A software defined network controller detects when a host has moved between network elements in a network. The controller generates a list of network elements to which the host has roamed, the list being sorted by time when the host is attached to a network element so that a most recent network element to which the host is attached is the root network element and at a head of the list. The controller updates the root network element in the list first for traffic flow associated with the host. The controller sends commands to the network elements to program a tunnel from each previous point of attachment network element in the list to the most recent root network element in the list in reverse order of the roaming path so as to route traffic for the host via a tunnel.