diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index 267b9c6ee7..4bfa610561 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -1907,20 +1907,12 @@ static int link_configure_addrgen_mode(Link *link) {
 
         if (!link_ipv6ll_enabled(link))
                 ipv6ll_mode = IN6_ADDR_GEN_MODE_NONE;
-        else {
-                const char *p = NULL;
-                _cleanup_free_ char *stable_secret = NULL;
-
-                p = strjoina("/proc/sys/net/ipv6/conf/", link->ifname, "/stable_secret");
-
+        else if (sysctl_read_ip_property(AF_INET6, link->ifname, "stable_secret", NULL) < 0)
                 /* The file may not exist. And event if it exists, when stable_secret is unset,
-                 * then reading the file fails and EIO is returned. */
-                r = read_one_line_file(p, &stable_secret);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        ipv6ll_mode = IN6_ADDR_GEN_MODE_EUI64;
-                else
-                        ipv6ll_mode = IN6_ADDR_GEN_MODE_STABLE_PRIVACY;
-        }
+                 * reading the file fails with EIO. */
+                ipv6ll_mode = IN6_ADDR_GEN_MODE_EUI64;
+        else
+                ipv6ll_mode = IN6_ADDR_GEN_MODE_STABLE_PRIVACY;
 
         r = sd_netlink_message_append_u8(req, IFLA_INET6_ADDR_GEN_MODE, ipv6ll_mode);
         if (r < 0)