diff --git a/repos/dde_ipxe/src/drivers/nic/main.cc b/repos/dde_ipxe/src/drivers/nic/main.cc
index fbe270fd9..fc2e494e3 100644
--- a/repos/dde_ipxe/src/drivers/nic/main.cc
+++ b/repos/dde_ipxe/src/drivers/nic/main.cc
@@ -65,8 +65,10 @@ class Ipxe_session_component  : public Nic::Session_component
 				return true;
 			}
 
-			if (dde_ipxe_nic_tx(1, _tx.sink()->packet_content(packet), packet.size()))
-				Genode::warning("Sending packet failed!");
+			if (link_state()) {
+				if (dde_ipxe_nic_tx(1, _tx.sink()->packet_content(packet), packet.size()))
+					Genode::warning("Sending packet failed!");
+			}
 
 			_tx.sink()->acknowledge_packet(packet);
 			return true;
diff --git a/repos/dde_ipxe/src/lib/dde_ipxe/nic.c b/repos/dde_ipxe/src/lib/dde_ipxe/nic.c
index 698d50cbf..8e8a230b6 100644
--- a/repos/dde_ipxe/src/lib/dde_ipxe/nic.c
+++ b/repos/dde_ipxe/src/lib/dde_ipxe/nic.c
@@ -199,10 +199,20 @@ static void irq_handler(void *p)
 
 	dde_lock_leave();
 
-	if (link_ok != netdev_link_ok(net_dev))
+	int const new_link_ok = netdev_link_ok(net_dev);
+	if (link_ok != new_link_ok) {
+
 		/* report link-state changes */
 		if (link_callback)
 			link_callback();
+
+		/* on link down, drain TX DMA to not leak packets on next link up */
+		if (!new_link_ok) {
+			netdev_close(net_dev);
+			netdev_open(net_dev);
+			netdev_irq(net_dev, 1);
+		}
+	}
 }