diff --git a/shared/nm-utils/nm-macros-internal.h b/shared/nm-utils/nm-macros-internal.h
index 66b4aa8d60..d11766f915 100644
--- a/shared/nm-utils/nm-macros-internal.h
+++ b/shared/nm-utils/nm-macros-internal.h
@@ -56,10 +56,10 @@ _nm_auto_unset_gvalue_impl (GValue *v)
 #define nm_auto_unset_gvalue nm_auto(_nm_auto_unset_gvalue_impl)
 
 static inline void
-_nm_auto_unref_gtypeclass (GTypeClass **v)
+_nm_auto_unref_gtypeclass (gpointer v)
 {
-	if (v && *v)
-		g_type_class_unref (*v);
+	if (v && *((gpointer *) v))
+		g_type_class_unref (*((gpointer *) v));
 }
 #define nm_auto_unref_gtypeclass nm_auto(_nm_auto_unref_gtypeclass)
 
diff --git a/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c b/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
index b512e52a57..0109818a19 100644
--- a/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
+++ b/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
@@ -528,6 +528,16 @@ nm_g_object_set_property (GObject *object,
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+GParamSpec *
+nm_g_object_class_find_property_from_gtype (GType gtype,
+                                            const char *property_name)
+{
+	nm_auto_unref_gtypeclass GObjectClass *gclass = NULL;
+
+	gclass = g_type_class_ref (gtype);
+	return g_object_class_find_property (gclass, property_name);
+}
+
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
 static void
diff --git a/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.h b/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.h
index dc17fb269f..8d1085f6a5 100644
--- a/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.h
+++ b/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.h
@@ -246,6 +246,9 @@ gboolean nm_g_object_set_property (GObject *object,
                                    const GValue *value,
                                    GError **error);
 
+GParamSpec *nm_g_object_class_find_property_from_gtype (GType gtype,
+                                                        const char *property_name);
+
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
 typedef enum {