diff --git a/src/networkd.c b/src/networkd.c
index 0e6c0afe9..982781e0d 100644
--- a/src/networkd.c
+++ b/src/networkd.c
@@ -1501,8 +1501,12 @@ _netplan_networkd_write_wait_online(const NetplanState* np_state, const char* ro
                                || netplan_netdef_get_link_local_ipv6(def);
             _netplan_address_iter_free(addr_iter);
 
-            // no matching => single interface, ignoring non-existing interfaces
-            if (!netplan_netdef_has_match(def) && g_hash_table_contains(system_interfaces, def->id)) {
+            // no matching => single physical interface, ignoring non-existing interfaces
+            // OR: virtual interfaces, those will be created later on and cannot have a matching condition
+            gboolean physical_no_match_or_virtual = FALSE
+                || (!netplan_netdef_has_match(def) && g_hash_table_contains(system_interfaces, def->id))
+                || (netplan_netdef_get_type(def) >= NETPLAN_DEF_TYPE_VIRTUAL);
+            if (physical_no_match_or_virtual) {
                 g_hash_table_replace(non_optional_interfaces, g_strdup(def->id), any_ips ? g_strdup("degraded") : g_strdup("carrier"));
             } else if (def->set_name) { // matching on a single interface, to be renamed
                  _netplan_enumerate_interfaces(def, system_interfaces, non_optional_interfaces, any_ips ? "degraded" : "carrier", def->set_name, rootdir);
diff --git a/tests/generator/test_args.py b/tests/generator/test_args.py
index de5aaa89c..b48291a36 100644
--- a/tests/generator/test_args.py
+++ b/tests/generator/test_args.py
@@ -133,7 +133,10 @@ def test_systemd_generator(self):
       dhcp4: true
       optional: true
     lo:
-      addresses: ["127.0.0.1/8", "::1/128"]''')
+      addresses: ["127.0.0.1/8", "::1/128"]
+  bridges:
+    br0:
+      dhcp4: true''')
         outdir = os.path.join(self.workdir.name, 'out')
         os.mkdir(outdir)
 
@@ -151,6 +154,9 @@ def test_systemd_generator(self):
         n = os.path.join(self.workdir.name, 'run', 'systemd', 'network', '10-netplan-lo.network')
         self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(n))
         os.unlink(n)
+        n = os.path.join(self.workdir.name, 'run', 'systemd', 'network', '10-netplan-br0.network')
+        self.assertTrue(os.path.exists(n))
+        os.unlink(n)
 
         # should auto-enable networkd and -wait-online
         service_dir = os.path.join(self.workdir.name, 'run', 'systemd', 'system')
@@ -166,7 +172,7 @@ def test_systemd_generator(self):
 
 [Service]
 ExecStart=
-ExecStart=/lib/systemd/systemd-networkd-wait-online -i lo:carrier\n''')  # eth99 does not exist on the system
+ExecStart=/lib/systemd/systemd-networkd-wait-online -i br0:degraded -i lo:carrier\n''')  # eth99 does not exist on the system
 
         # should be a no-op the second time while the stamp exists
         out = subprocess.check_output([generator, '--root-dir', self.workdir.name, outdir, outdir, outdir],
diff --git a/tests/integration/ethernets.py b/tests/integration/ethernets.py
index 7028a498c..1e57816cf 100644
--- a/tests/integration/ethernets.py
+++ b/tests/integration/ethernets.py
@@ -409,8 +409,12 @@ def test_systemd_networkd_wait_online(self):
       set-name: "findme"
     %(e2c)s:
       addresses: ["10.0.0.1/24"]
+  bridges:
+    br0:
+      addresses: ["10.0.0.2/24"]
+      interfaces: [%(e2c)s]
 ''' % {'r': self.backend, 'ec_mac': self.dev_e_client_mac, 'e2c': self.dev_e2_client})
-        self.generate_and_settle([self.dev_e2_client])
+        self.generate_and_settle([self.dev_e2_client, 'br0'])
         override = os.path.join('/run', 'systemd', 'system', 'systemd-networkd-wait-online.service.d', '10-netplan.conf')
         self.assertTrue(os.path.isfile(override))
 
@@ -424,7 +428,7 @@ def test_systemd_networkd_wait_online(self):
 
 [Service]
 ExecStart=
-ExecStart=/lib/systemd/systemd-networkd-wait-online -i %s:degraded -i findme:carrier
+ExecStart=/lib/systemd/systemd-networkd-wait-online -i %s:degraded -i br0:degraded -i findme:carrier
 ''' % self.dev_e2_client)