diff --git a/lib/ovsdb-idl.c b/lib/ovsdb-idl.c
index 0292724..ab1ff01 100644
--- a/lib/ovsdb-idl.c
+++ b/lib/ovsdb-idl.c
@@ -109,7 +109,13 @@ struct ovsdb_idl {
     /* Transaction support. */
     struct ovsdb_idl_txn *txn;
     struct hmap outstanding_txns;
+
+    /* Conditional monitoring. */
     bool cond_changed;
+    unsigned int cond_seqno;   /* Keep track of condition clauses changes
+                                  over a single conditional monitoring session.
+                                  Reverts to zero when idl session
+                                  reconnects.  */
 };
 
 struct ovsdb_idl_txn {
@@ -284,6 +290,7 @@ ovsdb_idl_create(const char *remote, const struct ovsdb_idl_class *class,
     }
 
     idl->cond_changed = false;
+    idl->cond_seqno = 0;
     idl->state_seqno = UINT_MAX;
     idl->request_id = NULL;
     idl->schema = NULL;
@@ -372,6 +379,7 @@ ovsdb_idl_clear(struct ovsdb_idl *idl)
     }
 
     idl->cond_changed = false;
+    idl->cond_seqno = 0;
     ovsdb_idl_track_clear(idl);
 
     if (changed) {
@@ -460,6 +468,7 @@ ovsdb_idl_run(struct ovsdb_idl *idl)
                 /* Conditional monitor clauses were updated. Send out
                  * the next condition changes, in any, immediately. */
                 ovsdb_idl_send_cond_change(idl);
+                idl->cond_seqno++;
                 break;
 
             case IDL_S_MONITORING:
@@ -567,6 +576,26 @@ ovsdb_idl_get_seqno(const struct ovsdb_idl *idl)
     return idl->change_seqno;
 }
 
+/* Returns a "sequence number" that represents the number of conditional
+ * monitoring updates successfully received by the OVSDB server of an IDL
+ * connection.
+ *
+ * ovsdb_idl_set_condition() sets a new condition that is different from
+ * the current condtion, the next expected "sequence number" is returned.
+ *
+ * Whenever ovsdb_idl_get_cond_seqno() returns a value that matches
+ * the return value of ovsdb_idl_set_condition(),  The client is
+ * assured that:
+ *   -  The ovsdb_idl_set_condition() changes has been acknowledged by
+ *      theOVSDB sever
+ *
+ *    -'idl' now contains the content matches the new conditions.   */
+unsigned int
+ovsdb_idl_get_condition_seqno(const struct ovsdb_idl *idl)
+{
+    return idl->cond_seqno;
+}
+
 /* Returns true if 'idl' successfully connected to the remote database and
  * retrieved its contents (even if the connection subsequently dropped and is
  * in the process of reconnecting).  If so, then 'idl' contains an atomic
@@ -1047,20 +1076,29 @@ ovsdb_idl_condition_clone(struct ovsdb_idl_condition *dst,
     }
 }
 
-/* Sets the replication condition for 'tc' in 'idl' to 'condition' and arranges
- * to send the new condition to the database server. */
-void
+/* Sets the replication condition for 'tc' in 'idl' to 'condition' and
+ * arranges to send the new condition to the database server.
+ *
+ * Return the next conditional update sequence number. When this
+ * value and ovsdb_idl_get_condition_seqno() matchs, the 'idl'
+ * contains rows that match the 'condition'.
+ */
+unsigned int
 ovsdb_idl_set_condition(struct ovsdb_idl *idl,
                         const struct ovsdb_idl_table_class *tc,
                         const struct ovsdb_idl_condition *condition)
 {
     struct ovsdb_idl_table *table = ovsdb_idl_table_from_class(idl, tc);
+    unsigned int seqno = idl->cond_seqno;
     if (!ovsdb_idl_condition_equals(condition, &table->condition)) {
         ovsdb_idl_condition_destroy(&table->condition);
         ovsdb_idl_condition_clone(&table->condition, condition);
         idl->cond_changed = table->cond_changed = true;
         poll_immediate_wake();
+        return seqno + 1;
     }
+
+    return seqno;
 }
 
 static struct json *
diff --git a/lib/ovsdb-idl.h b/lib/ovsdb-idl.h
index f0326b4..743961b 100644
--- a/lib/ovsdb-idl.h
+++ b/lib/ovsdb-idl.h
@@ -349,8 +349,9 @@ void ovsdb_idl_condition_add_clause(struct ovsdb_idl_condition *,
 void ovsdb_idl_condition_add_clause_true(struct ovsdb_idl_condition *);
 bool ovsdb_idl_condition_is_true(const struct ovsdb_idl_condition *);
 
-void ovsdb_idl_set_condition(struct ovsdb_idl *,
-                             const struct ovsdb_idl_table_class *,
-                             const struct ovsdb_idl_condition *);
+unsigned int ovsdb_idl_set_condition(struct ovsdb_idl *,
+                                     const struct ovsdb_idl_table_class *,
+                                     const struct ovsdb_idl_condition *);
 
+unsigned int ovsdb_idl_get_condition_seqno(const struct ovsdb_idl *);
 #endif /* ovsdb-idl.h */
diff --git a/tests/test-ovsdb.c b/tests/test-ovsdb.c
index e297f9f..09e4f0d 100644
--- a/tests/test-ovsdb.c
+++ b/tests/test-ovsdb.c
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright (c) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016 Nicira, Inc.
+ * Copyright (c) 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017 Nicira, Inc.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -2294,7 +2294,12 @@ update_conditions(struct ovsdb_idl *idl, char *commands)
                 }
             }
         }
-        ovsdb_idl_set_condition(idl, tc, &cond);
+
+        unsigned int seqno = ovsdb_idl_get_condition_seqno(idl);
+        unsigned int next_seqno = ovsdb_idl_set_condition(idl, tc, &cond);
+        if (seqno == next_seqno ) {
+            ovs_fatal(0, "condition unchanged");
+        }
         ovsdb_idl_condition_destroy(&cond);
         json_destroy(json);
     }
