diff --git a/nomad/plan_normalization_test.go b/nomad/plan_normalization_test.go
index b167d452b..0f34abc9e 100644
--- a/nomad/plan_normalization_test.go
+++ b/nomad/plan_normalization_test.go
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/ci"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/mock"
 	"github.com/hashicorp/nomad/nomad/structs"
-	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+	"github.com/shoenig/test/must"
 )
 
 // This test compares the size of the normalized + OmitEmpty raft plan log entry
@@ -20,6 +20,13 @@ import (
 //
 // Whenever this test is changed, care should be taken to ensure the older msgpack size
 // is recalculated when new fields are introduced in ApplyPlanResultsRequest
+//
+// If you make an unrelated change that unexpectedly fails this test,
+// consider adding omitempty to the struct you are modifying, e.g.:
+//
+//	 type NetworkResource struct {
+//		// msgpack omit empty fields during serialization
+//		_struct bool `codec:",omitempty"` // nolint: structcheck
 func TestPlanNormalize(t *testing.T) {
 	ci.Parallel(t)
 
@@ -68,5 +75,6 @@ func TestPlanNormalize(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	optimizedLogSize := buf.Len()
-	assert.Less(t, float64(optimizedLogSize)/float64(unoptimizedLogSize), 0.67)
+	ratio := float64(optimizedLogSize) / float64(unoptimizedLogSize)
+	must.Less(t, 0.66, ratio)
 }
diff --git a/nomad/structs/diff.go b/nomad/structs/diff.go
index e2a6ecec8..5b75d8cb9 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/diff.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/diff.go
@@ -2628,7 +2628,7 @@ func (r *Resources) Diff(other *Resources, contextual bool) *ObjectDiff {
 func (n *NetworkResource) Diff(other *NetworkResource, contextual bool) *ObjectDiff {
 	diff := &ObjectDiff{Type: DiffTypeNone, Name: "Network"}
 	var oldPrimitiveFlat, newPrimitiveFlat map[string]string
-	filter := []string{"Device", "CIDR", "IP", "MBits"}
+	filter := []string{"_struct", "Device", "CIDR", "IP", "MBits"}
 
 	if reflect.DeepEqual(n, other) {
 		return nil
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs.go b/nomad/structs/structs.go
index 44bb64f33..e0315654d 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs.go
@@ -2860,6 +2860,9 @@ func (d *DNSConfig) IsZero() bool {
 // NetworkResource is used to represent available network
 // resources
 type NetworkResource struct {
+	// msgpack omit empty fields during serialization
+	_struct bool `codec:",omitempty"` // nolint: structcheck
+
 	Mode          string     // Mode of the network
 	Device        string     // Name of the device
 	CIDR          string     // CIDR block of addresses
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs_test.go b/nomad/structs/structs_test.go
index ecf10ec78..0c81555e7 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs_test.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs_test.go
@@ -5188,22 +5188,26 @@ func TestPlan_AppendPreemptedAllocAppendsAllocWithUpdatedAttrs(t *testing.T) {
 	assert.Equal(t, expectedAlloc, appendedAlloc)
 }
 
-func TestAllocation_MsgPackTags(t *testing.T) {
+func TestMsgPackTags(t *testing.T) {
 	ci.Parallel(t)
-	planType := reflect.TypeOf(Allocation{})
 
-	msgPackTags, _ := planType.FieldByName("_struct")
+	cases := []struct {
+		name   string
+		typeOf reflect.Type
+	}{
+		{"Allocation", reflect.TypeOf(Allocation{})},
+		{"Evaluation", reflect.TypeOf(Evaluation{})},
+		{"NetworkResource", reflect.TypeOf(NetworkResource{})},
+		{"Plan", reflect.TypeOf(Plan{})},
+	}
 
-	assert.Equal(t, msgPackTags.Tag, reflect.StructTag(`codec:",omitempty"`))
-}
-
-func TestEvaluation_MsgPackTags(t *testing.T) {
-	ci.Parallel(t)
-	planType := reflect.TypeOf(Evaluation{})
-
-	msgPackTags, _ := planType.FieldByName("_struct")
-
-	assert.Equal(t, msgPackTags.Tag, reflect.StructTag(`codec:",omitempty"`))
+	for _, tc := range cases {
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			field, ok := tc.typeOf.FieldByName("_struct")
+			must.True(t, ok, must.Sprint("_struct field not found"))
+			must.Eq(t, `codec:",omitempty"`, field.Tag, must.Sprint("bad _struct tag"))
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 func TestAllocation_Terminated(t *testing.T) {