diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index 6746d88fc8..5f25873b46 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ static int link_update_flags(Link *link, sd_netlink_message *m) {
 static int link_new(Manager *manager, sd_netlink_message *message, Link **ret) {
         _cleanup_link_unref_ Link *link = NULL;
         uint16_t type;
-        const char *ifname;
+        const char *ifname, *kind = NULL;
         int r, ifindex;
         unsigned short iftype;
 
@@ -404,6 +404,15 @@ static int link_new(Manager *manager, sd_netlink_message *message, Link **ret) {
         assert(message);
         assert(ret);
 
+        /* check for link kind */
+        r = sd_netlink_message_enter_container(message, IFLA_LINKINFO);
+        if (r == 0) {
+                (void)sd_netlink_message_read_string(message, IFLA_INFO_KIND, &kind);
+                r = sd_netlink_message_exit_container(message);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return r;
+        }
+
         r = sd_netlink_message_get_type(message, &type);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
@@ -438,6 +447,12 @@ static int link_new(Manager *manager, sd_netlink_message *message, Link **ret) {
         if (!link->ifname)
                 return -ENOMEM;
 
+        if (kind) {
+                link->kind = strdup(kind);
+                if (!link->kind)
+                        return -ENOMEM;
+        }
+
         r = sd_netlink_message_read_ether_addr(message, IFLA_ADDRESS, &link->mac);
         if (r < 0)
                 log_link_debug_errno(link, r, "MAC address not found for new device, continuing without");
@@ -515,6 +530,9 @@ static void link_free(Link *link) {
 
         free(link->ifname);
 
+        if (link->kind)
+                free(link->kind);
+
         (void)unlink(link->state_file);
         free(link->state_file);
 
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.h b/src/network/networkd-link.h
index 7db94e79e8..2809b1fe0b 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.h
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.h
@@ -68,6 +68,7 @@ typedef struct Link {
 
         int ifindex;
         char *ifname;
+        char *kind;
         unsigned short iftype;
         char *state_file;
         struct ether_addr mac;