diff --git a/src/basic/socket-util.c b/src/basic/socket-util.c
index fb12659857..4b3a4f206c 100644
--- a/src/basic/socket-util.c
+++ b/src/basic/socket-util.c
@@ -617,40 +617,62 @@ bool sockaddr_equal(const union sockaddr_union *a, const union sockaddr_union *b
         return false;
 }
 
-int fd_inc_sndbuf(int fd, size_t n) {
+int fd_set_sndbuf(int fd, size_t n, bool increase) {
         int r, value;
         socklen_t l = sizeof(value);
 
+        if (n > INT_MAX)
+                return -ERANGE;
+
         r = getsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, &value, &l);
-        if (r >= 0 && l == sizeof(value) && (size_t) value >= n*2)
+        if (r >= 0 && l == sizeof(value) && increase ? (size_t) value >= n*2 : (size_t) value == n*2)
                 return 0;
 
-        /* If we have the privileges we will ignore the kernel limit. */
+        /* First, try to set the buffer size with SO_SNDBUF. */
+        r = setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, n);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
 
-        if (setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, n) < 0) {
-                r = setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUFFORCE, n);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
-        }
+        /* SO_SNDBUF above may set to the kernel limit, instead of the requested size.
+         * So, we need to check the actual buffer size here. */
+        r = getsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, &value, &l);
+        if (r >= 0 && l == sizeof(value) && increase ? (size_t) value >= n*2 : (size_t) value == n*2)
+                return 1;
+
+        /* If we have the privileges we will ignore the kernel limit. */
+        r = setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUFFORCE, n);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
 
         return 1;
 }
 
-int fd_inc_rcvbuf(int fd, size_t n) {
+int fd_set_rcvbuf(int fd, size_t n, bool increase) {
         int r, value;
         socklen_t l = sizeof(value);
 
+        if (n > INT_MAX)
+                return -ERANGE;
+
         r = getsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF, &value, &l);
-        if (r >= 0 && l == sizeof(value) && (size_t) value >= n*2)
+        if (r >= 0 && l == sizeof(value) && increase ? (size_t) value >= n*2 : (size_t) value == n*2)
                 return 0;
 
-        /* If we have the privileges we will ignore the kernel limit. */
+        /* First, try to set the buffer size with SO_RCVBUF. */
+        r = setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF, n);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
 
-        if (setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF, n) < 0) {
-                r = setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUFFORCE, n);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
-        }
+        /* SO_RCVBUF above may set to the kernel limit, instead of the requested size.
+         * So, we need to check the actual buffer size here. */
+        r = getsockopt(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF, &value, &l);
+        if (r >= 0 && l == sizeof(value) && increase ? (size_t) value >= n*2 : (size_t) value == n*2)
+                return 1;
+
+        /* If we have the privileges we will ignore the kernel limit. */
+        r = setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUFFORCE, n);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return r;
 
         return 1;
 }
diff --git a/src/basic/socket-util.h b/src/basic/socket-util.h
index 5610a99e53..6a320a976f 100644
--- a/src/basic/socket-util.h
+++ b/src/basic/socket-util.h
@@ -118,8 +118,14 @@ int netlink_family_from_string(const char *s) _pure_;
 
 bool sockaddr_equal(const union sockaddr_union *a, const union sockaddr_union *b);
 
-int fd_inc_sndbuf(int fd, size_t n);
-int fd_inc_rcvbuf(int fd, size_t n);
+int fd_set_sndbuf(int fd, size_t n, bool increase);
+static inline int fd_inc_sndbuf(int fd, size_t n) {
+        return fd_set_sndbuf(fd, n, true);
+}
+int fd_set_rcvbuf(int fd, size_t n, bool increase);
+static inline int fd_inc_rcvbuf(int fd, size_t n) {
+        return fd_set_rcvbuf(fd, n, true);
+}
 
 int ip_tos_to_string_alloc(int i, char **s);
 int ip_tos_from_string(const char *s);
diff --git a/src/core/socket.c b/src/core/socket.c
index 855b354dd8..a21584ea48 100644
--- a/src/core/socket.c
+++ b/src/core/socket.c
@@ -1058,20 +1058,15 @@ static void socket_apply_socket_options(Socket *s, int fd) {
         }
 
         if (s->receive_buffer > 0) {
-                /* We first try with SO_RCVBUFFORCE, in case we have the perms for that */
-                if (setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUFFORCE, s->receive_buffer) < 0) {
-                        r = setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF, s->receive_buffer);
-                        if (r < 0)
-                                log_unit_warning_errno(UNIT(s), r, "SO_RCVBUF failed: %m");
-                }
+                r = fd_set_rcvbuf(fd, s->receive_buffer, false);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        log_unit_warning_errno(UNIT(s), r, "SO_RCVBUF/SO_RCVBUFFORCE failed: %m");
         }
 
         if (s->send_buffer > 0) {
-                if (setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUFFORCE, s->send_buffer) < 0) {
-                        r = setsockopt_int(fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, s->send_buffer);
-                        if (r < 0)
-                                log_unit_warning_errno(UNIT(s), r, "SO_SNDBUF failed: %m");
-                }
+                r = fd_set_sndbuf(fd, s->receive_buffer, false);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        log_unit_warning_errno(UNIT(s), r, "SO_SNDBUF/SO_SNDBUFFORCE failed: %m");
         }
 
         if (s->mark >= 0) {
diff --git a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-monitor.c b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-monitor.c
index cb6f1a70f8..43646e1880 100644
--- a/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-monitor.c
+++ b/src/libsystemd/sd-device/device-monitor.c
@@ -91,18 +91,9 @@ int device_monitor_allow_unicast_sender(sd_device_monitor *m, sd_device_monitor
 }
 
 _public_ int sd_device_monitor_set_receive_buffer_size(sd_device_monitor *m, size_t size) {
-        int r, n = (int) size;
-
         assert_return(m, -EINVAL);
-        assert_return((size_t) n == size, -EINVAL);
 
-        if (setsockopt_int(m->sock, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUFFORCE, n) < 0) {
-                r = setsockopt_int(m->sock, SOL_SOCKET, SO_RCVBUF, n);
-                if (r < 0)
-                        return r;
-        }
-
-        return 0;
+        return fd_set_rcvbuf(m->sock, size, false);
 }
 
 int device_monitor_disconnect(sd_device_monitor *m) {
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-manager.c b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
index 6187434466..344fc08c5b 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-manager.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-manager.c
@@ -36,11 +36,11 @@
 #include "path-util.h"
 #include "set.h"
 #include "signal-util.h"
+#include "stat-util.h"
 #include "strv.h"
 #include "sysctl-util.h"
 #include "tmpfile-util.h"
 #include "udev-util.h"
-#include "virt.h"
 
 /* use 128 MB for receive socket kernel queue. */
 #define RCVBUF_SIZE    (128*1024*1024)
@@ -261,16 +261,19 @@ static int manager_udev_process_link(sd_device_monitor *monitor, sd_device *devi
 static int manager_connect_udev(Manager *m) {
         int r;
 
-        /* udev does not initialize devices inside containers,
-         * so we rely on them being already initialized before
-         * entering the container */
-        if (detect_container() > 0)
+        /* udev does not initialize devices inside containers, so we rely on them being already
+         * initialized before entering the container. */
+        if (path_is_read_only_fs("/sys") > 0)
                 return 0;
 
         r = sd_device_monitor_new(&m->device_monitor);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Failed to initialize device monitor: %m");
 
+        r = sd_device_monitor_set_receive_buffer_size(m->device_monitor, RCVBUF_SIZE);
+        if (r < 0)
+                log_warning_errno(r, "Failed to increase buffer size for device monitor, ignoring: %m");
+
         r = sd_device_monitor_filter_add_match_subsystem_devtype(m->device_monitor, "net", NULL);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_error_errno(r, "Could not add device monitor filter: %m");
@@ -1347,7 +1350,7 @@ static int manager_connect_genl(Manager *m) {
 
         r = sd_netlink_inc_rcvbuf(m->genl, RCVBUF_SIZE);
         if (r < 0)
-                return r;
+                log_warning_errno(r, "Failed to increase receive buffer size for general netlink socket, ignoring: %m");
 
         r = sd_netlink_attach_event(m->genl, m->event, 0);
         if (r < 0)
@@ -1369,9 +1372,14 @@ static int manager_connect_rtnl(Manager *m) {
         if (r < 0)
                 return r;
 
-        r = sd_netlink_inc_rcvbuf(m->rtnl, RCVBUF_SIZE);
-        if (r < 0)
-                return r;
+        /* Bump receiver buffer, but only if we are not called via socket activation, as in that
+         * case systemd sets the receive buffer size for us, and the value in the .socket unit
+         * should take full effect. */
+        if (fd < 0) {
+                r = sd_netlink_inc_rcvbuf(m->rtnl, RCVBUF_SIZE);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        log_warning_errno(r, "Failed to increase receive buffer size for rtnl socket, ignoring: %m");
+        }
 
         r = sd_netlink_attach_event(m->rtnl, m->event, 0);
         if (r < 0)
diff --git a/src/udev/udevd.c b/src/udev/udevd.c
index 48a7774fc9..22dad2acaf 100644
--- a/src/udev/udevd.c
+++ b/src/udev/udevd.c
@@ -1686,8 +1686,11 @@ static int manager_new(Manager **ret, int fd_ctrl, int fd_uevent, const char *cg
         /* Bump receiver buffer, but only if we are not called via socket activation, as in that
          * case systemd sets the receive buffer size for us, and the value in the .socket unit
          * should take full effect. */
-        if (fd_uevent < 0)
-                (void) sd_device_monitor_set_receive_buffer_size(manager->monitor, 128 * 1024 * 1024);
+        if (fd_uevent < 0) {
+                r = sd_device_monitor_set_receive_buffer_size(manager->monitor, 128 * 1024 * 1024);
+                if (r < 0)
+                        log_warning_errno(r, "Failed to set receive buffer size for device monitor, ignoring: %m");
+        }
 
         r = device_monitor_enable_receiving(manager->monitor);
         if (r < 0)