diff --git a/src/nm-device.c b/src/nm-device.c
index 3153e2d901..ef874ebfae 100644
--- a/src/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/nm-device.c
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@
 #include "nm-firewall-manager.h"
 #include "nm-properties-changed-signal.h"
 #include "nm-enum-types.h"
+#include "nm-settings-connection.h"
 
 static void impl_device_disconnect (NMDevice *device, DBusGMethodInvocation *context);
 
@@ -4134,6 +4135,15 @@ nm_device_state_changed (NMDevice *device,
 	/* Cache the activation request for the dispatcher */
 	req = priv->act_request ? g_object_ref (priv->act_request) : NULL;
 
+	/* Update connection timestamps; do this before possibly deactivating the
+	 * device since that will clear the activation request and thus the
+	 * connection, which we need.
+	 */
+	if (state == NM_DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVATED || old_state == NM_DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVATED) {
+		nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (nm_act_request_get_connection (req)),
+		                                         (guint64) time (NULL), TRUE);
+	}
+
 	/* Handle the new state here; but anything that could trigger
 	 * another state change should be done below.
 	 */
diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index 6760d978e0..010e30ce64 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ vpn_manager_connection_activated_cb (NMVPNManager *manager,
 {
 	/* Update timestamp for the VPN connection */
 	nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (nm_vpn_connection_get_connection (vpn)),
-	                                         (guint64) time (NULL));
+	                                         (guint64) time (NULL), TRUE);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -471,15 +471,6 @@ manager_device_state_changed (NMDevice *device,
 	}
 
 	nm_manager_update_state (manager);
-
-	if (new_state == NM_DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVATED) {
-		NMActRequest *req;
-
-		req = nm_device_get_act_request (device);
-		if (req)
-			nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (nm_act_request_get_connection (req)),
-			                                         (guint64) time (NULL));
-	}
 }
 
 /* Removes a device from a device list; returns the start of the new device list */
@@ -3929,7 +3920,7 @@ periodic_update_active_connection_timestamps (gpointer user_data)
 		req = nm_manager_get_act_request_by_path (manager, active_path, &device);
 		if (device && nm_device_get_state (device) == NM_DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVATED)
 			nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (nm_act_request_get_connection (req)),
-			                                         (guint64) time (NULL));
+			                                         (guint64) time (NULL), FALSE);
 		else {
 			/* The connection is probably VPN */
 			NMVPNConnection *vpn_con;
@@ -3937,7 +3928,7 @@ periodic_update_active_connection_timestamps (gpointer user_data)
 			vpn_con = nm_vpn_manager_get_vpn_connection_for_active (priv->vpn_manager, active_path);
 			if (vpn_con && nm_vpn_connection_get_vpn_state (vpn_con) == NM_VPN_CONNECTION_STATE_ACTIVATED)
 				nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (nm_vpn_connection_get_connection (vpn_con)),
-				                                         (guint64) time (NULL));
+				                                         (guint64) time (NULL), FALSE);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
index 5c4ba6428d..5d240c7778 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
@@ -1422,11 +1422,14 @@ nm_settings_connection_get_timestamp (NMSettingsConnection *connection)
  * @connection: the #NMSettingsConnection
  * @timestamp: timestamp to set into the connection and to store into
  * the timestamps database
+ * @flush_to_disk: if %TRUE, commit timestamp update to persistent storage
  *
  * Updates the connection and timestamps database with the provided timestamp.
  **/
 void
-nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NMSettingsConnection *connection, guint64 timestamp)
+nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NMSettingsConnection *connection,
+                                         guint64 timestamp,
+                                         gboolean flush_to_disk)
 {
 	NMSettingsConnectionPrivate *priv = NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (connection);
 	const char *connection_uuid;
@@ -1438,6 +1441,9 @@ nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NMSettingsConnection *connection, guint
 	/* Update timestamp in private storage */
 	priv->timestamp = timestamp;
 
+	if (flush_to_disk == FALSE)
+		return;
+
 	/* Save timestamp to timestamps database file */
 	timestamps_file = g_key_file_new ();
 	if (!g_key_file_load_from_file (timestamps_file, SETTINGS_TIMESTAMPS_FILE, G_KEY_FILE_KEEP_COMMENTS, &error)) {
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
index bc9e3c4712..077a145d04 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
@@ -124,7 +124,9 @@ void nm_settings_connection_signal_remove (NMSettingsConnection *self);
 
 guint64 nm_settings_connection_get_timestamp (NMSettingsConnection *connection);
 
-void nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NMSettingsConnection *connection, guint64 timestamp);
+void nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NMSettingsConnection *connection,
+                                              guint64 timestamp,
+                                              gboolean flush_to_disk);
 
 void nm_settings_connection_read_and_fill_timestamp (NMSettingsConnection *connection);