diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
index 768f55f8cb..0c06004859 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
@@ -604,44 +604,40 @@ ignore_cb (NMSettingsConnection *self,
 {
 }
 
-/* Replaces the settings in this connection with those in 'new_connection'. If
- * any changes are made, commits them to permanent storage and to any other
- * subsystems watching this connection. Before returning, 'callback' is run
- * with the given 'user_data' along with any errors encountered.
- */
-static void
-replace_and_commit (NMSettingsConnection *self,
-                    NMConnection *new_connection,
-                    NMSettingsConnectionCommitFunc callback,
-                    gpointer user_data)
-{
-	GError *error = NULL;
-	NMSettingsConnectionCommitReason commit_reason = NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_USER_ACTION;
-
-	if (g_strcmp0 (nm_connection_get_id (NM_CONNECTION (self)),
-	               nm_connection_get_id (new_connection)) != 0)
-		commit_reason |= NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_ID_CHANGED;
-
-	if (nm_settings_connection_replace_settings (self, new_connection, TRUE, "replace-and-commit-disk", &error))
-		nm_settings_connection_commit_changes (self, commit_reason, callback, user_data);
-	else {
-		g_assert (error);
-		if (callback)
-			callback (self, error, user_data);
-		g_clear_error (&error);
-	}
-}
-
 void
 nm_settings_connection_replace_and_commit (NMSettingsConnection *self,
                                            NMConnection *new_connection,
                                            NMSettingsConnectionCommitFunc callback,
                                            gpointer user_data)
 {
+	gs_free_error GError *error = NULL;
+	NMSettingsConnectionClass *klass;
+	NMSettingsConnectionCommitReason commit_reason = NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_USER_ACTION;
+
 	g_return_if_fail (NM_IS_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (self));
 	g_return_if_fail (NM_IS_CONNECTION (new_connection));
 
-	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_GET_CLASS (self)->replace_and_commit (self, new_connection, callback, user_data);
+	klass = NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_GET_CLASS (self);
+
+	if (nm_streq0 (nm_connection_get_id (NM_CONNECTION (self)),
+	               nm_connection_get_id (new_connection)))
+		commit_reason |= NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_ID_CHANGED;
+
+	if (klass->can_commit) {
+		if (!klass->can_commit (self, &error)) {
+			if (callback)
+				callback (self, error, user_data);
+			return;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!nm_settings_connection_replace_settings (self, new_connection, TRUE, "replace-and-commit-disk", &error)) {
+		if (callback)
+			callback (self, error, user_data);
+		return;
+	}
+
+	nm_settings_connection_commit_changes (self, commit_reason, callback, user_data);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -2902,7 +2898,6 @@ nm_settings_connection_class_init (NMSettingsConnectionClass *class)
 	object_class->get_property = get_property;
 	object_class->set_property = set_property;
 
-	class->replace_and_commit = replace_and_commit;
 	class->commit_changes = commit_changes;
 	class->delete = do_delete;
 	class->supports_secrets = supports_secrets;
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
index ecfac07905..387267fa3b 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
@@ -112,11 +112,8 @@ struct _NMSettingsConnection {
 struct _NMSettingsConnectionClass {
 	NMExportedObjectClass parent;
 
-	/* virtual methods */
-	void (*replace_and_commit) (NMSettingsConnection *self,
-	                            NMConnection *new_connection,
-	                            NMSettingsConnectionCommitFunc callback,
-	                            gpointer user_data);
+	gboolean (*can_commit) (NMSettingsConnection *self,
+	                        GError **error);
 
 	void (*commit_changes) (NMSettingsConnection *self,
 	                        NMSettingsConnectionCommitReason commit_reason,
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
index b54f9549a6..fe8a4f079b 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
@@ -306,27 +306,21 @@ nm_ifcfg_connection_get_unrecognized_spec (NMIfcfgConnection *self)
 	return NM_IFCFG_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (self)->unrecognized_spec;
 }
 
-static void
-replace_and_commit (NMSettingsConnection *connection,
-                    NMConnection *new_connection,
-                    NMSettingsConnectionCommitFunc callback,
-                    gpointer user_data)
+static gboolean
+can_commit (NMSettingsConnection *connection,
+            GError **error)
 {
 	const char *filename;
-	GError *error = NULL;
 
 	filename = nm_settings_connection_get_filename (connection);
-	if (filename && utils_has_complex_routes (filename)) {
-		if (callback) {
-			error = g_error_new_literal (NM_SETTINGS_ERROR, NM_SETTINGS_ERROR_FAILED,
-			                             "Cannot modify a connection that has an associated 'rule-' or 'rule6-' file");
-			callback (connection, error, user_data);
-			g_clear_error (&error);
-		}
-		return;
+	if (   filename
+	    && utils_has_complex_routes (filename)) {
+		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_SETTINGS_ERROR, NM_SETTINGS_ERROR_FAILED,
+		                     "Cannot modify a connection that has an associated 'rule-' or 'rule6-' file");
+		return FALSE;
 	}
 
-	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_CLASS (nm_ifcfg_connection_parent_class)->replace_and_commit (connection, new_connection, callback, user_data);
+	return TRUE;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -530,7 +524,7 @@ nm_ifcfg_connection_class_init (NMIfcfgConnectionClass *ifcfg_connection_class)
 	object_class->dispose      = dispose;
 
 	settings_class->delete = do_delete;
-	settings_class->replace_and_commit = replace_and_commit;
+	settings_class->can_commit = can_commit;
 	settings_class->commit_changes = commit_changes;
 
 	obj_properties[PROP_UNMANAGED_SPEC] =