diff --git a/dist/images/start-ovs.sh b/dist/images/start-ovs.sh
index b57ee432f22..db9f30de9f9 100755
--- a/dist/images/start-ovs.sh
+++ b/dist/images/start-ovs.sh
@@ -18,10 +18,11 @@ echo "OVN_REMOTE_OPENFLOW_INTERVAL is set to $OVN_REMOTE_OPENFLOW_INTERVAL"
 # Check required kernel module
 modinfo openvswitch
 modinfo geneve
-modinfo ip_tables
 
 # CentOS 8 might not load iptables module by default, which will hurt nat function
-modprobe ip_tables
+if modinfo ip_tables; then
+  modprobe ip_tables
+fi
 
 # https://bugs.launchpad.net/neutron/+bug/1776778
 if grep -q "3.10.0-862" /proc/version