diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link-bus.c b/src/network/networkd-link-bus.c
index 654aea36a2..27ee855181 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link-bus.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link-bus.c
@@ -665,7 +665,7 @@ int bus_link_method_reconfigure(sd_bus_message *message, void *userdata, sd_bus_
         if (r == 0)
                 return 1; /* Polkit will call us back */
 
-        r = link_reconfigure_full(l, LINK_RECONFIGURE_UNCONDITIONALLY, message, /* counter = */ NULL);
+        r = link_reconfigure_full(l, LINK_RECONFIGURE_UNCONDITIONALLY | LINK_RECONFIGURE_CLEANLY, message, /* counter = */ NULL);
         if (r != 0)
                 return r; /* Will reply later when r > 0. */
 
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index 8f925f895e..080e6beff3 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -1387,7 +1387,7 @@ int link_reconfigure_impl(Link *link, LinkReconfigurationFlag flags) {
 
         /* Dropping old .network file */
 
-        if (FLAGS_SET(flags, LINK_RECONFIGURE_UNCONDITIONALLY)) {
+        if (FLAGS_SET(flags, LINK_RECONFIGURE_CLEANLY)) {
                 /* Remove all static configurations. Note, dynamic configurations are dropped by
                  * link_stop_engines(), and foreign configurations will be removed later by
                  * link_configure() -> link_drop_unmanaged_config(). */
@@ -1741,7 +1741,7 @@ static int link_carrier_gained(Link *link) {
          * For non-wireless interfaces, we have no way to detect the connected network change. So,
          * we do not set any flags here. Note, both ssid and previous_ssid are NULL in that case. */
         if (link->previous_ssid && !streq_ptr(link->previous_ssid, link->ssid))
-                flags |= LINK_RECONFIGURE_UNCONDITIONALLY;
+                flags |= LINK_RECONFIGURE_UNCONDITIONALLY | LINK_RECONFIGURE_CLEANLY;
         link->previous_ssid = mfree(link->previous_ssid);
 
         /* AP and P2P-GO interfaces may have a new SSID - update the link properties in case a new .network
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.h b/src/network/networkd-link.h
index 9ae7e1c8da..ad8bac7ad6 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.h
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ typedef enum LinkState {
 
 typedef enum LinkReconfigurationFlag {
         LINK_RECONFIGURE_UNCONDITIONALLY = 1 << 0, /* Reconfigure an interface even if .network file is unchanged. */
+        LINK_RECONFIGURE_CLEANLY         = 1 << 1, /* Drop all existing configs before reconfiguring. Otherwise, reuse existing configs as possible as we can. */
 } LinkReconfigurationFlag;
 
 typedef struct Manager Manager;