diff --git a/systemvm/debian/opt/cloud/bin/configure.py b/systemvm/debian/opt/cloud/bin/configure.py
index bf48be66694c..8fe4e9db621f 100755
--- a/systemvm/debian/opt/cloud/bin/configure.py
+++ b/systemvm/debian/opt/cloud/bin/configure.py
@@ -81,6 +81,17 @@ def appendStringIfNotEmpty(s1, s2):
     return s1
 
 
+# nft names of the IPv6 extension headers, which can also be given as an ACL protocol number
+IP6_EXTHDR_NAMES = {0: "hbh", 43: "rt", 44: "frag", 60: "dst", 135: "mh"}
+
+
+def ip6ProtocolMatch(number):
+    """ An extension header number is matched as that extension header, any other as the protocol """
+    if number in IP6_EXTHDR_NAMES:
+        return "exthdr %s exists" % IP6_EXTHDR_NAMES[number]
+    return "meta l4proto %d" % number
+
+
 class CsPassword(CsDataBag):
 
     TOKEN_FILE = "/tmp/passwdsrvrtoken"
@@ -527,7 +538,7 @@ def __process_ip6(self, direction, rule_list):
                 if protocol != "all":
                     icmp_type = ""
                     if protocol == "protocol":
-                        protocol = "ip6 nexthdr %d" % rule['protocol']
+                        protocol = ip6ProtocolMatch(rule['protocol'])
                     proto = protocol
                     if proto == "icmp":
                         proto = proto_str = "icmpv6"
diff --git a/systemvm/test/TestCsAclIpv6.py b/systemvm/test/TestCsAclIpv6.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..21b17a044eab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/systemvm/test/TestCsAclIpv6.py
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+# Licensed to the Apache Software Foundation (ASF) under one
+# or more contributor license agreements.  See the NOTICE file
+# distributed with this work for additional information
+# regarding copyright ownership.  The ASF licenses this file
+# to you under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the
+# "License"); you may not use this file except in compliance
+# with the License.  You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#   http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+# software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+# "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+# KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+# specific language governing permissions and limitations
+# under the License.
+
+import unittest
+from configure import CsAcl
+
+
+class FakeConfig:
+
+    def __init__(self):
+        self.fw = []
+        self.ipv6_acl = []
+        self.nft_ipv4_acl = []
+
+    def get_fw(self):
+        return self.fw
+
+    def get_ipv6_acl(self):
+        return self.ipv6_acl
+
+    def get_nft_ipv4_acl(self):
+        return self.nft_ipv4_acl
+
+    def is_vpc(self):
+        return True
+
+    def is_routed(self):
+        return True
+
+
+class TestCsAclIpv6(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_protocol_number_rule_uses_meta_l4proto(self):
+        config = FakeConfig()
+        obj = {"device": "eth3", "nic_ip": "10.1.1.1", "nic_netmask": "24", "nic_ip6_cidr": "fd00:1::/64",
+               "ingress_rules": [{"type": "protocol", "protocol": 47, "cidr": "2001:db8::/64", "allowed": False}],
+               "egress_rules": [{"type": "protocol", "protocol": 50, "cidr": "2001:db8:1::/64", "allowed": True}]}
+        acl = CsAcl.AclDevice(obj, config)
+        acl.create()
+
+        # matched the way nft matches tcp, udp and icmpv6 rules
+        ingress = [r['rule'] for r in config.ipv6_acl if r.get('chain') == "eth3_ingress_policy" and 'rule' in r]
+        self.assertIn("ip6 saddr 2001:db8::/64 meta l4proto 47 drop", ingress)
+        egress = [r['rule'] for r in config.ipv6_acl if r.get('chain') == "eth3_egress_policy" and 'rule' in r]
+        self.assertIn("ip6 daddr 2001:db8:1::/64 meta l4proto 50 accept", egress)
+
+    def test_upper_layer_protocol_numbers_use_meta_l4proto(self):
+        config = FakeConfig()
+        rules = [{"type": "protocol", "protocol": p, "cidr": "2001:db8::/64", "allowed": True} for p in (6, 17, 51, 58, 132)]
+        obj = {"device": "eth3", "nic_ip": "10.1.1.1", "nic_netmask": "24", "nic_ip6_cidr": "fd00:1::/64",
+               "ingress_rules": rules, "egress_rules": []}
+        acl = CsAcl.AclDevice(obj, config)
+        acl.create()
+
+        ingress = [r['rule'] for r in config.ipv6_acl if r.get('chain') == "eth3_ingress_policy" and 'rule' in r]
+        for p in (6, 17, 51, 58, 132):
+            self.assertIn("ip6 saddr 2001:db8::/64 meta l4proto %d accept" % p, ingress)
+
+    def test_extension_header_number_rule(self):
+        config = FakeConfig()
+        rules = [{"type": "protocol", "protocol": p, "cidr": "2001:db8::/64", "allowed": False} for p in (0, 43, 44, 60, 135)]
+        obj = {"device": "eth3", "nic_ip": "10.1.1.1", "nic_netmask": "24", "nic_ip6_cidr": "fd00:1::/64",
+               "ingress_rules": rules, "egress_rules": []}
+        acl = CsAcl.AclDevice(obj, config)
+        acl.create()
+
+        ingress = [r['rule'] for r in config.ipv6_acl if r.get('chain') == "eth3_ingress_policy" and 'rule' in r]
+        for name in ("hbh", "rt", "frag", "dst", "mh"):
+            self.assertIn("ip6 saddr 2001:db8::/64 exthdr %s exists drop" % name, ingress)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    unittest.main()