	if (!ct)
 		return 0;
 
+	/* Set the conntrack event mask if given.  NEW and DELETE events have
+	 * their own groups, but the NFNLGRP_CONNTRACK_UPDATE group listener
+	 * typically would receive many kinds of updates.  Setting the event
+	 * mask allows those events to be filtered.  The set event mask will
+	 * remain in effect for the lifetime of the connection unless changed
+	 * by a further CT action with both the commit flag and the eventmask
+	 * option. */
+	if (info->have_eventmask) {
+		struct nf_conntrack_ecache *cache = nf_ct_ecache_find(ct);
+
+		if (cache)
+			cache->ctmask = info->eventmask;
+	}
+
 	/* Apply changes before confirming the connection so that the initial
 	 * conntrack NEW netlink event carries the values given in the CT
 	 * action.
@@ -1238,6 +1254,8 @@ static const struct ovs_ct_len_tbl ovs_ct_attr_lens[OVS_CT_ATTR_MAX + 1] = {
 	/* NAT length is checked when parsing the nested attributes. */
 	[OVS_CT_ATTR_NAT]	= { .minlen = 0, .maxlen = INT_MAX },
 #endif
+	[OVS_CT_ATTR_EVENTMASK]	= { .minlen = sizeof(u32),
+				    .maxlen = sizeof(u32) },
 };
 
 static int parse_ct(const struct nlattr *attr, struct ovs_conntrack_info *info,
@@ -1316,6 +1334,11 @@ static int parse_ct(const struct nlattr *attr, struct ovs_conntrack_info *info,
 			break;
 		}
 #endif
+		case OVS_CT_ATTR_EVENTMASK:
+			info->have_eventmask = true;
+			info->eventmask = nla_get_u32(a);
+			break;
+
 		default:
 			OVS_NLERR(log, "Unknown conntrack attr (%d)",
 				  type);
@@ -1515,6 +1538,10 @@ int ovs_ct_action_to_attr(const struct ovs_conntrack_info *ct_info,
 				   ct_info->helper->name))
 			return -EMSGSIZE;
 	}
+	if (ct_info->have_eventmask &&
+	    nla_put_u32(skb, OVS_CT_ATTR_EVENTMASK, ct_info->eventmask))
+		return -EMSGSIZE;
+
 #ifdef CONFIG_NF_NAT_NEEDED
 	if (ct_info->nat && !ovs_ct_nat_to_attr(ct_info, skb))
 		return -EMSGSIZE;