diff --git a/nixos/modules/system/boot/networkd.nix b/nixos/modules/system/boot/networkd.nix
index 463e2b8d90b0..d88f88f9fdaf 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/system/boot/networkd.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/system/boot/networkd.nix
@@ -3188,7 +3188,19 @@ let
 
       systemd.contents."/etc/systemd/networkd.conf" = renderConfig cfg.config;
 
-      systemd.services.systemd-networkd.wantedBy = [ "initrd.target" ];
+      systemd.services.systemd-networkd = {
+        wantedBy = [ "initrd.target" ];
+        # These before and conflicts lines can be removed when this PR makes it into a release:
+        # https://github.com/systemd/systemd/pull/27791
+        before = ["initrd-switch-root.target"];
+        conflicts = ["initrd-switch-root.target"];
+      };
+      systemd.sockets.systemd-networkd = {
+        wantedBy = [ "initrd.target" ];
+        before = ["initrd-switch-root.target"];
+        conflicts = ["initrd-switch-root.target"];
+      };
+
       systemd.services.systemd-network-generator.wantedBy = [ "sysinit.target" ];
 
       systemd.storePaths = [
diff --git a/nixos/tests/systemd-initrd-networkd.nix b/nixos/tests/systemd-initrd-networkd.nix
index 00ecbec5613c..8376276d8f63 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/systemd-initrd-networkd.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/systemd-initrd-networkd.nix
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import ./make-test-python.nix ({ pkgs, lib, ... }: {
       systemd.services.check-flush = {
         requiredBy = ["multi-user.target"];
         before = ["network-pre.target" "multi-user.target"];
+        wants = ["network-pre.target"];
         unitConfig.DefaultDependencies = false;
         serviceConfig.Type = "oneshot";
         path = [ pkgs.iproute2 pkgs.iputils pkgs.gnugrep ];