diff --git a/rules.d/50-udev-default.rules.in b/rules.d/50-udev-default.rules.in
index 843bdaf9ce..f670b51987 100644
--- a/rules.d/50-udev-default.rules.in
+++ b/rules.d/50-udev-default.rules.in
@@ -17,6 +17,8 @@ SUBSYSTEM=="rtc", KERNEL=="rtc0", SYMLINK+="rtc", OPTIONS+="link_priority=-100"
 SUBSYSTEM=="usb", ENV{DEVTYPE}=="usb_device", IMPORT{builtin}="usb_id", IMPORT{builtin}="hwdb --subsystem=usb"
 ENV{MODALIAS}!="", IMPORT{builtin}="hwdb --subsystem=$env{SUBSYSTEM}"
 
+SUBSYSTEM=="net", IMPORT{builtin}="net_driver"
+
 ACTION!="add", GOTO="default_end"
 
 SUBSYSTEM=="tty", KERNEL=="ptmx", GROUP="tty", MODE="0666"
diff --git a/src/udev/meson.build b/src/udev/meson.build
index 08a1d97e81..564aa6de1b 100644
--- a/src/udev/meson.build
+++ b/src/udev/meson.build
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@ libudevd_core_sources = files(
         'udev-builtin-hwdb.c',
         'udev-builtin-input_id.c',
         'udev-builtin-keyboard.c',
+        'udev-builtin-net_driver.c',
         'udev-builtin-net_id.c',
         'udev-builtin-net_setup_link.c',
         'udev-builtin-path_id.c',
diff --git a/src/udev/net/link-config.c b/src/udev/net/link-config.c
index 2d8c902fd3..80c64519ab 100644
--- a/src/udev/net/link-config.c
+++ b/src/udev/net/link-config.c
@@ -362,7 +362,6 @@ Link *link_free(Link *link) {
 
         sd_device_unref(link->device);
         free(link->kind);
-        free(link->driver);
         strv_free(link->altnames);
         return mfree(link);
 }
@@ -415,8 +414,8 @@ int link_new(LinkConfigContext *ctx, sd_netlink **rtnl, sd_device *device, Link
                         log_link_debug_errno(link, r, "Failed to get permanent hardware address, ignoring: %m");
         }
 
-        r = ethtool_get_driver(&ctx->ethtool_fd, link->ifname, &link->driver);
-        if (r < 0)
+        r = sd_device_get_property_value(link->device, "ID_NET_DRIVER", &link->driver);
+        if (r < 0 && r != -ENOENT)
                 log_link_debug_errno(link, r, "Failed to get driver, ignoring: %m");
 
         *ret = TAKE_PTR(link);
diff --git a/src/udev/net/link-config.h b/src/udev/net/link-config.h
index 874a391543..8343783caf 100644
--- a/src/udev/net/link-config.h
+++ b/src/udev/net/link-config.h
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ typedef struct Link {
         sd_device_action_t action;
 
         char *kind;
-        char *driver;
+        const char *driver;
         uint16_t iftype;
         uint32_t flags;
         struct hw_addr_data hw_addr;
diff --git a/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_driver.c b/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_driver.c
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..f1642a491d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_driver.c
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+/* SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later */
+
+#include "alloc-util.h"
+#include "device-util.h"
+#include "errno-util.h"
+#include "ethtool-util.h"
+#include "fd-util.h"
+#include "log.h"
+#include "string-util.h"
+#include "udev-builtin.h"
+
+static int builtin_net_driver_set_driver(UdevEvent *event, int argc, char **argv, bool test) {
+        sd_device *dev = ASSERT_PTR(ASSERT_PTR(event)->dev);
+        _cleanup_close_ int ethtool_fd = -EBADF;
+        _cleanup_free_ char *driver = NULL;
+        const char *sysname;
+        int r;
+
+        r = sd_device_get_sysname(dev, &sysname);
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_device_warning_errno(dev, r, "Failed to get sysname: %m");
+
+        r = ethtool_get_driver(&ethtool_fd, sysname, &driver);
+        if (ERRNO_IS_NEG_NOT_SUPPORTED(r)) {
+                log_device_debug_errno(dev, r, "Querying driver name via ethtool API is not supported by device '%s', ignoring: %m", sysname);
+                return 0;
+        }
+        if (r == -ENODEV) {
+                log_device_debug_errno(dev, r, "Device already vanished, ignoring.");
+                return 0;
+        }
+        if (r < 0)
+                return log_device_warning_errno(dev, r, "Failed to get driver for '%s': %m", sysname);
+
+        return udev_builtin_add_property(event->dev, test, "ID_NET_DRIVER", driver);
+}
+
+const UdevBuiltin udev_builtin_net_driver = {
+        .name = "net_driver",
+        .cmd = builtin_net_driver_set_driver,
+        .help = "Set driver for network device",
+        .run_once = true,
+};
diff --git a/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_setup_link.c b/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_setup_link.c
index e964bf7bf4..b0279a1814 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_setup_link.c
+++ b/src/udev/udev-builtin-net_setup_link.c
@@ -26,9 +26,6 @@ static int builtin_net_setup_link(UdevEvent *event, int argc, char **argv, bool
         if (r < 0)
                 return log_device_warning_errno(dev, r, "Failed to get link information: %m");
 
-        if (link->driver)
-                udev_builtin_add_property(dev, test, "ID_NET_DRIVER", link->driver);
-
         r = link_get_config(ctx, link);
         if (r < 0) {
                 if (r == -ENOENT) {
diff --git a/src/udev/udev-builtin.c b/src/udev/udev-builtin.c
index c84db8855c..d55dc3337d 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev-builtin.c
+++ b/src/udev/udev-builtin.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ static const UdevBuiltin *const builtins[_UDEV_BUILTIN_MAX] = {
 #if HAVE_KMOD
         [UDEV_BUILTIN_KMOD] = &udev_builtin_kmod,
 #endif
+        [UDEV_BUILTIN_NET_DRIVER] = &udev_builtin_net_driver,
         [UDEV_BUILTIN_NET_ID] = &udev_builtin_net_id,
         [UDEV_BUILTIN_NET_LINK] = &udev_builtin_net_setup_link,
         [UDEV_BUILTIN_PATH_ID] = &udev_builtin_path_id,
diff --git a/src/udev/udev-builtin.h b/src/udev/udev-builtin.h
index 919d51e798..c23f2d1613 100644
--- a/src/udev/udev-builtin.h
+++ b/src/udev/udev-builtin.h
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ typedef enum UdevBuiltinCommand {
 #if HAVE_KMOD
         UDEV_BUILTIN_KMOD,
 #endif
+        UDEV_BUILTIN_NET_DRIVER,
         UDEV_BUILTIN_NET_ID,
         UDEV_BUILTIN_NET_LINK,
         UDEV_BUILTIN_PATH_ID,
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ extern const UdevBuiltin udev_builtin_keyboard;
 #if HAVE_KMOD
 extern const UdevBuiltin udev_builtin_kmod;
 #endif
+extern const UdevBuiltin udev_builtin_net_driver;
 extern const UdevBuiltin udev_builtin_net_id;
 extern const UdevBuiltin udev_builtin_net_setup_link;
 extern const UdevBuiltin udev_builtin_path_id;