diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/ifstate.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/ifstate.nix
index f382f28efbe9..167155a2de0f 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/ifstate.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/ifstate.nix
@@ -66,6 +66,33 @@ let
     "wireguard" = [ "wireguard" ];
     "xfrm" = [ "xfrm_interface" ];
   };
+  # https://github.com/systemd/systemd/blob/main/units/systemd-networkd.service.in
+  commonServiceConfig = {
+    after = [
+      "systemd-udevd.service"
+      "network-pre.target"
+      "systemd-sysusers.service"
+      "systemd-sysctl.service"
+    ];
+    before = [
+      "network.target"
+      "multi-user.target"
+      "shutdown.target"
+      "initrd-switch-root.target"
+    ];
+    conflicts = [
+      "shutdown.target"
+      "initrd-switch-root.target"
+    ];
+    wants = [
+      "network.target"
+    ];
+
+    unitConfig = {
+      # Avoid default dependencies like "basic.target", which prevents ifstate from starting before luks is unlocked.
+      DefaultDependencies = "no";
+    };
+  };
 in
 {
   meta.maintainers = with lib.maintainers; [ marcel ];
@@ -150,31 +177,12 @@ in
         etc."ifstate/ifstate.yaml".source = settingsFormat.generate "ifstate.yaml" cfg.settings cfg.package;
       };
 
-      systemd.services.ifstate = {
+      systemd.services.ifstate = commonServiceConfig // {
         description = "IfState";
 
         wantedBy = [
           "multi-user.target"
         ];
-        after = [
-          "systemd-udevd.service"
-          "network-pre.target"
-          "systemd-sysusers.service"
-          "systemd-sysctl.service"
-        ];
-        before = [
-          "network.target"
-          "multi-user.target"
-          "shutdown.target"
-          "initrd-switch-root.target"
-        ];
-        conflicts = [
-          "shutdown.target"
-          "initrd-switch-root.target"
-        ];
-        wants = [
-          "network.target"
-        ];
 
         # mount is always available on nixos, avoid adding additional store paths to the closure
         path = [ "/run/wrappers" ];
@@ -254,31 +262,23 @@ in
             )
           ];
 
-          services.ifstate-initrd = {
+          # https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/master/nixos/modules/system/boot/networkd.nix#L3444
+          additionalUpstreamUnits = [
+            "network-online.target"
+            "network-pre.target"
+            "network.target"
+            "nss-lookup.target"
+            "nss-user-lookup.target"
+            "remote-fs-pre.target"
+            "remote-fs.target"
+          ];
+
+          services.ifstate-initrd = commonServiceConfig // {
             description = "IfState initrd";
 
             wantedBy = [
               "initrd.target"
             ];
-            after = [
-              "systemd-udevd.service"
-              "network-pre.target"
-              "systemd-sysusers.service"
-              "systemd-sysctl.service"
-            ];
-            before = [
-              "network.target"
-              "multi-user.target"
-              "shutdown.target"
-              "initrd-switch-root.target"
-            ];
-            conflicts = [
-              "shutdown.target"
-              "initrd-switch-root.target"
-            ];
-            wants = [
-              "network.target"
-            ];
 
             # mount is always available on nixos, avoid adding additional store paths to the closure
             # https://github.com/NixOS/nixpkgs/blob/2b8e2457ebe576ebf41ddfa8452b5b07a8d493ad/nixos/modules/system/boot/systemd/initrd.nix#L550-L551
@@ -291,9 +291,6 @@ in
               # Otherwise systemd starts ifstate again, after the encryption password was entered by the user
               # and we are able to implement the cleanup using ExecStop rather than a separate unit.
               RemainAfterExit = true;
-              # When using network namespaces pyroute2 expects this directory to exists.
-              # @liske is currently investigating whether this should be considered a bug in pyroute2.
-              ExecStartPre = "${lib.getExe' pkgs.coreutils "mkdir"} /var/run";
               ExecStart = "${lib.getExe initrdCfg.package} --config ${
                 config.environment.etc."ifstate/ifstate.initrd.yaml".source
               } apply";