diff --git a/src/network/networkd-routing-policy-rule.c b/src/network/networkd-routing-policy-rule.c
index 20f748944ea..f4b3b7180b6 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-routing-policy-rule.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-routing-policy-rule.c
@@ -1017,13 +1017,12 @@ int routing_policy_load_rules(const char *state_file, Set **rules) {
                                 }
                         } else if (streq(a, "iif")) {
 
-                                rule->iif = strdup(b);
-                                if (!rule->iif)
+                                if (free_and_strdup(&rule->iif, b) < 0)
                                         return log_oom();
+
                         } else if (streq(a, "oif")) {
 
-                                rule->oif = strdup(b);
-                                if (!rule->oif)
+                                if (free_and_strdup(&rule->oif, b) < 0)
                                         return log_oom();
                         }
                 }
diff --git a/src/network/test-routing-policy-rule.c b/src/network/test-routing-policy-rule.c
index c619dbc1594..fc6eb5626d0 100644
--- a/src/network/test-routing-policy-rule.c
+++ b/src/network/test-routing-policy-rule.c
@@ -96,5 +96,9 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv) {
         test_rule_serialization("outgoing interface",
                                 "RULE=from=1::2/64 to=2::3/64 oif=eth0 table=1", NULL);
 
+        test_rule_serialization("freeing interface names",
+                                "RULE=from=1::2/64 to=2::3/64 iif=e0 iif=e1 oif=e0 oif=e1 table=1",
+                                "RULE=from=1::2/64 to=2::3/64 iif=e1 oif=e1 table=1");
+
         return 0;
 }