diff --git a/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-client.c b/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-client.c
index ece163124a..7975cfecf5 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-client.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp-client.c
@@ -1684,6 +1684,12 @@ static int client_receive_message_udp(
         assert(client);
 
         buflen = next_datagram_size_fd(fd);
+        if (buflen == -ENETDOWN) {
+                /* the link is down. Don't return an error or the I/O event
+                   source will be disconnected and we won't be able to receive
+                   packets again when the link comes back. */
+                return 0;
+        }
         if (buflen < 0)
                 return buflen;
 
@@ -1693,7 +1699,8 @@ static int client_receive_message_udp(
 
         len = recv(fd, message, buflen, 0);
         if (len < 0) {
-                if (IN_SET(errno, EAGAIN, EINTR))
+                /* see comment above for why we shouldn't error out on ENETDOWN. */
+                if (IN_SET(errno, EAGAIN, EINTR, ENETDOWN))
                         return 0;
 
                 return log_dhcp_client_errno(client, errno,
@@ -1771,6 +1778,8 @@ static int client_receive_message_raw(
         assert(client);
 
         buflen = next_datagram_size_fd(fd);
+        if (buflen == -ENETDOWN)
+                return 0;
         if (buflen < 0)
                 return buflen;
 
@@ -1782,7 +1791,7 @@ static int client_receive_message_raw(
 
         len = recvmsg(fd, &msg, 0);
         if (len < 0) {
-                if (IN_SET(errno, EAGAIN, EINTR))
+                if (IN_SET(errno, EAGAIN, EINTR, ENETDOWN))
                         return 0;
 
                 return log_dhcp_client_errno(client, errno,
diff --git a/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp6-client.c b/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp6-client.c
index 593ffd1b64..68b41dfb6c 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp6-client.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd-network/sd-dhcp6-client.c
@@ -1112,6 +1112,12 @@ static int client_receive_message(
         assert(client->event);
 
         buflen = next_datagram_size_fd(fd);
+        if (buflen == -ENETDOWN) {
+                /* the link is down. Don't return an error or the I/O event
+                   source will be disconnected and we won't be able to receive
+                   packets again when the link comes back. */
+                return 0;
+        }
         if (buflen < 0)
                 return buflen;
 
@@ -1121,7 +1127,8 @@ static int client_receive_message(
 
         len = recv(fd, message, buflen, 0);
         if (len < 0) {
-                if (IN_SET(errno, EAGAIN, EINTR))
+                /* see comment above for why we shouldn't error out on ENETDOWN. */
+                if (IN_SET(errno, EAGAIN, EINTR, ENETDOWN))
                         return 0;
 
                 return log_dhcp6_client_errno(client, errno, "Could not receive message from UDP socket: %m");