diff --git a/src/network/netdev/netdev.c b/src/network/netdev/netdev.c
index 1889f6f13c..350485d561 100644
--- a/src/network/netdev/netdev.c
+++ b/src/network/netdev/netdev.c
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ static int netdev_enslave(NetDev *netdev, Link *link, link_netlink_message_handl
                 if (r >= 0)
                         callback(netdev->manager->rtnl, m, link);
         } else {
-                /* the netdev is not yet read, save this request for when it is */
+                /* the netdev is not yet ready, save this request for when it is */
                 netdev_join_callback *cb;
 
                 cb = new(netdev_join_callback, 1);
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-link.c b/src/network/networkd-link.c
index 06a467d15b..f73d00f697 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-link.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-link.c
@@ -346,6 +346,9 @@ static void link_update_master_operstate(Link *link, NetDev *netdev) {
         if (!netdev)
                 return;
 
+        if (netdev->ifindex <= 0)
+                return;
+
         if (link_get(link->manager, netdev->ifindex, &master) < 0)
                 return;
 
@@ -752,7 +755,7 @@ int link_get(Manager *m, int ifindex, Link **ret) {
         Link *link;
 
         assert(m);
-        assert(ifindex);
+        assert(ifindex > 0);
         assert(ret);
 
         link = hashmap_get(m->links, INT_TO_PTR(ifindex));
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-manager.c b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
index 08666fd92d..63e2f61d29 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-manager.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
@@ -1272,6 +1272,9 @@ int manager_rtnl_process_nexthop(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *message,
         if (r < 0 && r != -ENODATA) {
                 log_warning_errno(r, "rtnl: could not get NHA_OIF attribute, ignoring: %m");
                 return 0;
+        } else if (tmp->oif <= 0) {
+                log_warning("rtnl: received nexthop message with invalid ifindex %d, ignoring.", tmp->oif);
+                return 0;
         }
 
         r = link_get(m, tmp->oif, &link);