diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 33e3ddf8e2..72ca62a71b 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -5937,15 +5937,21 @@ static void
 nm_linux_platform_init (NMLinuxPlatform *self)
 {
 	NMLinuxPlatformPrivate *priv = G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE (self, NM_TYPE_LINUX_PLATFORM, NMLinuxPlatformPrivate);
+	gboolean use_udev;
+
+	use_udev = access ("/sys", W_OK) == 0;
 
 	self->priv = priv;
 
 	priv->nlh_seq_next = 1;
-	priv->cache = nmp_cache_new ();
+	priv->cache = nmp_cache_new (use_udev);
 	priv->delayed_action.list_master_connected = g_ptr_array_new ();
 	priv->delayed_action.list_refresh_link = g_ptr_array_new ();
 	priv->delayed_action.list_wait_for_nl_response = g_array_new (FALSE, TRUE, sizeof (DelayedActionWaitForNlResponseData));
 	priv->wifi_data = g_hash_table_new_full (NULL, NULL, NULL, (GDestroyNotify) wifi_utils_deinit);
+
+	if (use_udev)
+		priv->udev_client = g_udev_client_new ((const char *[]) { "net", NULL });
 }
 
 static void
@@ -5953,14 +5959,12 @@ constructed (GObject *_object)
 {
 	NMPlatform *platform = NM_PLATFORM (_object);
 	NMLinuxPlatformPrivate *priv = NM_LINUX_PLATFORM_GET_PRIVATE (platform);
-	const char *udev_subsys[] = { "net", NULL };
 	int channel_flags;
 	gboolean status;
 	int nle;
-	GUdevEnumerator *enumerator;
-	GList *devices, *iter;
 
-	_LOGD ("create");
+	_LOGD ("create (%s udev)",
+	       nmp_cache_use_udev_get (priv->cache) ? "use" : "no");
 
 	priv->nlh = nl_socket_alloc ();
 	g_assert (priv->nlh);
@@ -5992,16 +5996,12 @@ constructed (GObject *_object)
 
 	channel_flags = g_io_channel_get_flags (priv->event_channel);
 	status = g_io_channel_set_flags (priv->event_channel,
-		channel_flags | G_IO_FLAG_NONBLOCK, NULL);
+	                                 channel_flags | G_IO_FLAG_NONBLOCK, NULL);
 	g_assert (status);
 	priv->event_id = g_io_add_watch (priv->event_channel,
 	                                (EVENT_CONDITIONS | ERROR_CONDITIONS | DISCONNECT_CONDITIONS),
 	                                 event_handler, platform);
 
-	/* Set up udev monitoring */
-	priv->udev_client = g_udev_client_new (udev_subsys);
-	g_signal_connect (priv->udev_client, "uevent", G_CALLBACK (handle_udev_event), platform);
-
 	/* complete construction of the GObject instance before populating the cache. */
 	G_OBJECT_CLASS (nm_linux_platform_parent_class)->constructed (_object);
 
@@ -6016,19 +6016,27 @@ constructed (GObject *_object)
 
 	delayed_action_handle_all (platform, FALSE);
 
-	/* And read initial device list */
-	enumerator = g_udev_enumerator_new (priv->udev_client);
-	g_udev_enumerator_add_match_subsystem (enumerator, "net");
+	/* Set up udev monitoring */
+	if (priv->udev_client) {
+		GUdevEnumerator *enumerator;
+		GList *devices, *iter;
 
-	g_udev_enumerator_add_match_is_initialized (enumerator);
+		g_signal_connect (priv->udev_client, "uevent", G_CALLBACK (handle_udev_event), platform);
 
-	devices = g_udev_enumerator_execute (enumerator);
-	for (iter = devices; iter; iter = g_list_next (iter)) {
-		udev_device_added (platform, G_UDEV_DEVICE (iter->data));
-		g_object_unref (G_UDEV_DEVICE (iter->data));
+		/* And read initial device list */
+		enumerator = g_udev_enumerator_new (priv->udev_client);
+		g_udev_enumerator_add_match_subsystem (enumerator, "net");
+
+		g_udev_enumerator_add_match_is_initialized (enumerator);
+
+		devices = g_udev_enumerator_execute (enumerator);
+		for (iter = devices; iter; iter = g_list_next (iter)) {
+			udev_device_added (platform, G_UDEV_DEVICE (iter->data));
+			g_object_unref (G_UDEV_DEVICE (iter->data));
+		}
+		g_list_free (devices);
+		g_object_unref (enumerator);
 	}
-	g_list_free (devices);
-	g_object_unref (enumerator);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -6047,6 +6055,11 @@ dispose (GObject *object)
 
 	g_clear_pointer (&priv->prune_candidates, g_hash_table_unref);
 
+	if (priv->udev_client) {
+		g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (priv->udev_client, G_CALLBACK (handle_udev_event), platform);
+		g_clear_object (&priv->udev_client);
+	}
+
 	G_OBJECT_CLASS (nm_linux_platform_parent_class)->dispose (object);
 }
 
@@ -6066,7 +6079,6 @@ nm_linux_platform_finalize (GObject *object)
 	g_io_channel_unref (priv->event_channel);
 	nl_socket_free (priv->nlh);
 
-	g_object_unref (priv->udev_client);
 	g_hash_table_unref (priv->wifi_data);
 
 	if (priv->sysctl_get_prev_values) {
diff --git a/src/platform/nmp-object.c b/src/platform/nmp-object.c
index b7b04490c1..adeb3aabe3 100644
--- a/src/platform/nmp-object.c
+++ b/src/platform/nmp-object.c
@@ -174,10 +174,6 @@ _nmp_object_fixup_link_udev_fields (NMPObject *obj, gboolean use_udev)
 			 * nmp_cache_use_udev_get(). It is on purpose not to test
 			 * for a writable /sys on every call. A minor reason for that is
 			 * performance, but the real reason is reproducibility.
-			 *
-			 * If you want to support changing of whether udev is enabled,
-			 * reset the value via nmp_cache_use_udev_set() carefully -- and
-			 * possibly update the links in the cache accordingly.
 			 * */
 			initialized = TRUE;
 		}
@@ -1191,12 +1187,6 @@ _vt_cmd_obj_init_cache_id_ipx_route (const NMPObject *obj, NMPCacheIdType id_typ
 
 /******************************************************************/
 
-gboolean
-nmp_cache_use_udev_detect ()
-{
-	return access ("/sys", W_OK) == 0;
-}
-
 gboolean
 nmp_cache_use_udev_get (const NMPCache *cache)
 {
@@ -1205,19 +1195,6 @@ nmp_cache_use_udev_get (const NMPCache *cache)
 	return cache->use_udev;
 }
 
-gboolean
-nmp_cache_use_udev_set (NMPCache *cache, gboolean use_udev)
-{
-	g_return_val_if_fail (cache, FALSE);
-
-	use_udev = !!use_udev;
-	if (use_udev == cache->use_udev)
-		return FALSE;
-
-	cache->use_udev = use_udev;
-	return TRUE;
-}
-
 /******************************************************************/
 
 /**
@@ -1858,7 +1835,7 @@ nmp_cache_update_link_master_connected (NMPCache *cache, int ifindex, NMPObject
 /******************************************************************/
 
 NMPCache *
-nmp_cache_new ()
+nmp_cache_new (gboolean use_udev)
 {
 	NMPCache *cache = g_new (NMPCache, 1);
 
@@ -1870,7 +1847,7 @@ nmp_cache_new ()
 	                                       (NMMultiIndexFuncEqual) nmp_cache_id_equal,
 	                                       (NMMultiIndexFuncClone) nmp_cache_id_clone,
 	                                       (NMMultiIndexFuncDestroy) nmp_cache_id_destroy);
-	cache->use_udev = nmp_cache_use_udev_detect ();
+	cache->use_udev = !!use_udev;
 	return cache;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/nmp-object.h b/src/platform/nmp-object.h
index 7758798f33..6d5b9627ce 100644
--- a/src/platform/nmp-object.h
+++ b/src/platform/nmp-object.h
@@ -399,9 +399,7 @@ GHashTable *nmp_cache_lookup_all_to_hash (const NMPCache *cache,
 gboolean nmp_cache_link_connected_needs_toggle (const NMPCache *cache, const NMPObject *master, const NMPObject *potential_slave, const NMPObject *ignore_slave);
 const NMPObject *nmp_cache_link_connected_needs_toggle_by_ifindex (const NMPCache *cache, int master_ifindex, const NMPObject *potential_slave, const NMPObject *ignore_slave);
 
-gboolean nmp_cache_use_udev_detect (void);
 gboolean nmp_cache_use_udev_get (const NMPCache *cache);
-gboolean nmp_cache_use_udev_set (NMPCache *cache, gboolean use_udev);
 
 void ASSERT_nmp_cache_is_consistent (const NMPCache *cache);
 
@@ -411,7 +409,7 @@ NMPCacheOpsType nmp_cache_update_netlink (NMPCache *cache, NMPObject *obj, NMPOb
 NMPCacheOpsType nmp_cache_update_link_udev (NMPCache *cache, int ifindex, GUdevDevice *udev_device, NMPObject **out_obj, gboolean *out_was_visible, NMPCachePreHook pre_hook, gpointer user_data);
 NMPCacheOpsType nmp_cache_update_link_master_connected (NMPCache *cache, int ifindex, NMPObject **out_obj, gboolean *out_was_visible, NMPCachePreHook pre_hook, gpointer user_data);
 
-NMPCache *nmp_cache_new (void);
+NMPCache *nmp_cache_new (gboolean use_udev);
 void nmp_cache_free (NMPCache *cache);
 
 #endif /* __NMP_OBJECT_H__ */
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/test-general.c b/src/platform/tests/test-general.c
index eb5adb9541..66f72fa570 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/test-general.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/test-general.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 
 #include <linux/rtnetlink.h>
 
+#include "nm-platform-utils.h"
 #include "nm-linux-platform.h"
 
 #include "nm-test-utils.h"
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/test-nmp-object.c b/src/platform/tests/test-nmp-object.c
index 3b44abb8d6..d77170b364 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/test-nmp-object.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/test-nmp-object.c
@@ -223,9 +223,7 @@ test_cache_link (void)
 	GUdevDevice *udev_device_3 = g_list_nth_data (global.udev_devices, 0);
 	NMPCacheOpsType ops_type;
 
-	cache = nmp_cache_new ();
-
-	nmp_cache_use_udev_set (cache, g_rand_int_range (nmtst_get_rand (), 0, 2));
+	cache = nmp_cache_new (nmtst_get_rand_int () % 2);
 
 	/* if we have a link, and don't set is_in_netlink, adding it has no effect. */
 	obj1 = nmp_object_new (NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_LINK, (NMPlatformObject *) &pl_link_2);