diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.cc
index 33d3efb6e0..f998ec7afa 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/configuration.cc
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ Configuration::Configuration(Env               &env,
 	_tcp_max_segm_lifetime(read_sec_attr(node, "tcp_max_segm_lifetime_sec", DEFAULT_TCP_MAX_SEGM_LIFETIME_SEC)),
 	_node(node)
 {
-	/* read domains */
+	/* do parts of domain initialization that do not lookup other domains */
 	node.for_each_sub_node("domain", [&] (Xml_node const node) {
 		try {
 			Domain &domain = *new (_alloc) Domain(*this, node, _alloc);
@@ -77,20 +77,40 @@ Configuration::Configuration(Env               &env,
 		}
 		catch (Domain::Invalid) { log("[?] invalid domain"); }
 	});
-	/* do those parts of domain init that require the domain tree to be complete */
-	List<Domain> invalid_domains;
-	_domains.for_each([&] (Domain &domain) {
+	/* do parts of domain initialization that may lookup other domains */
+	while (true) {
+
+		struct Retry_without_domain : Genode::Exception
+		{
+			Domain &domain;
+
+			Retry_without_domain(Domain &domain) : domain(domain) { }
+		};
 		try {
-			domain.init(_domains);
-			if (_verbose) {
-				log("[", domain, "] initiated domain"); }
+			_domains.for_each([&] (Domain &domain) {
+				try { domain.init(_domains); }
+				catch (Domain::Invalid) { throw Retry_without_domain(domain); }
+				if (_verbose) {
+					log("[", domain, "] initiated domain"); }
+			});
 		}
-		catch (Domain::Invalid) { invalid_domains.insert(&domain); }
-	});
-	invalid_domains.for_each([&] (Domain &domain) {
-		_domains.remove(domain);
-		destroy(_alloc, &domain);
-	});
+		catch (Retry_without_domain exception) {
+
+			/* deinitialize all domains again */
+			_domains.for_each([&] (Domain &domain) {
+				domain.deinit();
+				if (_verbose) {
+					log("[", domain, "] deinitiated domain"); }
+			});
+			/* destroy domain that became invalid during initialization */
+			_domains.remove(exception.domain);
+			destroy(_alloc, &exception.domain);
+
+			/* retry to initialize the remaining domains */
+			continue;
+		}
+		break;
+	}
 	try {
 		/* check whether we shall create a report generator */
 		Xml_node const report_node = node.sub_node("report");
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/domain.cc b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/domain.cc
index 918a0ad550..2a6ba96a1c 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/domain.cc
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/domain.cc
@@ -204,18 +204,7 @@ Link_side_tree &Domain::links(L3_protocol const protocol)
 
 Domain::~Domain()
 {
-	/* destroy rules */
-	_ip_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
-	_nat_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
-	_icmp_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
-	_udp_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
-	_tcp_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
-	_udp_forward_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
-	_tcp_forward_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
-
-	/* destroy DHCP server and IP config */
-	try { destroy(_alloc, &_dhcp_server()); }
-	catch (Pointer<Dhcp_server>::Invalid) { }
+	deinit();
 	_ip_config.destruct();
 }
 
@@ -297,6 +286,20 @@ void Domain::init(Domain_tree &domains)
 }
 
 
+void Domain::deinit()
+{
+	_ip_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
+	_nat_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
+	_icmp_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
+	_udp_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
+	_tcp_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
+	_udp_forward_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
+	_tcp_forward_rules.destroy_each(_alloc);
+	try { destroy(_alloc, &_dhcp_server()); }
+	catch (Pointer<Dhcp_server>::Invalid) { }
+}
+
+
 Ipv4_address const &Domain::next_hop(Ipv4_address const &ip) const
 {
 	if (ip_config().interface.prefix_matches(ip)) { return ip; }
diff --git a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/domain.h b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/domain.h
index c0a1b98982..4c092208d0 100644
--- a/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/domain.h
+++ b/repos/os/src/server/nic_router/domain.h
@@ -125,6 +125,8 @@ class Net::Domain : public Domain_base,
 
 		void init(Domain_tree &domains);
 
+		void deinit();
+
 		Ipv4_address const &next_hop(Ipv4_address const &ip) const;
 
 		void ip_config(Ipv4_config const &ip_config);