diff --git a/initialize/config.go b/initialize/config.go
index efad99f..bce6ef6 100644
--- a/initialize/config.go
+++ b/initialize/config.go
@@ -169,16 +169,13 @@ func Apply(cfg config.CloudConfig, env *Environment) error {
 		case "digitalocean":
 			interfaces, err = network.ProcessDigitalOceanNetconf(cfg.NetworkConfig)
 		default:
-			return fmt.Errorf("Unsupported network config format %q", env.NetconfType())
+			err = fmt.Errorf("Unsupported network config format %q", env.NetconfType())
 		}
-
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
 
-		if err := system.WriteNetworkdConfigs(interfaces); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+		units = append(units, createNetworkingUnits(interfaces)...)
 		if err := system.RestartNetwork(interfaces); err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
@@ -186,7 +183,25 @@ func Apply(cfg config.CloudConfig, env *Environment) error {
 
 	um := system.NewUnitManager(env.Root())
 	return processUnits(units, env.Root(), um)
+}
 
+func createNetworkingUnits(interfaces []network.InterfaceGenerator) (units []system.Unit) {
+	appendNewUnit := func(units []system.Unit, name, content string) []system.Unit {
+		if content == "" {
+			return units
+		}
+		return append(units, system.Unit{Unit: config.Unit{
+			Name:    name,
+			Runtime: true,
+			Content: content,
+		}})
+	}
+	for _, i := range interfaces {
+		units = appendNewUnit(units, fmt.Sprintf("%s.netdev", i.Filename()), i.Netdev())
+		units = appendNewUnit(units, fmt.Sprintf("%s.link", i.Filename()), i.Link())
+		units = appendNewUnit(units, fmt.Sprintf("%s.network", i.Filename()), i.Network())
+	}
+	return units
 }
 
 // processUnits takes a set of Units and applies them to the given root using
diff --git a/initialize/config_test.go b/initialize/config_test.go
index 0dad5a4..8f7dda5 100644
--- a/initialize/config_test.go
+++ b/initialize/config_test.go
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-cloudinit/config"
+	"github.com/coreos/coreos-cloudinit/network"
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-cloudinit/system"
 )
 
@@ -67,6 +68,86 @@ func (tum *TestUnitManager) UnmaskUnit(u system.Unit) error {
 	return nil
 }
 
+type mockInterface struct {
+	name           string
+	filename       string
+	netdev         string
+	link           string
+	network        string
+	kind           string
+	modprobeParams string
+}
+
+func (i mockInterface) Name() string {
+	return i.name
+}
+
+func (i mockInterface) Filename() string {
+	return i.filename
+}
+
+func (i mockInterface) Netdev() string {
+	return i.netdev
+}
+
+func (i mockInterface) Link() string {
+	return i.link
+}
+
+func (i mockInterface) Network() string {
+	return i.network
+}
+
+func (i mockInterface) Type() string {
+	return i.kind
+}
+
+func (i mockInterface) ModprobeParams() string {
+	return i.modprobeParams
+}
+
+func TestCreateNetworkingUnits(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, tt := range []struct {
+		interfaces []network.InterfaceGenerator
+		expect     []system.Unit
+	}{
+		{nil, nil},
+		{
+			[]network.InterfaceGenerator{
+				network.InterfaceGenerator(mockInterface{filename: "test"}),
+			},
+			nil,
+		},
+		{
+			[]network.InterfaceGenerator{
+				network.InterfaceGenerator(mockInterface{filename: "test1", netdev: "test netdev"}),
+				network.InterfaceGenerator(mockInterface{filename: "test2", link: "test link"}),
+				network.InterfaceGenerator(mockInterface{filename: "test3", network: "test network"}),
+			},
+			[]system.Unit{
+				system.Unit{Unit: config.Unit{Name: "test1.netdev", Runtime: true, Content: "test netdev"}},
+				system.Unit{Unit: config.Unit{Name: "test2.link", Runtime: true, Content: "test link"}},
+				system.Unit{Unit: config.Unit{Name: "test3.network", Runtime: true, Content: "test network"}},
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			[]network.InterfaceGenerator{
+				network.InterfaceGenerator(mockInterface{filename: "test", netdev: "test netdev", link: "test link", network: "test network"}),
+			},
+			[]system.Unit{
+				system.Unit{Unit: config.Unit{Name: "test.netdev", Runtime: true, Content: "test netdev"}},
+				system.Unit{Unit: config.Unit{Name: "test.link", Runtime: true, Content: "test link"}},
+				system.Unit{Unit: config.Unit{Name: "test.network", Runtime: true, Content: "test network"}},
+			},
+		},
+	} {
+		units := createNetworkingUnits(tt.interfaces)
+		if !reflect.DeepEqual(tt.expect, units) {
+			t.Errorf("bad units (%+v): want %#v, got %#v", tt.interfaces, tt.expect, units)
+		}
+	}
+}
+
 func TestProcessUnits(t *testing.T) {
 	tests := []struct {
 		units []system.Unit
diff --git a/system/networkd.go b/system/networkd.go
index 056eb6a..dac2d81 100644
--- a/system/networkd.go
+++ b/system/networkd.go
@@ -29,10 +29,6 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/coreos-cloudinit/Godeps/_workspace/src/github.com/dotcloud/docker/pkg/netlink"
 )
 
-const (
-	runtimeNetworkPath = "/run/systemd/network"
-)
-
 func RestartNetwork(interfaces []network.InterfaceGenerator) (err error) {
 	defer func() {
 		if e := restartNetworkd(); e != nil {
@@ -100,30 +96,3 @@ func restartNetworkd() error {
 	_, err := NewUnitManager("").RunUnitCommand(networkd, "restart")
 	return err
 }
-
-func WriteNetworkdConfigs(interfaces []network.InterfaceGenerator) error {
-	for _, iface := range interfaces {
-		filename := fmt.Sprintf("%s.netdev", iface.Filename())
-		if err := writeConfig(filename, iface.Netdev()); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		filename = fmt.Sprintf("%s.link", iface.Filename())
-		if err := writeConfig(filename, iface.Link()); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-		filename = fmt.Sprintf("%s.network", iface.Filename())
-		if err := writeConfig(filename, iface.Network()); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-	return nil
-}
-
-func writeConfig(filename string, content string) error {
-	if content == "" {
-		return nil
-	}
-	log.Printf("Writing networkd unit %q\n", filename)
-	_, err := WriteFile(&File{config.File{Content: content, Path: filename}}, runtimeNetworkPath)
-	return err
-}