diff --git a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/devicemanager/web/AbstractDeviceResource.java b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/devicemanager/web/AbstractDeviceResource.java
index 40355bb9550ff9483cc3c978c2148b214fd606e9..595650f45ad385c76c4f5cf49148102a877c9d25 100644
--- a/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/devicemanager/web/AbstractDeviceResource.java
+++ b/src/main/java/net/floodlightcontroller/devicemanager/web/AbstractDeviceResource.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractDeviceResource extends ServerResource {
                     get(IDeviceService.class.getCanonicalName());  
                 
         MacAddress macAddress = MacAddress.NONE;
-        VlanVid vlan = VlanVid.ZERO;
+        VlanVid vlan = null; /* must be null for don't care */
         IPv4Address ipv4Address = IPv4Address.NONE;
         IPv6Address ipv6Address = IPv6Address.NONE;
         DatapathId switchDPID = DatapathId.NONE;