diff --git a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/coreos-liveiso-reconfigure-nm-wait-online.service b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/coreos-liveiso-reconfigure-nm-wait-online.service
deleted file mode 100644
index 1c910a2eeb..0000000000
--- a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/coreos-liveiso-reconfigure-nm-wait-online.service
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,23 +0,0 @@
-# Configure NetworkManager-wait-online in the real root for the
-# Live ISO to timeout quicker and also not explicitly fail since
-# booting the Live ISO without network is a valid use case.
-#
-# Doing this improves the user experience when booting the
-# Live ISO without network.
-
-[Unit]
-Description=Reconfigure NetworkManager-wait-online service
-DefaultDependencies=no
-# Make sure we are in the initramfs and we are booted to the live ISO
-ConditionPathExists=/usr/lib/initrd-release
-ConditionKernelCommandLine=coreos.liveiso
-ConditionPathExists=/run/ostree-live
-
-[Service]
-Type=oneshot
-RemainAfterExit=yes
-# Note keep this in sync with NetworkManager-wait-online.service
-# Right now we are keeping the same ExecStart but we are making it
-# OK to fail (`-`) and timeout sooner (5 seconds vs 30).
-ExecStartPre=/usr/bin/mkdir -p /run/systemd/system/NetworkManager-wait-online.service.d
-ExecStart=/bin/bash -c 'echo -e "[Service]\nExecStart=\nExecStart=-/usr/bin/nm-online -s -q --timeout=5" > /run/systemd/system/NetworkManager-wait-online.service.d/liveiso.conf'
diff --git a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/live-generator b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/live-generator
index 3cdd88fd2a..560b0b6af5 100755
--- a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/live-generator
+++ b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/live-generator
@@ -31,8 +31,6 @@ add_requires sysroot.mount     initrd-root-fs.target
 add_requires sysroot-etc.mount initrd-root-fs.target
 add_requires sysroot-var.mount initrd-root-fs.target
 
-add_requires coreos-liveiso-reconfigure-nm-wait-online.service initrd.target
-
 mkdir -p "${UNIT_DIR}/ostree-prepare-root.service.d"
 cat > "${UNIT_DIR}/ostree-prepare-root.service.d/10-live.conf" <<EOF
 # With live PXE there's no ostree= argument on the kernel command line, so
diff --git a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/module-setup.sh b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/module-setup.sh
index 6ae1b8e494..65ee50a43f 100644
--- a/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/module-setup.sh
+++ b/overlay.d/05core/usr/lib/dracut/modules.d/35coreos-live/module-setup.sh
@@ -47,7 +47,4 @@ install() {
 
     install_and_enable_unit "coreos-livepxe-persist-osmet.service" \
         "default.target"
-
-    inst_simple "$moddir/coreos-liveiso-reconfigure-nm-wait-online.service" \
-        "$systemdsystemunitdir/coreos-liveiso-reconfigure-nm-wait-online.service"
 }
diff --git a/tests/kola/misc-ro b/tests/kola/misc-ro
index 39f0058a10..5955f37290 100755
--- a/tests/kola/misc-ro
+++ b/tests/kola/misc-ro
@@ -190,3 +190,11 @@ case "$stream" in
         fi
         ;;
 esac
+
+# We shouldn't pull this into the transaction by default. See
+# https://github.com/coreos/fedora-coreos-config/pull/1088
+# https://www.freedesktop.org/wiki/Software/systemd/NetworkTarget/
+if ! systemctl show -p ActiveState network-online.target | grep -q ActiveState=inactive; then
+    fatal "Unit network-online.target shouldn't be active"
+fi
+ok "unit network-online.target inactive"