diff --git a/libnm/nm-client.c b/libnm/nm-client.c
index e2c1ea751f..3c64891eed 100644
--- a/libnm/nm-client.c
+++ b/libnm/nm-client.c
@@ -1476,14 +1476,24 @@ nm_client_deactivate_connection (NMClient *client,
                                  GCancellable *cancellable,
                                  GError **error)
 {
+	const char *active_path;
+
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_CLIENT (client), FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_ACTIVE_CONNECTION (active), FALSE);
 
-	if (!nm_client_get_nm_running (client))
-		return TRUE;
+	active_path = nm_object_get_path (NM_OBJECT (active));
+	g_return_val_if_fail (active_path, FALSE);
 
-	return nm_manager_deactivate_connection (NM_CLIENT_GET_PRIVATE (client)->manager,
-	                                         active, cancellable, error);
+	return _nm_object_dbus_call_sync_void (client,
+	                                       cancellable,
+	                                       NM_DBUS_PATH,
+	                                       NM_DBUS_INTERFACE,
+	                                       "DeactivateConnection",
+	                                       g_variant_new ("(o)", active_path),
+	                                       G_DBUS_CALL_FLAGS_NONE,
+	                                       NM_DBUS_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MSEC,
+	                                       TRUE,
+	                                       error);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/libnm/nm-manager.c b/libnm/nm-manager.c
index 11a7796572..bc0a6f146d 100644
--- a/libnm/nm-manager.c
+++ b/libnm/nm-manager.c
@@ -1271,27 +1271,6 @@ checkpoint_added (NMManager *manager, NMCheckpoint *checkpoint)
 		checkpoint_info_complete (manager, info, checkpoint, NULL);
 }
 
-gboolean
-nm_manager_deactivate_connection (NMManager *manager,
-                                  NMActiveConnection *active,
-                                  GCancellable *cancellable,
-                                  GError **error)
-{
-	const char *path;
-	gboolean ret;
-
-	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_MANAGER (manager), FALSE);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_ACTIVE_CONNECTION (active), FALSE);
-
-	path = nm_object_get_path (NM_OBJECT (active));
-	ret = nmdbus_manager_call_deactivate_connection_sync (NM_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (manager)->proxy,
-	                                                      path,
-	                                                      cancellable, error);
-	if (error && *error)
-		g_dbus_error_strip_remote_error (*error);
-	return ret;
-}
-
 static void
 deactivated_cb (GObject *object,
                 GAsyncResult *result,
diff --git a/libnm/nm-manager.h b/libnm/nm-manager.h
index e9c09c62c5..6c738103ea 100644
--- a/libnm/nm-manager.h
+++ b/libnm/nm-manager.h
@@ -180,11 +180,6 @@ NMActiveConnection *nm_manager_add_and_activate_connection_finish (NMManager *ma
                                                                    GVariant **out_result,
                                                                    GError **error);
 
-_NM_DEPRECATED_SYNC_METHOD_INTERNAL
-gboolean nm_manager_deactivate_connection        (NMManager *manager,
-                                                  NMActiveConnection *active,
-                                                  GCancellable *cancellable,
-                                                  GError **error);
 void     nm_manager_deactivate_connection_async  (NMManager *manager,
                                                   NMActiveConnection *active,
                                                   GCancellable *cancellable,