diff --git a/man/systemd.netdev.xml b/man/systemd.netdev.xml
index c2957fd182..b258e0c965 100644
--- a/man/systemd.netdev.xml
+++ b/man/systemd.netdev.xml
@@ -819,6 +819,13 @@
           <para>Accepts the same key in [VXLAN] section.</para>
         </listitem>
       </varlistentry>
+      <varlistentry>
+        <term><varname>Independent=</varname></term>
+        <listitem>
+          <para>Takes a boolean. When true, the vxlan interface is created without underlying interfaces.
+          Defaults to <literal>false</literal>.</para>
+        </listitem>
+      </varlistentry>
     </variablelist>
   </refsect1>
 
diff --git a/src/network/netdev/netdev-gperf.gperf b/src/network/netdev/netdev-gperf.gperf
index c532dfd268..2e69b17fe3 100644
--- a/src/network/netdev/netdev-gperf.gperf
+++ b/src/network/netdev/netdev-gperf.gperf
@@ -134,6 +134,7 @@ VXLAN.PortRange,                          config_parse_port_range,
 VXLAN.DestinationPort,                    config_parse_ip_port,                      0,                             offsetof(VxLan, dest_port)
 VXLAN.FlowLabel,                          config_parse_flow_label,                   0,                             0
 VXLAN.IPDoNotFragment,                    config_parse_df,                           0,                             offsetof(VxLan, df)
+VXLAN.Independent,                        config_parse_bool,                         0,                             offsetof(VxLan, independent)
 GENEVE.Id,                                config_parse_geneve_vni,                   0,                             offsetof(Geneve, id)
 GENEVE.Remote,                            config_parse_geneve_address,               0,                             offsetof(Geneve, remote)
 GENEVE.TOS,                               config_parse_uint8,                        0,                             offsetof(Geneve, tos)
diff --git a/src/network/netdev/netdev.c b/src/network/netdev/netdev.c
index 446a580e2c..3e32d83029 100644
--- a/src/network/netdev/netdev.c
+++ b/src/network/netdev/netdev.c
@@ -823,6 +823,9 @@ int netdev_load_one(Manager *manager, const char *filename) {
         case NETDEV_KIND_XFRM:
                 independent = XFRM(netdev)->independent;
                 break;
+        case NETDEV_KIND_VXLAN:
+                independent = VXLAN(netdev)->independent;
+                break;
         default:
                 break;
         }
diff --git a/src/network/netdev/vxlan.c b/src/network/netdev/vxlan.c
index 373ff789aa..d941b7d633 100644
--- a/src/network/netdev/vxlan.c
+++ b/src/network/netdev/vxlan.c
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ static int netdev_vxlan_fill_message_create(NetDev *netdev, Link *link, sd_netli
         int r;
 
         assert(netdev);
-        assert(link);
         assert(m);
 
         v = VXLAN(netdev);
@@ -63,7 +62,7 @@ static int netdev_vxlan_fill_message_create(NetDev *netdev, Link *link, sd_netli
                         return log_netdev_error_errno(netdev, r, "Could not append IFLA_VXLAN_LOCAL attribute: %m");
         }
 
-        r = sd_netlink_message_append_u32(m, IFLA_VXLAN_LINK, link->ifindex);
+        r = sd_netlink_message_append_u32(m, IFLA_VXLAN_LINK, link ? link->ifindex : 0);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_netdev_error_errno(netdev, r, "Could not append IFLA_VXLAN_LINK attribute: %m");
 
diff --git a/src/network/netdev/vxlan.h b/src/network/netdev/vxlan.h
index cf8ae8845e..d836215c46 100644
--- a/src/network/netdev/vxlan.h
+++ b/src/network/netdev/vxlan.h
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ struct VxLan {
         bool group_policy;
         bool generic_protocol_extension;
         bool inherit;
+        bool independent;
 
         struct ifla_vxlan_port_range port_range;
 };
diff --git a/test/fuzz/fuzz-netdev-parser/directives.netdev b/test/fuzz/fuzz-netdev-parser/directives.netdev
index ef1f18fa40..4c223f908e 100644
--- a/test/fuzz/fuzz-netdev-parser/directives.netdev
+++ b/test/fuzz/fuzz-netdev-parser/directives.netdev
@@ -116,6 +116,7 @@ PortRange=
 UDPChecksum=
 UDP6ZeroCheckSumTx=
 IPDoNotFragment=
+Independent=
 [VXCAN]
 Peer=
 [Bond]