diff --git a/cloudinit/net/network_manager.py b/cloudinit/net/network_manager.py
index 8374cfcc8789..3793fd11c412 100644
--- a/cloudinit/net/network_manager.py
+++ b/cloudinit/net/network_manager.py
@@ -71,6 +71,53 @@ def _set_default(self, section, option, value):
         if not self.config.has_option(section, option):
             self.config[section][option] = value
 
+    def _config_option_is_set(self, section, option):
+        """
+        Checks if a config option is set. Returns True if it is,
+        else returns False.
+        """
+        return self.config.has_section(section) and self.config.has_option(
+            section, option
+        )
+
+    def _get_config_option(self, section, option):
+        """
+        Returns the value of a config option if its set,
+        else returns None.
+        """
+        if self._config_option_is_set(section, option):
+            return self.config[section][option]
+        else:
+            return None
+
+    def _change_set_config_option(self, section, option, value):
+        """
+        Overrides the value of a config option if its already set.
+        Else, if the config option is not set, it does nothing.
+        """
+        if self._config_option_is_set(section, option):
+            self.config[section][option] = value
+
+    def _set_mayfail_true_if_both_false(self):
+        """
+        If for both ipv4 and ipv6, 'may-fail' is set to be False,
+        set it to True for both of them.
+        """
+        for family in ["ipv4", "ipv6"]:
+            if not self._config_option_is_set(family, "may-fail"):
+                # if either ipv4 or ipv6 sections are not set/configured,
+                # do not do anything.
+                return
+            if self._get_config_option(family, "may-fail") == "true":
+                # if for either ipv4 or ipv6, 'may-fail' is 'true', do
+                # not do anything.
+                return
+
+        # if we landed here, it means both ipv4 and ipv6 are configured
+        # and both have 'may-fail' set to 'false'. So set both to 'true'.
+        for family in ["ipv4", "ipv6"]:
+            self._change_set_config_option(family, "may-fail", "true")
+
     def _set_ip_method(self, family, subnet_type):
         """
         Ensures there's appropriate [ipv4]/[ipv6] for given family
@@ -116,6 +163,14 @@ def _set_ip_method(self, family, subnet_type):
         self.config[family]["method"] = method
         self._set_default(family, "may-fail", "false")
 
+        # we do not want to set may-fail to false for both ipv4 and ipv6 at the
+        # at the same time. This will make the network configuration work only
+        # when both ipv4 and ipv6 succeeds. This may not be what we want.
+        # If we have configured both ipv4 and ipv6, any one succeeding should
+        # be enough. Therefore, if "may-fail" is set to False for both ipv4
+        # and ipv6, set them both to True.
+        self._set_mayfail_true_if_both_false()
+
     def _add_numbered(self, section, key_prefix, value):
         """
         Adds a numbered property, such as address<n> or route<n>, ensuring
diff --git a/tests/unittests/test_net.py b/tests/unittests/test_net.py
index 3e8f721f098b..5ad910ee9b2e 100644
--- a/tests/unittests/test_net.py
+++ b/tests/unittests/test_net.py
@@ -1425,11 +1425,11 @@
 
                 [ipv4]
                 method=auto
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
 
                 [ipv6]
                 method=auto
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
 
                 """
             ),
@@ -1558,12 +1558,12 @@
 
                 [ipv4]
                 method=manual
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
                 address1=192.168.14.2/24
 
                 [ipv6]
                 method=manual
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
                 address1=2001:1::1/64
 
                 """
@@ -1598,11 +1598,11 @@
 
                 [ipv6]
                 method=auto
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
 
                 [ipv4]
                 method=auto
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
 
                 """
             ),
@@ -2876,12 +2876,12 @@
 
                 [ipv4]
                 method=manual
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
                 address1=192.168.14.2/24
 
                 [ipv6]
                 method=manual
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
                 address1=2001:1::1/64
                 route1=::/0,2001:4800:78ff:1b::1
 
@@ -3537,7 +3537,7 @@
 
                 [ipv4]
                 method=manual
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
                 address1=192.168.0.2/24
                 gateway=192.168.0.1
                 route1=10.1.3.0/24,192.168.0.3
@@ -3545,7 +3545,7 @@
 
                 [ipv6]
                 method=manual
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
                 address1=2001:1::1/92
                 route1=2001:67c::/32,2001:67c:1562::1
                 route2=3001:67c::/32,3001:67c:15::1
@@ -3659,14 +3659,14 @@
 
                 [ipv4]
                 method=manual
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
                 address1=192.168.2.2/24
                 address2=192.168.1.2/24
                 gateway=192.168.1.1
 
                 [ipv6]
                 method=manual
-                may-fail=false
+                may-fail=true
                 address1=2001:1::bbbb/96
                 route1=::/0,2001:1::1