2 files changed, 18 insertions, 3 deletions
diff --git a/pkg/tcpip/stack/iptables.go b/pkg/tcpip/stack/iptables.go
index dc2b77c9d..62d4eb1b6 100644
--- a/pkg/tcpip/stack/iptables.go
+++ b/pkg/tcpip/stack/iptables.go
@@ -170,6 +170,7 @@ func (it *IPTables) GetTable(name string) (Table, bool) {
 func (it *IPTables) ReplaceTable(name string, table Table) {
 	it.mu.Lock()
 	defer it.mu.Unlock()
+	it.modified = true
 	it.tables[name] = table
 }
 
@@ -201,6 +202,15 @@ const (
 //
 // Precondition: pkt.NetworkHeader is set.
 func (it *IPTables) Check(hook Hook, pkt *PacketBuffer, gso *GSO, r *Route, address tcpip.Address, nicName string) bool {
+	// Many users never configure iptables. Spare them the cost of rule
+	// traversal if rules have never been set.
+	it.mu.RLock()
+	if !it.modified {
+		it.mu.RUnlock()
+		return true
+	}
+	it.mu.RUnlock()
+
 	// Packets are manipulated only if connection and matching
 	// NAT rule exists.
 	it.connections.HandlePacket(pkt, hook, gso, r)
diff --git a/pkg/tcpip/stack/iptables_types.go b/pkg/tcpip/stack/iptables_types.go
index 72f1dd329..7026990c4 100644
--- a/pkg/tcpip/stack/iptables_types.go
+++ b/pkg/tcpip/stack/iptables_types.go
@@ -79,11 +79,11 @@ const (
 
 // IPTables holds all the tables for a netstack.
 type IPTables struct {
-	// mu protects tables and priorities.
+	// mu protects tables, priorities, and modified.
 	mu sync.RWMutex
 
-	// tables maps table names to tables. User tables have arbitrary names. mu
-	// needs to be locked for accessing.
+	// tables maps table names to tables. User tables have arbitrary names.
+	// mu needs to be locked for accessing.
 	tables map[string]Table
 
 	// priorities maps each hook to a list of table names. The order of the
@@ -91,6 +91,11 @@ type IPTables struct {
 	// hook. mu needs to be locked for accessing.
 	priorities map[Hook][]string
 
+	// modified is whether tables have been modified at least once. It is
+	// used to elide the iptables performance overhead for workloads that
+	// don't utilize iptables.
+	modified bool
+
 	connections ConnTrackTable
 }