diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 70280717..e14206a4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 - Fixed bug where tags from profiles weren't rendered #967
 - Fixed a bug when using `wwctl container import --force` to replace an existing container
   will generate an error #474
+- Create `/etc/systemd/network/10-persistent-net-<netdev>.link` file per network device
 
 ### Changed
 
diff --git a/docs/man/man5/defaults.conf.5 b/docs/man/man5/defaults.conf.5
index 3488dc5d..3abe7257 100644
--- a/docs/man/man5/defaults.conf.5
+++ b/docs/man/man5/defaults.conf.5
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ defaultnode:
   - default
   network devices:
     dummy:
-      device: eth0
       type: ethernet
       netmask: 255.255.255.0
 .EE
diff --git a/internal/pkg/node/constructors.go b/internal/pkg/node/constructors.go
index 08c27b19..fe7eb87a 100644
--- a/internal/pkg/node/constructors.go
+++ b/internal/pkg/node/constructors.go
@@ -35,7 +35,6 @@ defaultnode:
   - default
   network devices:
     dummy:
-      device: eth0
       type: ethernet
       netmask: 255.255.255.0
       onboot: true`
diff --git a/overlays/wwinit/etc/systemd/network/10-persistent-net.link.ww b/overlays/wwinit/etc/systemd/network/10-persistent-net.link.ww
index dd6dba1f..fb84abd5 100644
--- a/overlays/wwinit/etc/systemd/network/10-persistent-net.link.ww
+++ b/overlays/wwinit/etc/systemd/network/10-persistent-net.link.ww
@@ -1,16 +1,14 @@
+{{ range $devname, $netdev := .NetDevs -}}
+{{- $filename := print "10-persistent-net-" $devname ".link" }}
+{{- file $filename }}
 # This file is autogenerated by warewulf
-# Host:   {{.BuildHost}}
-# Time:   {{.BuildTime}}
-# Source: {{.BuildSource}}
-{{range $devname, $netdev := .NetDevs}}
-{{- if $netdev.Hwaddr }}
+# Host:   {{$.BuildHost}}
+# Time:   {{$.BuildTime}}
+# Source: {{$.BuildSource}}
+{{- if and $netdev.Hwaddr $netdev.Device }}
 [Match]
 MACAddress={{$netdev.Hwaddr}}
 [Link]
-{{ if $netdev.Device -}}
 Name={{ $netdev.Device }}
-{{ else -}}
-Name={{ $devname }}
 {{ end -}}
 {{ end -}}
-{{end}}