diff --git a/cmd/ifquery.c b/cmd/ifquery.c
index 54625b1..25a09d3 100644
--- a/cmd/ifquery.c
+++ b/cmd/ifquery.c
@@ -215,7 +215,8 @@ list_state(struct lif_dict *state, struct match_options *opts)
 		    fnmatch(opts->include_pattern, entry->key, 0))
 			continue;
 
-		printf("%s=%s\n", entry->key, (const char *) entry->data);
+		struct lif_state_record *rec = entry->data;
+		printf("%s=%s %zu\n", entry->key, rec->mapped_if, rec->refcount);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/libifupdown/state.c b/libifupdown/state.c
index f130f05..5ff80cc 100644
--- a/libifupdown/state.c
+++ b/libifupdown/state.c
@@ -27,16 +27,21 @@ lif_state_read(struct lif_dict *state, FILE *fd)
 	while (lif_fgetline(linebuf, sizeof linebuf, fd))
 	{
 		char *ifname = lif_next_token(&bufp);
+		char *refcount = lif_next_token(&bufp);
+		size_t rc = 1;
 		char *equals_p = strchr(linebuf, '=');
 
+		if (*refcount)
+			rc = strtoul(refcount, NULL, 10);
+
 		if (equals_p == NULL)
 		{
-			lif_state_upsert(state, ifname, &(struct lif_interface){ .ifname = ifname });
+			lif_state_upsert(state, ifname, &(struct lif_interface){ .ifname = ifname, .refcount = rc });
 			continue;
 		}
 
 		*equals_p++ = '\0';
-		lif_state_upsert(state, ifname, &(struct lif_interface){ .ifname = equals_p });
+		lif_state_upsert(state, ifname, &(struct lif_interface){ .ifname = equals_p, .refcount = rc });
 	}
 
 	return true;
@@ -61,7 +66,12 @@ lif_state_read_path(struct lif_dict *state, const char *path)
 void
 lif_state_upsert(struct lif_dict *state, const char *ifname, struct lif_interface *iface)
 {
-	lif_dict_add(state, ifname, strdup(iface->ifname));
+	struct lif_state_record *rec = calloc(1, sizeof(*rec));
+
+	rec->mapped_if = strdup(iface->ifname);
+	rec->refcount = iface->refcount;
+
+	lif_dict_add(state, ifname, rec);
 }
 
 void
@@ -72,7 +82,10 @@ lif_state_delete(struct lif_dict *state, const char *ifname)
 	if (entry == NULL)
 		return;
 
-	free(entry->data);
+	struct lif_state_record *rec = entry->data;
+	free(rec->mapped_if);
+	free(rec);
+
 	lif_dict_delete_entry(state, entry);
 }
 
@@ -84,8 +97,9 @@ lif_state_write(const struct lif_dict *state, FILE *f)
 	LIF_DICT_FOREACH(iter, state)
 	{
 		struct lif_dict_entry *entry = iter->data;
+		struct lif_state_record *rec = entry->data;
 
-		fprintf(f, "%s=%s\n", entry->key, (const char *) entry->data);
+		fprintf(f, "%s=%s %zu\n", entry->key, rec->mapped_if, rec->refcount);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -111,7 +125,8 @@ lif_state_lookup(struct lif_dict *state, struct lif_dict *if_collection, const c
 	if (entry == NULL)
 		return NULL;
 
-	struct lif_dict_entry *if_entry = lif_dict_find(if_collection, (const char *) entry->data);
+	struct lif_state_record *rec = entry->data;
+	struct lif_dict_entry *if_entry = lif_dict_find(if_collection, rec->mapped_if);
 
 	if (if_entry == NULL)
 		return NULL;
@@ -127,9 +142,10 @@ lif_state_sync(struct lif_dict *state, struct lif_dict *if_collection)
 	LIF_DICT_FOREACH(iter, state)
 	{
 		struct lif_dict_entry *entry = iter->data;
+		struct lif_state_record *rec = entry->data;
 		struct lif_interface *iface = lif_interface_collection_find(if_collection, entry->key);
 
-		iface->refcount++;
+		iface->refcount = rec->refcount;
 	}
 
 	return true;
diff --git a/libifupdown/state.h b/libifupdown/state.h
index 584deca..8c46a63 100644
--- a/libifupdown/state.h
+++ b/libifupdown/state.h
@@ -19,6 +19,11 @@
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include "libifupdown/interface.h"
 
+struct lif_state_record {
+	char *mapped_if;
+	size_t refcount;
+};
+
 extern bool lif_state_read(struct lif_dict *state, FILE *f);
 extern bool lif_state_read_path(struct lif_dict *state, const char *path);
 extern void lif_state_upsert(struct lif_dict *state, const char *ifname, struct lif_interface *iface);