diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index f021918311..363602e962 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -96,7 +96,6 @@ int link_add(Manager *m, struct udev_device *device, Link **ret) {
         Network *network;
         int r;
         uint64_t ifindex;
-        NetdevKind kind;
 
         assert(m);
         assert(device);
@@ -114,13 +113,6 @@ int link_add(Manager *m, struct udev_device *device, Link **ret) {
 
         *ret = link;
 
-        kind = netdev_kind_from_string(udev_device_get_devtype(device));
-        if (kind != _NETDEV_KIND_INVALID) {
-                r = netdev_set_link(m, kind, link);
-                if (r < 0 && r != -ENOENT)
-                        return r;
-        }
-
         r = network_get(m, device, &network);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r == -ENOENT ? 0 : r;
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-manager.c b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
index 7b93c5b5e8..a007b0485f 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-manager.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "networkd.h"
 #include "libudev-private.h"
 #include "udev-util.h"
+#include "rtnl-util.h"
 #include "mkdir.h"
 
 const char* const network_dirs[] = {
@@ -244,15 +245,31 @@ int manager_udev_listen(Manager *m) {
 static int manager_rtnl_process_link(sd_rtnl *rtnl, sd_rtnl_message *message, void *userdata) {
         Manager *m = userdata;
         Link *link;
+        const char *name;
         uint64_t ifindex_64;
         int r, ifindex;
 
         r = sd_rtnl_message_link_get_ifindex(message, &ifindex);
-        if (r < 0) {
+        if (r < 0 || ifindex <= 0) {
                 log_debug("received RTM_NEWLINK message without valid ifindex");
                 return 0;
         }
 
+        r = rtnl_message_link_get_ifname(message, &name);
+        if (r < 0)
+                log_debug("received RTM_NEWLINK message without valid IFLA_IFNAME");
+        else {
+                Netdev *netdev;
+
+                r = netdev_get(m, name, &netdev);
+                if (r >= 0) {
+                        r = netdev_set_ifindex(netdev, ifindex);
+                        if (r < 0)
+                                log_debug("could not set ifindex of netdev '%s' to %d: %s",
+                                          name, ifindex, strerror(-r));
+                }
+        }
+
         ifindex_64 = ifindex;
         link = hashmap_get(m->links, &ifindex_64);
         if (!link) {
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-netdev.c b/src/network/networkd-netdev.c
index 1a6eebe1a7..c0f3df5b66 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-netdev.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-netdev.c
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ static int netdev_enslave_ready(Netdev *netdev, Link* link, sd_rtnl_message_hand
                 return r;
         }
 
-        r = sd_rtnl_message_append_u32(req, IFLA_MASTER, netdev->link->ifindex);
+        r = sd_rtnl_message_append_u32(req, IFLA_MASTER, netdev->ifindex);
         if (r < 0) {
                 log_error_netdev(netdev,
                                  "Could not append IFLA_MASTER attribute: %s",
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ static int netdev_enter_ready(Netdev *netdev) {
 
 static int netdev_create_handler(sd_rtnl *rtnl, sd_rtnl_message *m, void *userdata) {
         Netdev *netdev = userdata;
-        int r;
+        int r, ifindex;
 
         assert(netdev->state != _NETDEV_STATE_INVALID);
 
@@ -152,6 +152,14 @@ static int netdev_create_handler(sd_rtnl *rtnl, sd_rtnl_message *m, void *userda
                 return 1;
         }
 
+        r = sd_rtnl_message_link_get_ifindex(m, &ifindex);
+        if (r < 0)
+                log_warning_netdev(netdev, "created netdev with unknown ifindex: %s", strerror(-r));
+        else {
+                log_info_netdev(netdev, "created netdev with ifindex %d", ifindex);
+                netdev_set_ifindex(netdev, ifindex);
+        }
+
         return 1;
 }
 
@@ -288,21 +296,18 @@ int netdev_enslave(Netdev *netdev, Link *link, sd_rtnl_message_handler_t callbac
         return 0;
 }
 
-int netdev_set_link(Manager *m, NetdevKind kind, Link *link) {
-        Netdev *netdev;
-        int r;
+int netdev_set_ifindex(Netdev *netdev, int ifindex) {
+        assert(netdev);
+        assert(ifindex > 0);
 
-        r = netdev_get(m, link->ifname, &netdev);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return r;
+        if (netdev->ifindex > 0) {
+                if (netdev->ifindex == ifindex)
+                        return 0;
+                else
+                        return -EEXIST;
+        }
 
-        if (netdev->link && netdev->link != link)
-                return -EEXIST;
-
-        if (netdev->kind != kind)
-                return -EINVAL;
-
-        netdev->link = link;
+        netdev->ifindex = ifindex;
 
         netdev_enter_ready(netdev);
 
diff --git a/src/network/networkd.h b/src/network/networkd.h
index 01a8a7f681..831a9cbdd9 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd.h
+++ b/src/network/networkd.h
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ struct Netdev {
 
         int vlanid;
 
-        Link *link;
+        int ifindex;
         NetdevState state;
 
         LIST_HEAD(netdev_enslave_callback, callbacks);
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ DEFINE_TRIVIAL_CLEANUP_FUNC(Netdev*, netdev_free);
 #define _cleanup_netdev_free_ _cleanup_(netdev_freep)
 
 int netdev_get(Manager *manager, const char *name, Netdev **ret);
-int netdev_set_link(Manager *m, NetdevKind kind, Link *link);
+int netdev_set_ifindex(Netdev *netdev, int ifindex);
 int netdev_enslave(Netdev *netdev, Link *link, sd_rtnl_message_handler_t cb);
 
 const char *netdev_kind_to_string(NetdevKind d) _const_;