diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
index f132a40d70..aa57275093 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.cc
@@ -1559,6 +1559,19 @@ void Interface::handle_config_1(Configuration &config)
 }
 
 
+void Interface::_failed_to_send_packet_link()
+{
+	if (_config().verbose()) {
+		log("[", _domain(), "] failed to send packet (link down)"); }
+}
+
+
+void Interface::_failed_to_send_packet_alloc()
+{
+	log("[", _domain(), "] failed to send packet (packet alloc failed)");
+}
+
+
 void Interface::handle_config_2()
 {
 	Domain_name const &new_domain_name = _policy.determine_domain_name();
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.h b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.h
index 32284d59f1..10ec5aef3b 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/interface.h
@@ -273,10 +273,14 @@ class Net::Interface : private Interface_list::Element
 
 		void _apply_foreign_arp();
 
+		void _failed_to_send_packet_link();
+
+		void _failed_to_send_packet_alloc();
+
 		void _send_icmp_dst_unreachable(Ipv4_address_prefix const &local_intf,
 		                                Ethernet_frame      const &req_eth,
 		                                Ipv4_packet         const &req_ip,
-                                        Icmp_packet::Code   const  code);
+		                                Icmp_packet::Code   const  code);
 
 		/*******************
 		 ** Pure virtuals **
@@ -338,6 +342,10 @@ class Net::Interface : private Interface_list::Element
 		template <typename FUNC>
 		void send(Genode::size_t pkt_size, FUNC && write_to_pkt)
 		{
+			if (!_link_state()) {
+				_failed_to_send_packet_link();
+				return;
+			}
 			try {
 				Packet_descriptor  pkt;
 				void              *pkt_base;
@@ -348,7 +356,7 @@ class Net::Interface : private Interface_list::Element
 				_send_submit_pkt(pkt, pkt_base, pkt_size);
 			}
 			catch (Packet_stream_source::Packet_alloc_failed) {
-				Genode::warning("failed to allocate packet");
+				_failed_to_send_packet_alloc();
 			}
 		}
 
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/uplink.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/uplink.cc
index 5ab6defda3..1b5f293bf8 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/uplink.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/uplink.cc
@@ -42,11 +42,13 @@ Net::Uplink::Uplink(Env                 &env,
 	tx_channel()->sigh_ack_avail(_source_ack);
 	tx_channel()->sigh_ready_to_submit(_source_submit);
 	Nic::Connection::link_state_sigh(_link_state_handler);
+	_link_state_ = link_state();
 }
 
 
 void Net::Uplink::_handle_link_state()
 {
+	_link_state_ = link_state();
 	try { domain().discard_ip_config(); }
 	catch (Domain::Ip_config_static) { }
 }
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/uplink.h b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/uplink.h
index d63b02ecdb..f39b101184 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/uplink.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/uplink.h
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ class Net::Uplink : public Uplink_base,
 		};
 
 		Genode::Session_label    const &_label;
+		bool                            _link_state_ { false };
 		Genode::Signal_handler<Uplink>  _link_state_handler;
 
 		Ipv4_address_prefix _read_interface();
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ class Net::Uplink : public Uplink_base,
 
 		Packet_stream_sink   &_sink()       override { return *rx(); }
 		Packet_stream_source &_source()     override { return *tx(); }
-		bool                  _link_state() override { return link_state(); }
+		bool                  _link_state() override { return _link_state_; }
 
 	public: