diff --git a/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh b/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
index 351cfc2a14..6157ff6f67 100644
--- a/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/rootfs/create-cache.sh
@@ -274,6 +274,15 @@ create_rootfs_cache() {
 		rm $SDCARD/etc/resolv.conf
 		echo "nameserver $NAMESERVER" >> $SDCARD/etc/resolv.conf
 
+		# Remove `machine-id` (https://www.freedesktop.org/software/systemd/man/machine-id.html)
+		# Note: This will mark machine `firstboot`
+		echo "uninitialized" > "${SDCARD}/etc/machine-id"
+		rm "${SDCARD}/var/lib/dbus/machine-id"
+
+		# Mask `systemd-firstboot.service` which will prompt locale, timezone and root-password too early.
+		# `armbian-first-run` will do the same thing later
+		chroot $SDCARD /bin/bash -c "systemctl mask systemd-firstboot.service >/dev/null 2>&1"
+
 		# stage: make rootfs cache archive
 		display_alert "Ending debootstrap process and preparing cache" "$RELEASE" "info"
 		sync
diff --git a/lib/functions/rootfs/distro-agnostic.sh b/lib/functions/rootfs/distro-agnostic.sh
index 543a6bd292..76cb7f6460 100644
--- a/lib/functions/rootfs/distro-agnostic.sh
+++ b/lib/functions/rootfs/distro-agnostic.sh
@@ -526,6 +526,10 @@ FAMILY_TWEAKS
 		# remove network manager defaults to handle eth by default
 		rm -f "${SDCARD}"/usr/lib/NetworkManager/conf.d/10-globally-managed-devices.conf
 
+		# `systemd-networkd.service` will be enabled by `/lib/systemd/system-preset/90-systemd.preset` during first-run.
+		# Mask it to avoid conflict
+		chroot "${SDCARD}" /bin/bash -c "systemctl mask systemd-networkd.service" >> "${DEST}"/${LOG_SUBPATH}/install.log 2>&1
+
 		# most likely we don't need to wait for nm to get online
 		chroot "${SDCARD}" /bin/bash -c "systemctl disable NetworkManager-wait-online.service" >> "${DEST}"/${LOG_SUBPATH}/install.log 2>&1
 
@@ -548,6 +552,9 @@ FAMILY_TWEAKS
 		# enable services
 		chroot "${SDCARD}" /bin/bash -c "systemctl enable systemd-networkd.service systemd-resolved.service" >> "${DEST}"/${LOG_SUBPATH}/install.log 2>&1
 
+		# Mask `NetworkManager.service` to avoid conflict
+		chroot "${SDCARD}" /bin/bash -c "systemctl mask NetworkManager.service" >> "${DEST}"/${LOG_SUBPATH}/install.log 2>&1
+
 		if [ -e /etc/systemd/timesyncd.conf ]; then
 			chroot "${SDCARD}" /bin/bash -c "systemctl enable systemd-timesyncd.service" >> "${DEST}"/${LOG_SUBPATH}/install.log 2>&1
 		fi