diff --git a/src/network/networkd-setlink.c b/src/network/networkd-setlink.c
index 13c4cedd1..523399570 100644
--- a/src/network/networkd-setlink.c
+++ b/src/network/networkd-setlink.c
@@ -520,7 +520,7 @@ static bool link_is_ready_to_call_set_link(Request *req) {
                         return false;
                 break;
         case SET_LINK_CAN:
-                /* Do not check link->set_flgas_messages here, as it is ok even if link->flags
+                /* Do not check link->set_flags_messages here, as it is ok even if link->flags
                  * is outdated, and checking the counter causes a deadlock. */
                 if (FLAGS_SET(link->flags, IFF_UP)) {
                         /* The CAN interface must be down to configure bitrate, etc... */
@@ -577,6 +577,15 @@ static bool link_is_ready_to_call_set_link(Request *req) {
                         m = link->network->vrf->ifindex;
                 }
 
+                /* Do not check link->set_flags_messages here, as it is ok even if link->flags is outdated,
+                 * and checking the counter causes a deadlock. */
+                if (link->network->bond && FLAGS_SET(link->flags, IFF_UP)) {
+                        /* link must be down when joining to bond master. */
+                        r = link_down_now(link);
+                        if (r < 0)
+                                return r;
+                }
+
                 req->userdata = UINT32_TO_PTR(m);
                 break;
         }
diff --git a/test/test-network/systemd-networkd-tests.py b/test/test-network/systemd-networkd-tests.py
index aab7b5721..eeb350647 100755
--- a/test/test-network/systemd-networkd-tests.py
+++ b/test/test-network/systemd-networkd-tests.py
@@ -3369,6 +3369,12 @@ class NetworkdBondTests(unittest.TestCase, Utilities):
         print(output)
         self.assertRegex(output, 'active_slave dummy98')
 
+        # test case for issue #31165.
+        since = datetime.datetime.now()
+        networkctl_reconfigure('dummy98')
+        self.wait_online(['dummy98:enslaved', 'bond199:degraded'])
+        self.assertNotIn('dummy98: Bringing link down', read_networkd_log(since=since))
+
     def test_bond_primary_slave(self):
         copy_unit_to_networkd_unit_path('23-primary-slave.network', '23-bond199.network', '25-bond-active-backup-slave.netdev', '12-dummy.netdev')
         start_networkd()