In one embodiment, a connectivity verification protocol (CVP) session for a particular virtual interface (VI) may operate on a particular group of two or more line cards (LCs) on a network device. The group of LCs may then transmit CVP session packets, at a reduced rate that is sufficient to maintain the CVP session based on a negotiated CVP full rate, onto the particular VI through ingress path processing on the network device. Ingress path processing, in particular, takes transmitted CVP session packets and egresses them onto an appropriate LC of the network device currently responsible for the VI egress. Also, in response to receiving CVP session packets for the VI on an LC of the network device currently responsible for the VI ingress, the receiving LC may forward the received CVP session packets to the particular corresponding group of LCs, which may then process the received CVP session packets.