diff --git a/internal/app/machined/pkg/adapters/network/nftables_rule.go b/internal/app/machined/pkg/adapters/network/nftables_rule.go
index 618b8d1dae..c79d754e28 100644
--- a/internal/app/machined/pkg/adapters/network/nftables_rule.go
+++ b/internal/app/machined/pkg/adapters/network/nftables_rule.go
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@
 package network
 
 import (
+	"cmp"
 	"fmt"
 	"net/netip"
 	"os"
@@ -109,9 +110,11 @@ func (set NfTablesSet) SetElements() []nftables.SetElement {
 
 		return elements
 	case SetKindPort:
-		elements := make([]nftables.SetElement, 0, len(set.Ports))
+		ports := mergeAdjacentPorts(set.Ports)
 
-		for _, p := range set.Ports {
+		elements := make([]nftables.SetElement, 0, len(ports))
+
+		for _, p := range ports {
 			from := binaryutil.BigEndian.PutUint16(p[0])
 			to := binaryutil.BigEndian.PutUint16(p[1] + 1)
 
@@ -157,6 +160,26 @@ func (set NfTablesSet) SetElements() []nftables.SetElement {
 	}
 }
 
+func mergeAdjacentPorts(in [][2]uint16) [][2]uint16 {
+	ports := slices.Clone(in)
+
+	slices.SortFunc(ports, func(a, b [2]uint16) int {
+		// sort by the lower bound of the range, assume no overlap
+		return cmp.Compare(a[0], b[0])
+	})
+
+	for i := 0; i < len(ports)-1; {
+		if ports[i][1]+1 >= ports[i+1][0] {
+			ports[i][1] = ports[i+1][1]
+			ports = append(ports[:i+1], ports[i+2:]...)
+		} else {
+			i++
+		}
+	}
+
+	return ports
+}
+
 // NfTablesCompiled is a compiled representation of the rule.
 type NfTablesCompiled struct {
 	Rules [][]expr.Any
diff --git a/internal/app/machined/pkg/adapters/network/nftables_rule_test.go b/internal/app/machined/pkg/adapters/network/nftables_rule_test.go
index a898082f61..2cc1ec890e 100644
--- a/internal/app/machined/pkg/adapters/network/nftables_rule_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/machined/pkg/adapters/network/nftables_rule_test.go
@@ -526,14 +526,14 @@ func TestNfTablesRuleCompile(t *testing.T) { //nolint:tparallel
 					Protocol: nethelpers.ProtocolTCP,
 					MatchSourcePort: &networkres.NfTablesPortMatch{
 						Ranges: []networkres.PortRange{
-							{
-								Lo: 1000,
-								Hi: 1025,
-							},
 							{
 								Lo: 2000,
 								Hi: 2000,
 							},
+							{
+								Lo: 1000,
+								Hi: 1025,
+							},
 						},
 					},
 				},
@@ -562,8 +562,8 @@ func TestNfTablesRuleCompile(t *testing.T) { //nolint:tparallel
 				{
 					Kind: network.SetKindPort,
 					Ports: [][2]uint16{
-						{1000, 1025},
 						{2000, 2000},
+						{1000, 1025},
 					},
 				},
 			},
@@ -713,3 +713,48 @@ func TestNfTablesRuleCompile(t *testing.T) { //nolint:tparallel
 		})
 	}
 }
+
+func TestNftablesSet(t *testing.T) { //nolint:tparallel
+	t.Parallel()
+
+	for _, test := range []struct {
+		name string
+
+		set network.NfTablesSet
+
+		expectedKeyType  nftables.SetDatatype
+		expectedInterval bool
+		expectedData     []nftables.SetElement
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "ports",
+
+			set: network.NfTablesSet{
+				Kind: network.SetKindPort,
+				Ports: [][2]uint16{
+					{443, 443},
+					{80, 81},
+					{5000, 5000},
+					{5001, 5001},
+				},
+			},
+
+			expectedKeyType:  nftables.TypeInetService,
+			expectedInterval: true,
+			expectedData: []nftables.SetElement{ // network byte order
+				{Key: []uint8{0x0, 80}, IntervalEnd: false}, // 80 - 81
+				{Key: []uint8{0x0, 82}, IntervalEnd: true},
+				{Key: []uint8{0x1, 0xbb}, IntervalEnd: false}, // 443-443
+				{Key: []uint8{0x1, 0xbc}, IntervalEnd: true},
+				{Key: []uint8{0x13, 0x88}, IntervalEnd: false}, // 5000-5001
+				{Key: []uint8{0x13, 0x8a}, IntervalEnd: true},
+			},
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(test.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			assert.Equal(t, test.expectedKeyType, test.set.KeyType())
+			assert.Equal(t, test.expectedInterval, test.set.IsInterval())
+			assert.Equal(t, test.expectedData, test.set.SetElements())
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/app/machined/pkg/controllers/network/nftables_chain_test.go b/internal/app/machined/pkg/controllers/network/nftables_chain_test.go
index 8d87c9b8ab..d960922467 100644
--- a/internal/app/machined/pkg/controllers/network/nftables_chain_test.go
+++ b/internal/app/machined/pkg/controllers/network/nftables_chain_test.go
@@ -442,8 +442,60 @@ func (s *NfTablesChainSuite) TestL4Match2() {
 	s.checkNftOutput(`table inet talos-test {
 	chain test-tcp {
 		type filter hook input priority filter; policy accept;
-		ip saddr != { 10.0.0.0/8 } tcp dport { 1023, 1024 } drop
-		meta nfproto ipv6 tcp dport { 1023, 1024 } drop
+		ip saddr != { 10.0.0.0/8 } tcp dport { 1023-1024 } drop
+		meta nfproto ipv6 tcp dport { 1023-1024 } drop
+	}
+}`)
+}
+
+func (s *NfTablesChainSuite) TestL4MatchAdjacentPorts() {
+	chain := network.NewNfTablesChain(network.NamespaceName, "test-tcp")
+	chain.TypedSpec().Type = nethelpers.ChainTypeFilter
+	chain.TypedSpec().Hook = nethelpers.ChainHookInput
+	chain.TypedSpec().Priority = nethelpers.ChainPriorityFilter
+	chain.TypedSpec().Policy = nethelpers.VerdictAccept
+	chain.TypedSpec().Rules = []network.NfTablesRule{
+		{
+			MatchSourceAddress: &network.NfTablesAddressMatch{
+				IncludeSubnets: []netip.Prefix{
+					netip.MustParsePrefix("10.0.0.0/8"),
+				},
+				Invert: true,
+			},
+			MatchLayer4: &network.NfTablesLayer4Match{
+				Protocol: nethelpers.ProtocolTCP,
+				MatchDestinationPort: &network.NfTablesPortMatch{
+					Ranges: []network.PortRange{
+						{
+							Lo: 5000,
+							Hi: 5000,
+						},
+						{
+							Lo: 5001,
+							Hi: 5001,
+						},
+						{
+							Lo: 10250,
+							Hi: 10250,
+						},
+						{
+							Lo: 4240,
+							Hi: 4240,
+						},
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			Verdict: pointer.To(nethelpers.VerdictDrop),
+		},
+	}
+
+	s.Require().NoError(s.State().Create(s.Ctx(), chain))
+
+	s.checkNftOutput(`table inet talos-test {
+	chain test-tcp {
+		type filter hook input priority filter; policy accept;
+		ip saddr != { 10.0.0.0/8 } tcp dport { 4240, 5000-5001, 10250 } drop
+		meta nfproto ipv6 tcp dport { 4240, 5000-5001, 10250 } drop
 	}
 }`)
 }