diff --git a/meson_options.txt b/meson_options.txt
index e9283dc37e..83b48ff5bb 100644
--- a/meson_options.txt
+++ b/meson_options.txt
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ option('homed', type : 'feature', deprecated : { 'true' : 'enabled', 'false' : '
        description : 'install the systemd-homed stack')
 option('networkd', type : 'boolean',
        description : 'install the systemd-networkd stack')
-option('default-network', type : 'boolean', value : true,
+option('default-network', type : 'boolean', value : false,
        description : 'install default .network files')
 option('timedated', type : 'boolean',
        description : 'install the systemd-timedated daemon')
diff --git a/network/meson.build b/network/meson.build
index b343bf6ad3..4f17f7385e 100644
--- a/network/meson.build
+++ b/network/meson.build
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ if conf.get('ENABLE_NETWORKD') == 1
                 foreach f : example_network_files
                         install_data(
                                 f,
-                                rename : fs.replace_suffix(f, ''),
+                                rename : fs.replace_suffix(fs.name(f), ''),
                                 install_dir : networkdir)
                 endforeach
         else