diff --git a/plugins/netlink.c b/plugins/netlink.c
index e647c858..a70b01e8 100644
--- a/plugins/netlink.c
+++ b/plugins/netlink.c
@@ -406,9 +406,29 @@ static void nl_reconf(void *arg)
 	cond_reassert("net/");
 }
 
+/*
+ * Initial enumeration of existing interfaces and routes.  Called from
+ * HOOK_SVC_PLUGIN which runs after the condition system is initialized.
+ * Interfaces that exist before finit starts (e.g., virtio-net in QEMU)
+ * won't generate RTM_NEWLINK events, so we must query for them.
+ */
+static void nl_enumerate(void *arg)
+{
+	int sd;
+
+	sd = socket(AF_NETLINK, SOCK_DGRAM, NETLINK_ROUTE);
+	if (sd < 0)
+		return;
+
+	nl_resync_ifaces(sd, 0);
+	nl_resync_routes(sd, 1);
+	close(sd);
+}
+
 static plugin_t plugin = {
 	.name = __FILE__,
-	.hook[HOOK_SVC_RECONF] = { .cb = nl_reconf },
+	.hook[HOOK_SVC_RECONF]  = { .cb = nl_reconf },
+	.hook[HOOK_SVC_PLUGIN]  = { .cb = nl_enumerate },
 	.io = {
 		.cb    = nl_callback,
 		.flags = PLUGIN_IO_READ,