diff --git a/src/network/networkd-setlink.c b/src/network/networkd-setlink.c
index 8519e6e7a09..8ef523dfdcf 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-setlink.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-setlink.c
@@ -1211,7 +1211,7 @@ int link_request_to_bring_up_or_down(Link *link, bool up) {
         return 0;
 }
 
-static int link_down_now_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, Link *link) {
+static int link_up_or_down_now_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, Link *link, const char *msg) {
         int r;
 
         assert(m);
@@ -1225,7 +1225,7 @@ static int link_down_now_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, Link *
 
         r = sd_netlink_message_get_errno(m);
         if (r < 0)
-                log_link_message_warning_errno(link, m, r, "Could not bring down interface, ignoring");
+                log_link_message_warning_errno(link, m, r, msg);
 
         r = link_call_getlink(link, get_link_update_flag_handler);
         if (r < 0) {
@@ -1237,7 +1237,15 @@ static int link_down_now_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, Link *
         return 0;
 }
 
-int link_down_now(Link *link) {
+static int link_up_now_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, Link *link) {
+        return link_up_or_down_now_handler(rtnl, m, link, "Could not bring up interface, ignoring");
+}
+
+static int link_down_now_handler(sd_netlink *rtnl, sd_netlink_message *m, Link *link) {
+        return link_up_or_down_now_handler(rtnl, m, link, "Could not bring down interface, ignoring");
+}
+
+int link_up_or_down_now(Link *link, bool up) {
         _cleanup_(sd_netlink_message_unrefp) sd_netlink_message *req = NULL;
         int r;
 
@@ -1245,17 +1253,18 @@ int link_down_now(Link *link) {
         assert(link->manager);
         assert(link->manager->rtnl);
 
-        log_link_debug(link, "Bringing link down");
+        log_link_debug(link, "Bringing link %s", up ? "up" : "down");
 
         r = sd_rtnl_message_new_link(link->manager->rtnl, &req, RTM_SETLINK, link->ifindex);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_link_warning_errno(link, r, "Could not allocate RTM_SETLINK message: %m");
 
-        r = sd_rtnl_message_link_set_flags(req, 0, IFF_UP);
+        r = sd_rtnl_message_link_set_flags(req, up ? IFF_UP : 0, IFF_UP);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_link_warning_errno(link, r, "Could not set link flags: %m");
 
-        r = netlink_call_async(link->manager->rtnl, NULL, req, link_down_now_handler,
+        r = netlink_call_async(link->manager->rtnl, NULL, req,
+                               up ? link_up_now_handler : link_down_now_handler,
                                link_netlink_destroy_callback, link);
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_link_warning_errno(link, r, "Could not send rtnetlink message: %m");
diff --git a/src/network/networkd-setlink.h b/src/network/networkd-setlink.h
index 841e5eeb9c4..df617f2167d 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-setlink.h
+++ b/src/network/networkd-setlink.h
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@ int link_request_to_activate(Link *link);
 
 int link_request_to_bring_up_or_down(Link *link, bool up);
 
-int link_down_now(Link *link);
+int link_up_or_down_now(Link *link, bool up);
+static inline int link_up_now(Link *link) {
+        return link_up_or_down_now(link, true);
+}
+static inline int link_down_now(Link *link) {
+        return link_up_or_down_now(link, false);
+}
+
 int link_down_slave_links(Link *link);
 int link_remove(Link *link);