diff --git a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_250.1.bb b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_250.1.bb
index b05905b764..4dd668833a 100644
--- a/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_250.1.bb
+++ b/meta/recipes-core/systemd/systemd_250.1.bb
@@ -297,8 +297,9 @@ do_install() {
 
 	# this file is needed to exist if networkd is disabled but timesyncd is still in use since timesyncd checks it
 	# for existence else it fails
-	if [ -s ${D}${exec_prefix}/lib/tmpfiles.d/systemd.conf ]; then
-		${@bb.utils.contains('PACKAGECONFIG', 'networkd', ':', 'sed -i -e "\$ad /run/systemd/netif/links 0755 root root -" ${D}${exec_prefix}/lib/tmpfiles.d/systemd.conf', d)}
+	if [ -s ${D}${exec_prefix}/lib/tmpfiles.d/systemd.conf ] &&
+	   ! ${@bb.utils.contains('PACKAGECONFIG', 'networkd', 'true', 'false', d)}; then
+		echo 'd /run/systemd/netif/links 0755 root root -' >>${D}${exec_prefix}/lib/tmpfiles.d/systemd.conf
 	fi
 	if ! ${@bb.utils.contains('PACKAGECONFIG', 'resolved', 'true', 'false', d)}; then
 		echo 'L! ${sysconfdir}/resolv.conf - - - - ../run/systemd/resolve/resolv.conf' >>${D}${exec_prefix}/lib/tmpfiles.d/etc.conf