diff --git a/internal/server/device/device_load.go b/internal/server/device/device_load.go
index 3169e3c79ba..1b79ff3e928 100644
--- a/internal/server/device/device_load.go
+++ b/internal/server/device/device_load.go
@@ -153,6 +153,17 @@ func Validate(instConfig instance.ConfigReader, state *state.State, name string,
 	return dev.validateConfig(instConfig)
 }
 
+// Register performs a lightweight load of the device, bypassing most
+// validation to very quickly register the device on server startup.
+func Register(inst instance.Instance, s *state.State, name string, conf deviceConfig.Device) error {
+	dev, err := load(inst, s, inst.Project().Name, name, conf, nil, nil)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return dev.Register()
+}
+
 // LoadByType loads a device by type based on its project and config.
 // It does not validate config beyond the type fields.
 func LoadByType(state *state.State, projectName string, conf deviceConfig.Device) (Type, error) {
diff --git a/internal/server/device/disk.go b/internal/server/device/disk.go
index 7c1870b8e3d..4d6e54d899b 100644
--- a/internal/server/device/disk.go
+++ b/internal/server/device/disk.go
@@ -738,12 +738,13 @@ func (d *disk) UpdatableFields(oldDevice Type) []string {
 func (d *disk) Register() error {
 	d.logger.Debug("Initialising mounted disk ref counter")
 
-	if d.config["path"] == "/" {
-		pool, err := storagePools.LoadByInstance(d.state, d.inst)
-		if err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
+	// Load the pool.
+	pool, err := storagePools.LoadByInstance(d.state, d.inst)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
 
+	if d.config["path"] == "/" {
 		// Try to mount the volume that should already be mounted to reinitialize the ref counter.
 		_, err = pool.MountInstance(d.inst, nil)
 		if err != nil {
@@ -760,7 +761,7 @@ func (d *disk) Register() error {
 		volName := volFields[0]
 
 		// Try to mount the volume that should already be mounted to reinitialize the ref counter.
-		_, err = d.pool.MountCustomVolume(storageProjectName, volName, nil)
+		_, err = pool.MountCustomVolume(storageProjectName, volName, nil)
 		if err != nil {
 			return err
 		}
diff --git a/internal/server/device/nic_bridged.go b/internal/server/device/nic_bridged.go
index 3caaa4f5b43..562492a1117 100644
--- a/internal/server/device/nic_bridged.go
+++ b/internal/server/device/nic_bridged.go
@@ -1751,7 +1751,19 @@ func (d *nicBridged) getHostMTU() (int, error) {
 
 // Register sets up anything needed on startup.
 func (d *nicBridged) Register() error {
-	err := bgpAddPrefix(&d.deviceCommon, d.network, d.config)
+	// Skip when not using a managed network.
+	if d.config["network"] == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// Load managed network. api.ProjectDefaultName is used here as bridge networks don't support projects.
+	n, err := network.LoadByName(d.state, api.ProjectDefaultName, d.config["network"])
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error loading network config for %q: %w", d.config["network"], err)
+	}
+
+	// Add BGP prefix.
+	err = bgpAddPrefix(&d.deviceCommon, n, d.config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/server/device/nic_ovn.go b/internal/server/device/nic_ovn.go
index c9340b949c3..ea4e9fd30ca 100644
--- a/internal/server/device/nic_ovn.go
+++ b/internal/server/device/nic_ovn.go
@@ -1152,7 +1152,24 @@ func (d *nicOVN) State() (*api.InstanceStateNetwork, error) {
 
 // Register sets up anything needed on startup.
 func (d *nicOVN) Register() error {
-	err := bgpAddPrefix(&d.deviceCommon, d.network, d.config)
+	// Skip when not using a managed network.
+	if d.config["network"] == "" {
+		return nil
+	}
+
+	// The NIC's network may be a non-default project, so lookup project and get network's project name.
+	networkProjectName, _, err := project.NetworkProject(d.state.DB.Cluster, d.inst.Project().Name)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Failed loading network project name: %w", err)
+	}
+
+	// Lookup network settings and apply them to the device's config.
+	n, err := network.LoadByName(d.state, networkProjectName, d.config["network"])
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("Error loading network config for %q: %w", d.config["network"], err)
+	}
+
+	err = bgpAddPrefix(&d.deviceCommon, n, d.config)
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
diff --git a/internal/server/instance/drivers/driver_common.go b/internal/server/instance/drivers/driver_common.go
index 5b7474dbf0c..712c3488363 100644
--- a/internal/server/instance/drivers/driver_common.go
+++ b/internal/server/instance/drivers/driver_common.go
@@ -1283,19 +1283,12 @@ func (d *common) devicesAdd(inst instance.Instance, instanceRunning bool) (rever
 // devicesRegister calls the Register() function on all of the instance's devices.
 func (d *common) devicesRegister(inst instance.Instance) {
 	for _, entry := range d.ExpandedDevices().Sorted() {
-		dev, err := d.deviceLoad(inst, entry.Name, entry.Config)
+		err := device.Register(inst, d.state, entry.Name, entry.Config)
 		if err != nil {
 			if errors.Is(err, device.ErrUnsupportedDevType) {
 				continue // Skip unsupported device (allows for mixed instance type profiles).
 			}
 
-			d.logger.Error("Failed register validation for device", logger.Ctx{"err": err, "device": entry.Name})
-			continue
-		}
-
-		// Check whether device wants to register for any events.
-		err = dev.Register()
-		if err != nil {
 			d.logger.Error("Failed to register device", logger.Ctx{"err": err, "device": entry.Name})
 			continue
 		}