diff --git a/src/core/initrd/nmi-cmdline-reader.c b/src/core/initrd/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
index 15b4af7b70..d693836baf 100644
--- a/src/core/initrd/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
+++ b/src/core/initrd/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
@@ -613,7 +613,12 @@ reader_parse_ip(Reader *reader, const char *sysfs_dir, char *argument)
                          NULL);
         }
     } else if (NM_IN_STRSET(kind, "auto6", "dhcp6")) {
-        g_object_set(s_ip6, NM_SETTING_IP_CONFIG_MAY_FAIL, FALSE, NULL);
+        g_object_set(s_ip6,
+                     NM_SETTING_IP_CONFIG_METHOD,
+                     NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_AUTO,
+                     NM_SETTING_IP_CONFIG_MAY_FAIL,
+                     FALSE,
+                     NULL);
         if (nm_setting_ip_config_get_num_addresses(s_ip4) == 0) {
             g_object_set(s_ip4,
                          NM_SETTING_IP_CONFIG_METHOD,