diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
index efe9e593b2c..6b64959f173 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle.cpp
@@ -3394,6 +3394,7 @@ void Mle::HandleChildUpdateRequest(RxInfo &aRxInfo)
     RxChallenge challenge;
     TlvList     requestedTlvList;
     TlvList     tlvList;
+    uint8_t     linkMarginOut;
 
     SuccessOrExit(error = Tlv::Find<SourceAddressTlv>(aRxInfo.mMessage, sourceAddress));
 
@@ -3436,6 +3437,17 @@ void Mle::HandleChildUpdateRequest(RxInfo &aRxInfo)
 
         SuccessOrExit(error = HandleLeaderData(aRxInfo));
 
+        switch (Tlv::Find<LinkMarginTlv>(aRxInfo.mMessage, linkMarginOut))
+        {
+        case kErrorNone:
+            mParent.SetLinkQualityOut(LinkQualityForLinkMargin(linkMarginOut));
+            break;
+        case kErrorNotFound:
+            break;
+        default:
+            ExitNow(error = kErrorParse);
+        }
+
 #if OPENTHREAD_CONFIG_MAC_CSL_RECEIVER_ENABLE
         {
             Mac::CslAccuracy cslAccuracy;
@@ -3494,6 +3506,7 @@ void Mle::HandleChildUpdateResponse(RxInfo &aRxInfo)
     uint32_t    mleFrameCounter;
     uint16_t    sourceAddress;
     uint32_t    timeout;
+    uint8_t     linkMarginOut;
 
     Log(kMessageReceive, kTypeChildUpdateResponseAsChild, aRxInfo.mMessageInfo.GetPeerAddr());
 
@@ -3616,6 +3629,17 @@ void Mle::HandleChildUpdateResponse(RxInfo &aRxInfo)
         OT_ASSERT(false);
     }
 
+    switch (Tlv::Find<LinkMarginTlv>(aRxInfo.mMessage, linkMarginOut))
+    {
+    case kErrorNone:
+        mParent.SetLinkQualityOut(LinkQualityForLinkMargin(linkMarginOut));
+        break;
+    case kErrorNotFound:
+        break;
+    default:
+        ExitNow(error = kErrorParse);
+    }
+
     aRxInfo.mClass = response.IsEmpty() ? RxInfo::kPeerMessage : RxInfo::kAuthoritativeMessage;
 
 exit:
diff --git a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
index fcb4595de75..087be21bc80 100644
--- a/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
+++ b/src/core/thread/mle_router.cpp
@@ -2211,6 +2211,7 @@ void MleRouter::HandleChildUpdateRequest(RxInfo &aRxInfo)
     child->SetDeviceMode(mode);
 
     tlvList.Add(Tlv::kMode);
+    tlvList.Add(Tlv::kLinkMargin);
 
     // Parent MUST include Leader Data TLV in Child Update Response
     tlvList.Add(Tlv::kLeaderData);
@@ -2921,7 +2922,11 @@ Error MleRouter::SendChildUpdateRequest(Child &aChild)
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendNetworkDataTlv(aChild.GetNetworkDataType()));
     SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendActiveAndPendingTimestampTlvs());
 
-    if (!aChild.IsStateValid())
+    if (aChild.IsStateValid())
+    {
+        SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendLinkMarginTlv(aChild.GetLinkInfo().GetLinkMargin()));
+    }
+    else
     {
         SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendTlvRequestTlv(kTlvs));
 
@@ -3029,6 +3034,10 @@ void MleRouter::SendChildUpdateResponse(Child                  *aChild,
             SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendTimeoutTlv(aChild->GetTimeout()));
             break;
 
+        case Tlv::kLinkMargin:
+            SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendLinkMarginTlv(aChild->GetLinkInfo().GetLinkMargin()));
+            break;
+
         case Tlv::kSupervisionInterval:
             SuccessOrExit(error = message->AppendSupervisionIntervalTlv(aChild->GetSupervisionInterval()));
             break;