diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index b806809d80..13b4a01417 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -1879,42 +1879,116 @@ factory_component_added_cb (NMDeviceFactory *factory,
 #define PLUGIN_PATH_TAG "NMManager-plugin-path"
 #define PLUGIN_TYPEFUNC_TAG "typefunc"
 
-static void
-load_device_factories (NMManager *self)
+struct read_device_factory_paths_data {
+	char *path;
+	struct stat st;
+};
+
+static gint
+read_device_factory_paths_sort_fcn (gconstpointer a, gconstpointer b)
+{
+	const struct read_device_factory_paths_data *da = a;
+	const struct read_device_factory_paths_data *db = b;
+	time_t ta, tb;
+
+	ta = MAX (da->st.st_mtime, da->st.st_ctime);
+	tb = MAX (db->st.st_mtime, db->st.st_ctime);
+
+	if (ta < tb)
+		return 1;
+	if (ta > tb)
+		return -1;
+	return 0;
+}
+
+static char**
+read_device_factory_paths ()
 {
-	NMManagerPrivate *priv = NM_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 	GDir *dir;
 	GError *error = NULL;
 	const char *item;
-	char *path;
-	GSList *iter;
+	GArray *paths;
+	char **result;
+	guint i;
 
 	dir = g_dir_open (NMPLUGINDIR, 0, &error);
 	if (!dir) {
-		nm_log_warn (LOGD_HW, "Failed to open plugin directory %s: %s",
+		nm_log_warn (LOGD_HW, "device plugin: failed to open directory %s: %s",
 		             NMPLUGINDIR,
 		             (error && error->message) ? error->message : "(unknown)");
 		g_clear_error (&error);
-		return;
+		return NULL;
 	}
 
+	paths = g_array_new (FALSE, FALSE, sizeof (struct read_device_factory_paths_data));
+
 	while ((item = g_dir_read_name (dir))) {
-		GModule *plugin;
-		NMDeviceFactory *factory;
-		NMDeviceFactoryCreateFunc create_func;
-		NMDeviceFactoryDeviceTypeFunc type_func;
-		NMDeviceType dev_type;
-		const char *found = NULL;
+		struct read_device_factory_paths_data data;
 
 		if (!g_str_has_prefix (item, PLUGIN_PREFIX))
 			continue;
 		if (g_str_has_suffix (item, ".la"))
 			continue;
 
-		path = g_module_build_path (NMPLUGINDIR, item);
-		g_assert (path);
-		plugin = g_module_open (path, G_MODULE_BIND_LOCAL);
-		g_free (path);
+		data.path = g_build_filename (NMPLUGINDIR, item, NULL);
+
+		if (stat (data.path, &data.st) != 0)
+			goto continue_with_error;
+		if (!S_ISREG (data.st.st_mode))
+			goto continue_silently;
+		if (data.st.st_uid != 0)
+			goto continue_with_error;
+		if (data.st.st_mode & (S_IWGRP | S_IWOTH | S_ISUID))
+			goto continue_with_error;
+
+		g_array_append_val (paths, data);
+		continue;
+
+continue_with_error:
+		nm_log_dbg (LOGD_HW, "device plugin: skip invalid file %s", data.path);
+continue_silently:
+		g_free (data.path);
+	}
+	g_dir_close (dir);
+
+	/* sort filenames by modification time. */
+	g_array_sort (paths, read_device_factory_paths_sort_fcn);
+
+	result = g_new (char *, paths->len + 1);
+	for (i = 0; i < paths->len; i++)
+		result[i] = g_array_index (paths, struct read_device_factory_paths_data, i).path;
+	result[i] = NULL;
+
+	g_array_free (paths, TRUE);
+	return result;
+}
+
+static void
+load_device_factories (NMManager *self)
+{
+	NMManagerPrivate *priv = NM_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	char **path;
+	char **paths;
+
+	paths = read_device_factory_paths ();
+	if (!paths)
+		return;
+
+	for (path = paths; *path; path++) {
+		GError *error = NULL;
+		GModule *plugin;
+		NMDeviceFactory *factory;
+		NMDeviceFactoryCreateFunc create_func;
+		NMDeviceFactoryDeviceTypeFunc type_func;
+		NMDeviceType dev_type;
+		const char *found = NULL;
+		GSList *iter;
+		const char *item;
+
+		item = strrchr (*path, '/');
+		g_assert (item);
+
+		plugin = g_module_open (*path, G_MODULE_BIND_LOCAL);
 
 		if (!plugin) {
 			nm_log_warn (LOGD_HW, "(%s): failed to load plugin: %s", item, g_module_error ());
@@ -1939,7 +2013,7 @@ load_device_factories (NMManager *self)
 			}
 		}
 		if (found) {
-			nm_log_warn (LOGD_HW, "Found multiple device plugins for same type: %s vs %s",
+			nm_log_warn (LOGD_HW, "Found multiple device plugins for same type: use '%s' instead of '%s'",
 			             found, g_module_name (plugin));
 			g_module_close (plugin);
 			continue;
@@ -1978,7 +2052,7 @@ load_device_factories (NMManager *self)
 
 		nm_log_info (LOGD_HW, "Loaded device plugin: %s", g_module_name (plugin));
 	};
-	g_dir_close (dir);
+	g_strfreev (paths);
 
 	priv->factories = g_slist_reverse (priv->factories);
 }