diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index 85d0c92b96..f3744e2354 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -3023,9 +3023,6 @@ static int link_reconfigure_internal(Link *link, sd_netlink_message *m, bool for
         Network *network;
         int r;
 
-        if (IN_SET(link->state, LINK_STATE_PENDING, LINK_STATE_LINGER))
-                return 0;
-
         if (m) {
                 _cleanup_strv_free_ char **s = NULL;
 
@@ -3128,6 +3125,9 @@ int link_reconfigure(Link *link, bool force) {
         _cleanup_(sd_netlink_message_unrefp) sd_netlink_message *req = NULL;
         int r;
 
+        if (IN_SET(link->state, LINK_STATE_PENDING, LINK_STATE_LINGER))
+                return 0;
+
         r = sd_rtnl_message_new_link(link->manager->rtnl, &req, RTM_GETLINK,
                                      link->ifindex);
         if (r < 0)