diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-netlink/netlink-util.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-netlink/netlink-util.c
index ce1911d542..f045e794b6 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-netlink/netlink-util.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-netlink/netlink-util.c
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #include "sd-netlink.h"
 
+#include "format-util.h"
 #include "memory-util.h"
 #include "netlink-internal.h"
 #include "netlink-util.h"
@@ -9,6 +10,8 @@
 
 int rtnl_set_link_name(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, const char *name) {
         _cleanup_(sd_netlink_message_unrefp) sd_netlink_message *message = NULL;
+        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **alternative_names = NULL;
+        char old_name[IF_NAMESIZE + 1] = {};
         int r;
 
         assert(rtnl);
@@ -18,10 +21,18 @@ int rtnl_set_link_name(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, const char *name) {
         if (!ifname_valid(name))
                 return -EINVAL;
 
-        if (!*rtnl) {
-                r = sd_netlink_open(rtnl);
+        r = rtnl_get_link_alternative_names(rtnl, ifindex, &alternative_names);
+        if (r < 0)
+                log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get alternative names on network interface %i, ignoring: %m",
+                                ifindex);
+
+        if (strv_contains(alternative_names, name)) {
+                r = rtnl_delete_link_alternative_names(rtnl, ifindex, STRV_MAKE(name));
                 if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
+                        return log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to remove '%s' from alternative names on network interface %i: %m",
+                                               name, ifindex);
+
+                format_ifname(ifindex, old_name);
         }
 
         r = sd_rtnl_message_new_link(*rtnl, &message, RTM_SETLINK, ifindex);
@@ -36,6 +47,13 @@ int rtnl_set_link_name(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, const char *name) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
+        if (!isempty(old_name)) {
+                r = rtnl_set_link_alternative_names(rtnl, ifindex, STRV_MAKE(old_name));
+                if (r < 0)
+                        log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to set '%s' as an alternative name on network interface %i, ignoring: %m",
+                                        old_name, ifindex);
+        }
+
         return 0;
 }
 
@@ -85,12 +103,45 @@ int rtnl_set_link_properties(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, const char *alias,
         return 0;
 }
 
-int rtnl_set_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char * const *alternative_names) {
+int rtnl_get_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char ***ret) {
+        _cleanup_(sd_netlink_message_unrefp) sd_netlink_message *message = NULL, *reply = NULL;
+        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **names = NULL;
+        int r;
+
+        assert(rtnl);
+        assert(ifindex > 0);
+        assert(ret);
+
+        if (!*rtnl) {
+                r = sd_netlink_open(rtnl);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        return r;
+        }
+
+        r = sd_rtnl_message_new_link(*rtnl, &message, RTM_GETLINK, ifindex);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        r = sd_netlink_call(*rtnl, message, 0, &reply);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
+
+        r = sd_netlink_message_read_strv(reply, IFLA_PROP_LIST, IFLA_ALT_IFNAME, &names);
+        if (r < 0 && r != -ENODATA)
+                return r;
+
+        *ret = TAKE_PTR(names);
+
+        return 0;
+}
+
+static int rtnl_update_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, uint16_t nlmsg_type, int ifindex, char * const *alternative_names) {
         _cleanup_(sd_netlink_message_unrefp) sd_netlink_message *message = NULL;
         int r;
 
         assert(rtnl);
         assert(ifindex > 0);
+        assert(IN_SET(nlmsg_type, RTM_NEWLINKPROP, RTM_DELLINKPROP));
 
         if (strv_isempty(alternative_names))
                 return 0;
@@ -101,7 +152,7 @@ int rtnl_set_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char * const
                         return r;
         }
 
-        r = sd_rtnl_message_new_link(*rtnl, &message, RTM_NEWLINKPROP, ifindex);
+        r = sd_rtnl_message_new_link(*rtnl, &message, nlmsg_type, ifindex);
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
@@ -124,6 +175,14 @@ int rtnl_set_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char * const
         return 0;
 }
 
+int rtnl_set_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char * const *alternative_names) {
+        return rtnl_update_link_alternative_names(rtnl, RTM_NEWLINKPROP, ifindex, alternative_names);
+}
+
+int rtnl_delete_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char * const *alternative_names) {
+        return rtnl_update_link_alternative_names(rtnl, RTM_DELLINKPROP, ifindex, alternative_names);
+}
+
 int rtnl_set_link_alternative_names_by_ifname(sd_netlink **rtnl, const char *ifname, char * const *alternative_names) {
         _cleanup_(sd_netlink_message_unrefp) sd_netlink_message *message = NULL;
         int r;
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-netlink/netlink-util.h b/src/libsystemd/sd-netlink/netlink-util.h
index 8ed94063e3..04e6a98e6b 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-netlink/netlink-util.h
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-netlink/netlink-util.h
@@ -53,8 +53,10 @@ static inline bool rtnl_message_type_is_tclass(uint16_t type) {
 
 int rtnl_set_link_name(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, const char *name);
 int rtnl_set_link_properties(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, const char *alias, const struct ether_addr *mac, uint32_t mtu);
+int rtnl_get_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char ***ret);
 int rtnl_set_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char * const *alternative_names);
 int rtnl_set_link_alternative_names_by_ifname(sd_netlink **rtnl, const char *ifname, char * const *alternative_names);
+int rtnl_delete_link_alternative_names(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, char * const *alternative_names);
 int rtnl_resolve_link_alternative_name(sd_netlink **rtnl, const char *name);
 int rtnl_get_link_iftype(sd_netlink **rtnl, int ifindex, unsigned short *ret);
 
diff --git a/src/udev/net/link-config.c b/src/udev/net/link-config.c
index 39bdfb73dd..72ef0c56be 100644
--- a/src/udev/net/link-config.c
+++ b/src/udev/net/link-config.c
@@ -358,7 +358,7 @@ static int get_mac(sd_device *device, MACAddressPolicy policy, struct ether_addr
 
 int link_config_apply(link_config_ctx *ctx, link_config *config,
                       sd_device *device, const char **name) {
-        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **altnames = NULL;
+        _cleanup_strv_free_ char **altnames = NULL, **current_altnames = NULL;
         struct ether_addr generated_mac;
         struct ether_addr *mac = NULL;
         const char *new_name = NULL;
@@ -539,9 +539,17 @@ int link_config_apply(link_config_ctx *ctx, link_config *config,
         if (new_name)
                 strv_remove(altnames, new_name);
         strv_remove(altnames, old_name);
+
+        r = rtnl_get_link_alternative_names(&ctx->rtnl, ifindex, &current_altnames);
+        if (r < 0)
+                log_debug_errno(r, "Failed to get alternative names on %s, ignoring: %m", old_name);
+
+        char **p;
+        STRV_FOREACH(p, current_altnames)
+                strv_remove(altnames, *p);
+
         strv_uniq(altnames);
         strv_sort(altnames);
-
         r = rtnl_set_link_alternative_names(&ctx->rtnl, ifindex, altnames);
         if (r == -EOPNOTSUPP)
                 log_debug_errno(r, "Could not set AlternativeName= or apply AlternativeNamesPolicy= on %s, ignoring: %m", old_name);