diff --git a/src/network/networkd-manager.c b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
index 273c00c36b..c287367d29 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-manager.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
@@ -241,7 +241,7 @@ static int manager_udev_process_link(sd_device_monitor *monitor, sd_device *devi
                 return 0;
         }
         if (r > 0) {
-                log_device_debug(device, "Interface is under renaming, wait for the interface to be renamed: %m");
+                log_device_debug(device, "Interface is under renaming, wait for the interface to be renamed.");
                 return 0;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/udev/udev-event.c b/src/udev/udev-event.c
index b468ce9c03..e1c2baf7f2 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev-event.c
+++ b/src/udev/udev-event.c
@@ -840,11 +840,6 @@ static int rename_netif(UdevEvent *event) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_device_error_errno(dev, r, "Failed to get ifindex: %m");
 
-        r = rtnl_set_link_name(&event->rtnl, ifindex, event->name);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return log_device_error_errno(dev, r, "Failed to rename network interface %i from '%s' to '%s': %m",
-                                              ifindex, oldname, event->name);
-
         /* Set ID_RENAMING boolean property here, and drop it in the corresponding move uevent later. */
         r = device_add_property(dev, "ID_RENAMING", "1");
         if (r < 0)
@@ -854,6 +849,22 @@ static int rename_netif(UdevEvent *event) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_device_warning_errno(dev, r, "Failed to update properties with new name '%s': %m", event->name);
 
+        /* Also set ID_RENAMING boolean property to cloned sd_device object and save it to database
+         * before calling rtnl_set_link_name(). Otherwise, clients (e.g., systemd-networkd) may receive
+         * RTM_NEWLINK netlink message before the database is updated. */
+        r = device_add_property(event->dev_db_clone, "ID_RENAMING", "1");
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_device_warning_errno(event->dev_db_clone, r, "Failed to add 'ID_RENAMING' property: %m");
+
+        r = device_update_db(event->dev_db_clone);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_device_debug_errno(event->dev_db_clone, r, "Failed to update database under /run/udev/data/: %m");
+
+        r = rtnl_set_link_name(&event->rtnl, ifindex, event->name);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_device_error_errno(dev, r, "Failed to rename network interface %i from '%s' to '%s': %m",
+                                              ifindex, oldname, event->name);
+
         log_device_debug(dev, "Network interface %i is renamed from '%s' to '%s'", ifindex, oldname, event->name);
 
         return 1;
@@ -870,8 +881,7 @@ static int update_devnode(UdevEvent *event) {
                 return log_device_error_errno(dev, r, "Failed to get devnum: %m");
 
         /* remove/update possible left-over symlinks from old database entry */
-        if (event->dev_db_clone)
-                (void) udev_node_update_old_links(dev, event->dev_db_clone);
+        (void) udev_node_update_old_links(dev, event->dev_db_clone);
 
         if (!uid_is_valid(event->uid)) {
                 r = device_get_devnode_uid(dev, &event->uid);
@@ -934,8 +944,7 @@ static int udev_event_on_move(UdevEvent *event) {
         sd_device *dev = event->dev;
         int r;
 
-        if (event->dev_db_clone &&
-            sd_device_get_devnum(dev, NULL) < 0) {
+        if (sd_device_get_devnum(dev, NULL) < 0) {
                 r = device_copy_properties(dev, event->dev_db_clone);
                 if (r < 0)
                         log_device_debug_errno(dev, r, "Failed to copy properties from cloned sd_device object, ignoring: %m");
@@ -981,7 +990,7 @@ int udev_event_execute_rules(UdevEvent *event,
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_device_debug_errno(dev, r, "Failed to clone sd_device object: %m");
 
-        if (event->dev_db_clone && sd_device_get_devnum(dev, NULL) >= 0)
+        if (sd_device_get_devnum(dev, NULL) >= 0)
                 /* Disable watch during event processing. */
                 (void) udev_watch_end(event->dev_db_clone);
 
@@ -1019,8 +1028,6 @@ int udev_event_execute_rules(UdevEvent *event,
 
         device_set_is_initialized(dev);
 
-        event->dev_db_clone = sd_device_unref(event->dev_db_clone);
-
         return 0;
 }