Providing protection to network traffic includes sending a Pseudowire protection configuration parameter for configuring a standby Pseudowire between a source node and a destination node, receiving a Pseudowire configuration acknowledgement indicating whether the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter has been accepted by the destination node, and in the event that the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter has been accepted by the destination node, using the standby Pseudowire, wherein the standby Pseudowire's configured based at least in part on the Pseudowire protection configuration parameter.