diff --git a/nixos/modules/services/networking/networkmanager.nix b/nixos/modules/services/networking/networkmanager.nix
index caa7b0fffffd11..d2d49ee2eeb918 100644
--- a/nixos/modules/services/networking/networkmanager.nix
+++ b/nixos/modules/services/networking/networkmanager.nix
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@ in
     ];
 
     systemd.services.NetworkManager = {
-      wantedBy = [ "network.target" ];
+      wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
       restartTriggers = [ configFile ];
 
       aliases = [ "dbus-org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.service" ];
@@ -614,7 +614,7 @@ in
     };
 
     systemd.services.NetworkManager-dispatcher = {
-      wantedBy = [ "network.target" ];
+      wantedBy = [ "multi-user.target" ];
       restartTriggers = [
         configFile
         overrideNameserversScript
diff --git a/nixos/tests/networking/networkmanager.nix b/nixos/tests/networking/networkmanager.nix
index bd989408df8a1d..23517a6cc47ecc 100644
--- a/nixos/tests/networking/networkmanager.nix
+++ b/nixos/tests/networking/networkmanager.nix
@@ -33,6 +33,17 @@ let
     };
   } extraConfig;
   testCases = {
+    startup = {
+      name = "startup";
+      nodes.client = {
+        networking.useDHCP = false;
+        networking.networkmanager.enable = true;
+      };
+      testScript = ''
+        with subtest("NetworkManager is started automatically at boot"):
+          client.wait_for_unit("NetworkManager.service")
+      '';
+    };
     static = {
       name = "static";
       nodes = {