diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index 0c243508a4..115e26e307 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -960,23 +960,26 @@ void link_check_ready(Link *link) {
         if (!link->routing_policy_rules_configured)
                 return;
 
-        if (link_ipv4ll_enabled(link, ADDRESS_FAMILY_IPV4) && !(link->ipv4ll_address && link->ipv4ll_route))
-                return;
+        if (link_has_carrier(link) || !link->network->configure_without_carrier) {
 
-        if (link_ipv6ll_enabled(link) &&
-            in_addr_is_null(AF_INET6, (const union in_addr_union*) &link->ipv6ll_address))
-                return;
+                if (link_ipv4ll_enabled(link, ADDRESS_FAMILY_IPV4) && !(link->ipv4ll_address && link->ipv4ll_route))
+                        return;
 
-        if ((link_dhcp4_enabled(link) || link_dhcp6_enabled(link)) &&
-            !link->dhcp4_configured &&
-            !link->dhcp6_configured &&
-            !(link_ipv4ll_enabled(link, ADDRESS_FAMILY_FALLBACK_IPV4) && link->ipv4ll_address && link->ipv4ll_route))
-                /* When DHCP is enabled, at least one protocol must provide an address, or
-                 * an IPv4ll fallback address must be configured. */
-                return;
+                if (link_ipv6ll_enabled(link) &&
+                    in_addr_is_null(AF_INET6, (const union in_addr_union*) &link->ipv6ll_address))
+                        return;
 
-        if (link_ipv6_accept_ra_enabled(link) && !link->ndisc_configured)
-                return;
+                if ((link_dhcp4_enabled(link) || link_dhcp6_enabled(link)) &&
+                    !link->dhcp4_configured &&
+                    !link->dhcp6_configured &&
+                    !(link_ipv4ll_enabled(link, ADDRESS_FAMILY_FALLBACK_IPV4) && link->ipv4ll_address && link->ipv4ll_route))
+                        /* When DHCP is enabled, at least one protocol must provide an address, or
+                         * an IPv4ll fallback address must be configured. */
+                        return;
+
+                if (link_ipv6_accept_ra_enabled(link) && !link->ndisc_configured)
+                        return;
+        }
 
         if (link->state != LINK_STATE_CONFIGURED)
                 link_enter_configured(link);