diff --git a/google_guest_agent/network/manager/netplan_linux.go b/google_guest_agent/network/manager/netplan_linux.go
index 787a290a..5cf43a71 100644
--- a/google_guest_agent/network/manager/netplan_linux.go
+++ b/google_guest_agent/network/manager/netplan_linux.go
@@ -222,16 +222,16 @@ func (n *netplan) SetupEthernetInterface(ctx context.Context, config *cfg.Sectio
 func (n *netplan) reloadConfigs(ctx context.Context) error {
 	logger.Infof("Reloading netplan configs...")
 
+	// Avoid restarting netplan.
+	if err := run.Quiet(ctx, "netplan", "generate"); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("error generating netplan based config: %w", err)
+	}
+
 	// Avoid restarting systemd-networkd.
 	if err := run.Quiet(ctx, "networkctl", "reload"); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("error reloading systemd-networkd network configs: %v", err)
 	}
 
-	// Avoid restarting netplan.
-	if err := run.Quiet(ctx, "netplan", "apply"); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("error applying netplan changes: %w", err)
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/google_guest_agent/network/manager/netplan_linux_test.go b/google_guest_agent/network/manager/netplan_linux_test.go
index 51c0a7fc..754b3767 100644
--- a/google_guest_agent/network/manager/netplan_linux_test.go
+++ b/google_guest_agent/network/manager/netplan_linux_test.go
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ func TestSetupVlanInterface(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("SetupVlanInterface(ctx, nil, %+v) failed unexpectedly with error: %v", nics, err)
 	}
 
-	wantCmds := []string{"netplan apply", "networkctl reload"}
+	wantCmds := []string{"netplan generate", "networkctl reload"}
 	gotCmds := runner.executedCommands
 	sort.Strings(gotCmds)