diff --git a/src/network/networkd-network.c b/src/network/networkd-network.c
index 1ce23b1ddb..58e19e542a 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-network.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-network.c
@@ -41,9 +41,6 @@ static int network_load_one(Manager *manager, const char *filename) {
         _cleanup_fclose_ FILE *file = NULL;
         char *d;
         const char *dropin_dirname;
-        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **dropin_dirs = NULL;
-        _cleanup_free_ char *dropin_dirs_nulstr = NULL;
-        size_t dropin_dirs_nulstr_size;
         Route *route;
         Address *address;
         int r;
@@ -141,31 +138,23 @@ static int network_load_one(Manager *manager, const char *filename) {
         network->arp = -1;
         network->ipv6_accept_ra_use_dns = true;
 
-        dropin_dirname = strjoina("/", network->name, ".network.d");
+        dropin_dirname = strjoina(network->name, ".network.d");
 
-        r = strv_extend_strv_concat(&dropin_dirs, (char**) network_dirs, dropin_dirname);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return r;
-
-        r = strv_make_nulstr(dropin_dirs, &dropin_dirs_nulstr, &dropin_dirs_nulstr_size);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return r;
-
-        r = config_parse_many_nulstr(filename, dropin_dirs_nulstr,
-                         "Match\0"
-                         "Link\0"
-                         "Network\0"
-                         "Address\0"
-                         "Route\0"
-                         "DHCP\0"
-                         "DHCPv4\0" /* compat */
-                         "DHCPServer\0"
-                         "IPv6AcceptRA\0"
-                         "Bridge\0"
-                         "BridgeFDB\0"
-                         "BridgeVLAN\0",
-                         config_item_perf_lookup, network_network_gperf_lookup,
-                         false, network);
+        r = config_parse_many(filename, network_dirs, dropin_dirname,
+                              "Match\0"
+                              "Link\0"
+                              "Network\0"
+                              "Address\0"
+                              "Route\0"
+                              "DHCP\0"
+                              "DHCPv4\0" /* compat */
+                              "DHCPServer\0"
+                              "IPv6AcceptRA\0"
+                              "Bridge\0"
+                              "BridgeFDB\0"
+                              "BridgeVLAN\0",
+                              config_item_perf_lookup, network_network_gperf_lookup,
+                              false, network);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
diff --git a/src/shared/conf-parser.c b/src/shared/conf-parser.c
index f3351c6bb2..2ec0155b71 100644
--- a/src/shared/conf-parser.c
+++ b/src/shared/conf-parser.c
@@ -396,24 +396,18 @@ int config_parse(const char *unit,
         return 0;
 }
 
-/* Parse each config file in the specified directories. */
-int config_parse_many_nulstr(
+static int config_parse_many_files(
                 const char *conf_file,
-                const char *conf_file_dirs,
+                char **files,
                 const char *sections,
                 ConfigItemLookup lookup,
                 const void *table,
                 bool relaxed,
                 void *userdata) {
 
-        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **files = NULL;
         char **fn;
         int r;
 
-        r = conf_files_list_nulstr(&files, ".conf", NULL, conf_file_dirs);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return r;
-
         if (conf_file) {
                 r = config_parse(NULL, conf_file, NULL, sections, lookup, table, relaxed, false, true, userdata);
                 if (r < 0)
@@ -429,6 +423,56 @@ int config_parse_many_nulstr(
         return 0;
 }
 
+/* Parse each config file in the directories specified as nulstr. */
+int config_parse_many_nulstr(
+                const char *conf_file,
+                const char *conf_file_dirs,
+                const char *sections,
+                ConfigItemLookup lookup,
+                const void *table,
+                bool relaxed,
+                void *userdata) {
+
+        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **files = NULL;
+        int r;
+
+        r = conf_files_list_nulstr(&files, ".conf", NULL, conf_file_dirs);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        return config_parse_many_files(conf_file, files,
+                                       sections, lookup, table, relaxed, userdata);
+}
+
+/* Parse each config file in the directories specified as strv. */
+int config_parse_many(
+                const char *conf_file,
+                const char* const* conf_file_dirs,
+                const char *dropin_dirname,
+                const char *sections,
+                ConfigItemLookup lookup,
+                const void *table,
+                bool relaxed,
+                void *userdata) {
+
+        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **dropin_dirs = NULL;
+        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **files = NULL;
+        const char *suffix;
+        int r;
+
+        suffix = strjoina("/", dropin_dirname);
+        r = strv_extend_strv_concat(&dropin_dirs, (char**) conf_file_dirs, suffix);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        r = conf_files_list_strv(&files, ".conf", NULL, (const char* const*) dropin_dirs);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        return config_parse_many_files(conf_file, files,
+                                       sections, lookup, table, relaxed, userdata);
+}
+
 #define DEFINE_PARSER(type, vartype, conv_func)                         \
         int config_parse_##type(                                        \
                         const char *unit,                               \
diff --git a/src/shared/conf-parser.h b/src/shared/conf-parser.h
index e0b8d83dab..26ff3df16f 100644
--- a/src/shared/conf-parser.h
+++ b/src/shared/conf-parser.h
@@ -105,6 +105,16 @@ int config_parse_many_nulstr(
                 bool relaxed,
                 void *userdata);
 
+int config_parse_many(
+                const char *conf_file,      /* possibly NULL */
+                const char* const* conf_file_dirs,
+                const char *dropin_dirname,
+                const char *sections,       /* nulstr */
+                ConfigItemLookup lookup,
+                const void *table,
+                bool relaxed,
+                void *userdata);
+
 /* Generic parsers */
 int config_parse_int(const char *unit, const char *filename, unsigned line, const char *section, unsigned section_line, const char *lvalue, int ltype, const char *rvalue, void *data, void *userdata);
 int config_parse_unsigned(const char *unit, const char *filename, unsigned line, const char *section, unsigned section_line, const char *lvalue, int ltype, const char *rvalue, void *data, void *userdata);