diff --git a/src/network/networkctl.c b/src/network/networkctl.c
index c489ccbf4e..f69cde7e4d 100644
--- a/src/network/networkctl.c
+++ b/src/network/networkctl.c
@@ -817,7 +817,7 @@ static int list_links(int argc, char *argv[], void *userdata) {
                 table_set_width(table, 0);
 
         table_set_header(table, arg_legend);
-        if (table_set_empty_string(table, "n/a") < 0)
+        if (table_set_empty_string(table, "-") < 0)
                 return log_oom();
 
         assert_se(cell = table_get_cell(table, 0, 0));
diff --git a/test/test-network/systemd-networkd-tests.py b/test/test-network/systemd-networkd-tests.py
index 2f638d158a..b90a07e22b 100755
--- a/test/test-network/systemd-networkd-tests.py
+++ b/test/test-network/systemd-networkd-tests.py
@@ -1047,8 +1047,8 @@ class NetworkctlTests(unittest.TestCase, Utilities):
 
         output = check_output(*networkctl_cmd, '-n', '0', 'status', 'lo', env=env)
         print(output)
-        self.assertRegex(output, r'Link File: n/a')
-        self.assertRegex(output, r'Network File: n/a')
+        self.assertRegex(output, r'Link File: -')
+        self.assertRegex(output, r'Network File: -')
 
     def test_delete_links(self):
         copy_network_unit('11-dummy.netdev', '11-dummy.network',