diff --git a/src/network/networkd-network.c b/src/network/networkd-network.c
index d04d523c32..de15074550 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-network.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-network.c
@@ -153,7 +153,6 @@ int network_verify(Network *network) {
         RoutePrefix *route_prefix, *route_prefix_next;
         Neighbor *neighbor, *neighbor_next;
         AddressLabel *label, *label_next;
-        NextHop *nexthop;
         Address *address, *address_next;
         Prefix *prefix, *prefix_next;
         Route *route, *route_next;
@@ -299,9 +298,7 @@ int network_verify(Network *network) {
                 if (route_section_verify(route, network) < 0)
                         route_free(route);
 
-        HASHMAP_FOREACH(nexthop, network->nexthops_by_section)
-                if (nexthop_section_verify(nexthop) < 0)
-                        nexthop_free(nexthop);
+        network_verify_nexthops(network);
 
         LIST_FOREACH_SAFE(static_fdb_entries, fdb, fdb_next, network->static_fdb_entries)
                 if (section_is_invalid(fdb->section))
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-nexthop.c b/src/network/networkd-nexthop.c
index 61c33f4900..1f03cbfe07 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-nexthop.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-nexthop.c
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@ int manager_rtnl_process_nexthop(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *message,
         return 1;
 }
 
-int nexthop_section_verify(NextHop *nh) {
+static int nexthop_section_verify(NextHop *nh) {
         if (section_is_invalid(nh->section))
                 return -EINVAL;
 
@@ -449,6 +449,16 @@ int nexthop_section_verify(NextHop *nh) {
         return 0;
 }
 
+void network_verify_nexthops(Network *network) {
+        NextHop *nh;
+
+        assert(network);
+
+        HASHMAP_FOREACH(nh, network->nexthops_by_section)
+                if (nexthop_section_verify(nh) < 0)
+                        nexthop_free(nh);
+}
+
 int config_parse_nexthop_id(
                 const char *unit,
                 const char *filename,
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-nexthop.h b/src/network/networkd-nexthop.h
index 8f4686d864..f286f0e61e 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-nexthop.h
+++ b/src/network/networkd-nexthop.h
@@ -30,7 +30,8 @@ typedef struct NextHop {
 } NextHop;
 
 NextHop *nexthop_free(NextHop *nexthop);
-int nexthop_section_verify(NextHop *nexthop);
+
+void network_verify_nexthops(Network *network);
 
 int link_set_nexthop(Link *link);