diff --git a/doc/user/nexthop_groups.rst b/doc/user/nexthop_groups.rst
index 45f64eecb7e6..be0cd0838c6d 100644
--- a/doc/user/nexthop_groups.rst
+++ b/doc/user/nexthop_groups.rst
@@ -27,3 +27,9 @@ listing of ECMP nexthops used to forward packets.
    will be automatically re-assigned.  This cli command must be the first
    command entered currently.  Additionally this command only works with linux 5.19
    kernels or newer.
+
+.. clicmd:: allow-recursion
+
+   By default, a nexthop group is only marked as active when its nexthop is
+   directly connected. The ``allow-recursion`` option allows zebra to resolve the
+   nexthop using other types of routes.
diff --git a/lib/nexthop_group.c b/lib/nexthop_group.c
index 11bd1299de1f..4a29aed8b062 100644
--- a/lib/nexthop_group.c
+++ b/lib/nexthop_group.c
@@ -650,6 +650,28 @@ DEFPY(nexthop_group_backup, nexthop_group_backup_cmd,
 	return CMD_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+DEFPY(nexthop_group_allow_recursion,
+      nexthop_group_allow_recursion_cmd,
+      "[no] allow-recursion",
+      NO_STR
+      "Allow recursion when the nexthop is not directly connected\n")
+{
+	VTY_DECLVAR_CONTEXT(nexthop_group_cmd, nhgc);
+
+	if (!!no == !CHECK_FLAG(nhgc->nhg.flags, NEXTHOP_GROUP_ALLOW_RECURSION))
+		return CMD_SUCCESS;
+
+	if (no)
+		UNSET_FLAG(nhgc->nhg.flags, NEXTHOP_GROUP_ALLOW_RECURSION);
+	else
+		SET_FLAG(nhgc->nhg.flags, NEXTHOP_GROUP_ALLOW_RECURSION);
+
+	if (nhg_hooks.modify)
+		nhg_hooks.modify(nhgc);
+
+	return CMD_SUCCESS;
+}
+
 DEFPY(no_nexthop_group_backup, no_nexthop_group_backup_cmd,
       "no backup-group [WORD$name]",
       NO_STR
@@ -1173,6 +1195,9 @@ static int nexthop_group_write(struct vty *vty)
 
 		vty_out(vty, "nexthop-group %s\n", nhgc->name);
 
+		if (CHECK_FLAG(nhgc->nhg.flags, NEXTHOP_GROUP_ALLOW_RECURSION))
+			vty_out(vty, " allow-recursion\n");
+
 		if (nhgc->nhg.nhgr.buckets)
 			vty_out(vty,
 				" resilient buckets %u idle-timer %u unbalanced-timer %u\n",
@@ -1376,6 +1401,7 @@ void nexthop_group_init(void (*new)(const char *name),
 
 	install_element(NH_GROUP_NODE, &nexthop_group_resilience_cmd);
 	install_element(NH_GROUP_NODE, &no_nexthop_group_resilience_cmd);
+	install_element(NH_GROUP_NODE, &nexthop_group_allow_recursion_cmd);
 
 	memset(&nhg_hooks, 0, sizeof(nhg_hooks));