diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index 532f2d7f96..533193ac93 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -736,7 +736,7 @@ static void link_enter_unmanaged(Link *link) {
         link_dirty(link);
 }
 
-static int link_stop_clients(Link *link) {
+int link_stop_clients(Link *link) {
         int r = 0, k;
 
         assert(link);
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.h b/src/network/networkd-link.h
index b43401afc6..1366a29924 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.h
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.h
@@ -171,6 +171,8 @@ int dhcp6_configure(Link *link);
 int dhcp6_request_address(Link *link, int ir);
 int dhcp6_lease_pd_prefix_lost(sd_dhcp6_client *client, Link* link);
 
+int link_stop_clients(Link *link);
+
 const char* link_state_to_string(LinkState s) _const_;
 LinkState link_state_from_string(const char *s) _pure_;
 
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-manager.c b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
index c9579370cb..8c461a89e0 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-manager.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
@@ -1446,6 +1446,9 @@ void manager_free(Manager *m) {
         while ((link = hashmap_steal_first(m->links))) {
                 if (link->dhcp6_client)
                         (void) dhcp6_lease_pd_prefix_lost(link->dhcp6_client, link);
+
+                link_stop_clients(link);
+
                 link_unref(link);
         }