diff --git a/src/network/tc/qdisc.c b/src/network/tc/qdisc.c
index 7bb95ede75..828fe9ab82 100644
--- a/src/network/tc/qdisc.c
+++ b/src/network/tc/qdisc.c
@@ -293,6 +293,33 @@ int link_find_qdisc(Link *link, uint32_t handle, uint32_t parent, const char *ki
         return -ENOENT;
 }
 
+QDisc* qdisc_drop(QDisc *qdisc) {
+        TClass *tclass;
+        Link *link;
+
+        assert(qdisc);
+
+        link = ASSERT_PTR(qdisc->link);
+
+        /* also drop all child classes assigned to the qdisc. */
+        SET_FOREACH(tclass, link->tclasses) {
+                if (TC_H_MAJ(tclass->classid) != qdisc->handle)
+                        continue;
+
+                tclass_drop(tclass);
+        }
+
+        qdisc_enter_removed(qdisc);
+
+        if (qdisc->state == 0) {
+                log_qdisc_debug(qdisc, link, "Forgetting");
+                qdisc = qdisc_free(qdisc);
+        } else
+                log_qdisc_debug(qdisc, link, "Removed");
+
+        return qdisc;
+}
+
 static int qdisc_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, Request *req, Link *link, QDisc *qdisc) {
         int r;
 
@@ -512,14 +539,9 @@ int manager_rtnl_process_qdisc(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *message, Ma
                 break;
 
         case RTM_DELQDISC:
-                if (qdisc) {
-                        qdisc_enter_removed(qdisc);
-                        if (qdisc->state == 0) {
-                                log_qdisc_debug(qdisc, link, "Forgetting");
-                                qdisc_free(qdisc);
-                        } else
-                                log_qdisc_debug(qdisc, link, "Removed");
-                } else
+                if (qdisc)
+                        qdisc_drop(qdisc);
+                else
                         log_qdisc_debug(tmp, link, "Kernel removed unknown");
 
                 break;
diff --git a/src/network/tc/qdisc.h b/src/network/tc/qdisc.h
index 155e2adf24..86db44763b 100644
--- a/src/network/tc/qdisc.h
+++ b/src/network/tc/qdisc.h
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@ DEFINE_NETWORK_CONFIG_STATE_FUNCTIONS(QDisc, qdisc);
 QDisc* qdisc_free(QDisc *qdisc);
 int qdisc_new_static(QDiscKind kind, Network *network, const char *filename, unsigned section_line, QDisc **ret);
 
+QDisc* qdisc_drop(QDisc *qdisc);
+
 int link_find_qdisc(Link *link, uint32_t handle, uint32_t parent, const char *kind, QDisc **qdisc);
 
 int link_request_qdisc(Link *link, QDisc *qdisc);
diff --git a/src/network/tc/tclass.c b/src/network/tc/tclass.c
index 0452cc99a8..9e6032b35a 100644
--- a/src/network/tc/tclass.c
+++ b/src/network/tc/tclass.c
@@ -255,6 +255,33 @@ static void log_tclass_debug(TClass *tclass, Link *link, const char *str) {
                        strna(tclass_get_tca_kind(tclass)));
 }
 
+TClass* tclass_drop(TClass *tclass) {
+        QDisc *qdisc;
+        Link *link;
+
+        assert(tclass);
+
+        link = ASSERT_PTR(tclass->link);
+
+        /* Also drop all child qdiscs assigned to the class. */
+        SET_FOREACH(qdisc, link->qdiscs) {
+                if (qdisc->parent != tclass->classid)
+                        continue;
+
+                qdisc_drop(qdisc);
+        }
+
+        tclass_enter_removed(tclass);
+
+        if (tclass->state == 0) {
+                log_tclass_debug(tclass, link, "Forgetting");
+                tclass = tclass_free(tclass);
+        } else
+                log_tclass_debug(tclass, link, "Removed");
+
+        return tclass;
+}
+
 static int tclass_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, Request *req, Link *link, TClass *tclass) {
         int r;
 
@@ -464,14 +491,9 @@ int manager_rtnl_process_tclass(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *message, M
                 break;
 
         case RTM_DELTCLASS:
-                if (tclass) {
-                        tclass_enter_removed(tclass);
-                        if (tclass->state == 0) {
-                                log_tclass_debug(tclass, link, "Forgetting");
-                                tclass_free(tclass);
-                        } else
-                                log_tclass_debug(tclass, link, "Removed");
-                } else
+                if (tclass)
+                        (void) tclass_drop(tclass);
+                else
                         log_tclass_debug(tmp, link, "Kernel removed unknown");
 
                 break;
diff --git a/src/network/tc/tclass.h b/src/network/tc/tclass.h
index 606bb3fef3..f0ee318c76 100644
--- a/src/network/tc/tclass.h
+++ b/src/network/tc/tclass.h
@@ -58,6 +58,8 @@ DEFINE_NETWORK_CONFIG_STATE_FUNCTIONS(TClass, tclass);
 TClass* tclass_free(TClass *tclass);
 int tclass_new_static(TClassKind kind, Network *network, const char *filename, unsigned section_line, TClass **ret);
 
+TClass* tclass_drop(TClass *tclass);
+
 int link_find_tclass(Link *link, uint32_t classid, TClass **ret);
 
 int link_request_tclass(Link *link, TClass *tclass);