diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-vpn-plugin-info.c b/libnm-core/nm-vpn-plugin-info.c
index 11393b54f1..d5e3dc0ba9 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-vpn-plugin-info.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-vpn-plugin-info.c
@@ -600,8 +600,6 @@ nm_vpn_plugin_info_list_find_by_service (GSList *list, const char *service)
 	for (iter = list; iter; iter = iter->next) {
 		char **aliases = (NM_VPN_PLUGIN_INFO_GET_PRIVATE (iter->data))->aliases;
 
-		if (!aliases)
-			continue;
 		if (_nm_utils_strv_find_first (aliases, -1, service) >= 0)
 			return iter->data;
 	}
@@ -767,6 +765,32 @@ nm_vpn_plugin_info_supports_multiple (NMVpnPluginInfo *self)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * nm_vpn_plugin_info_get_aliases:
+ * @self: plugin info instance
+ *
+ * Returns: (array zero-terminated=1) (element-type utf8) (transfer none):
+ *   the aliases from the name-file.
+ *
+ * Since: 1.4
+ */
+const char *const*
+nm_vpn_plugin_info_get_aliases (NMVpnPluginInfo *self)
+{
+	NMVpnPluginInfoPrivate *priv;
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_VPN_PLUGIN_INFO (self), NULL);
+
+	priv = NM_VPN_PLUGIN_INFO_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	if (priv->aliases)
+		return (const char *const*) priv->aliases;
+
+	/* For convenience, we always want to return non-NULL, even for empty
+	 * aliases. Hack around that, by making a NULL terminated array using
+	 * the NULL of priv->aliases. */
+	return (const char *const*) &priv->aliases;
+}
+
 /**
  * nm_vpn_plugin_info_lookup_property:
  * @self: plugin info instance
@@ -1003,6 +1027,8 @@ init_sync (GInitable *initable, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error)
 	}
 
 	priv->aliases = g_key_file_get_string_list (priv->keyfile, NM_VPN_PLUGIN_INFO_KF_GROUP_CONNECTION, "aliases", NULL, NULL);
+	if (priv->aliases && !priv->aliases[0])
+		g_clear_pointer (&priv->aliases, g_free);
 
 	priv->keys = g_hash_table_new_full (_nm_utils_strstrdictkey_hash,
 	                                    _nm_utils_strstrdictkey_equal,
diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-vpn-plugin-info.h b/libnm-core/nm-vpn-plugin-info.h
index b9ed83f1dc..f1bba28197 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-vpn-plugin-info.h
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-vpn-plugin-info.h
@@ -93,6 +93,8 @@ NM_AVAILABLE_IN_1_4
 gboolean nm_vpn_plugin_info_supports_hints     (NMVpnPluginInfo *self);
 NM_AVAILABLE_IN_1_2
 gboolean nm_vpn_plugin_info_supports_multiple  (NMVpnPluginInfo *self);
+NM_AVAILABLE_IN_1_4
+const char *const*nm_vpn_plugin_info_get_aliases (NMVpnPluginInfo *self);
 NM_AVAILABLE_IN_1_2
 const char *nm_vpn_plugin_info_lookup_property (NMVpnPluginInfo *self, const char *group, const char *key);
 
diff --git a/libnm/libnm.ver b/libnm/libnm.ver
index 4bdef30186..4064522e09 100644
--- a/libnm/libnm.ver
+++ b/libnm/libnm.ver
@@ -1069,6 +1069,7 @@ global:
 	nm_setting_ip6_config_get_token;
 	nm_setting_ip_config_get_dns_priority;
 	nm_vpn_editor_plugin_load;
+	nm_vpn_plugin_info_get_aliases;
 	nm_vpn_plugin_info_get_auth_dialog;
 	nm_vpn_plugin_info_get_service;
 	nm_vpn_plugin_info_new_search_file;