diff --git a/BZ_2159679-ovsdb-Fix-verification-error-when-ovs-daemon-off.patch b/BZ_2159679-ovsdb-Fix-verification-error-when-ovs-daemon-off.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1b3ffb0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/BZ_2159679-ovsdb-Fix-verification-error-when-ovs-daemon-off.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,72 @@
+From ae3f45a725cb2639ef9e4c6fab1aead0debe7c29 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Gris Ge <fge@redhat.com>
+Date: Tue, 10 Jan 2023 19:56:23 +0800
+Subject: [PATCH] ovsdb: Fix verification error when ovs daemon off
+
+When applying `ovs-db: {}` with ovs daemon stopped, nmstate will fail
+with:
+
+    NmstateError: VerificationError: Verification failure:
+    ovsdb.external_ids desire '{}', current 'null'
+
+Fixed by treating `ovs-db: {}` as
+
+```yml
+ovs-db:
+  external_ids: {}
+  other_config: {}
+```
+
+Unit test case and integration test case included.
+
+Signed-off-by: Gris Ge <fge@redhat.com>
+---
+ rust/src/lib/query_apply/ovs.rs  | 11 ++++++++++-
+ rust/src/lib/unit_tests/ovsdb.rs | 11 +++++++++++
+ 2 files changed, 21 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/rust/src/lib/query_apply/ovs.rs b/rust/src/lib/query_apply/ovs.rs
+index c1e0cf2e..13c4079d 100644
+--- a/rust/src/lib/query_apply/ovs.rs
++++ b/rust/src/lib/query_apply/ovs.rs
+@@ -30,8 +30,17 @@ impl MergedOvsDbGlobalConfig {
+             other_config: Some(other_config),
+             prop_list: vec!["external_ids", "other_config"],
+         };
++
+         let desired_value = serde_json::to_value(&desired)?;
+-        let current_value = serde_json::to_value(current)?;
++        let current_value = if current.is_none() {
++            serde_json::to_value(&OvsDbGlobalConfig {
++                external_ids: Some(HashMap::new()),
++                other_config: Some(HashMap::new()),
++                prop_list: Vec::new(),
++            })?
++        } else {
++            serde_json::to_value(current)?
++        };
+ 
+         if let Some((reference, desire, current)) = get_json_value_difference(
+             "ovsdb".to_string(),
+diff --git a/rust/src/lib/unit_tests/ovsdb.rs b/rust/src/lib/unit_tests/ovsdb.rs
+index 1c9618a2..698f1a65 100644
+--- a/rust/src/lib/unit_tests/ovsdb.rs
++++ b/rust/src/lib/unit_tests/ovsdb.rs
+@@ -156,3 +156,14 @@ other_config: {}
+         expect.other_config.as_ref().unwrap()
+     );
+ }
++
++#[test]
++fn test_ovsdb_verify_null_current() {
++    let desired: OvsDbGlobalConfig = serde_yaml::from_str("{}").unwrap();
++    let pre_apply_current = desired.clone();
++    let current = desired.clone();
++
++    let merged_ovsdb = MergedOvsDbGlobalConfig::new(desired, pre_apply_current);
++
++    merged_ovsdb.verify(&current).unwrap();
++}
+-- 
+2.39.0
+
diff --git a/nmstate.spec b/nmstate.spec
index bc1eb83..51e6c7c 100644
--- a/nmstate.spec
+++ b/nmstate.spec
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
 
 Name:           nmstate
 Version:        2.2.3
-Release:        2%{?dist}
+Release:        3%{?dist}
 Summary:        Declarative network manager API
 License:        LGPLv2+
 URL:            https://github.com/%{srcname}/%{srcname}
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Source0:        https://github.com/nmstate/nmstate/releases/download/v%{version}
 Source1:        https://github.com/nmstate/nmstate/releases/download/v%{version}/nmstate-%{version}.tar.gz.asc
 Source2:        https://nmstate.io/nmstate.gpg
 Source3:        https://github.com/nmstate/nmstate/releases/download/v%{version}/nmstate-vendor-%{version}.tar.xz
+Patch1:         BZ_2159679-ovsdb-Fix-verification-error-when-ovs-daemon-off.patch
 BuildRequires:  python3-devel
 BuildRequires:  python3-setuptools
 BuildRequires:  gnupg2
@@ -150,6 +151,9 @@ popd
 /sbin/ldconfig
 
 %changelog
+* Wed Jan 11 2023 Gris Ge <fge@redhat.com> - 2.2.3-3
+- Fix OVSDB verification error
+
 * Tue Jan 10 2023 Gris Ge <fge@redhat.com> - 2.2.3-2
 - Enable error message for rpm CI gating
 
diff --git a/tests/cli_query_reapply.sh b/tests/cli_query_reapply.sh
index 71dd38e..cf1492f 100755
--- a/tests/cli_query_reapply.sh
+++ b/tests/cli_query_reapply.sh
@@ -4,4 +4,6 @@ TMP_FILE=$(mktemp /tmp/nmstate.XXXXXX.yaml)
 
 nmstatectl show > $TMP_FILE
 
-nmstatectl set $TMP_FILE
+cat $TMP_FILE
+
+nmstatectl set $TMP_FILE -vvv