diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-ethernet.c b/src/devices/nm-device-ethernet.c
index a0aa02d1ac..70e9e70c47 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-ethernet.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-ethernet.c
@@ -1559,7 +1559,7 @@ link_changed (NMDevice *device, NMPlatformLink *info)
 	NMDeviceEthernetPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_ETHERNET_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 
 	NM_DEVICE_CLASS (nm_device_ethernet_parent_class)->link_changed (device, info);
-	if (!priv->subchan1 && info->udi)
+	if (!priv->subchan1 && info->initialized)
 		_update_s390_subchannels (self);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 2a19619d8f..04472847be 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -1341,11 +1341,13 @@ device_link_changed (NMDevice *self, NMPlatformLink *info)
 	NMUtilsIPv6IfaceId token_iid;
 	gboolean ip_ifname_changed = FALSE;
 	gboolean platform_unmanaged = FALSE;
+	const char *udi;
 
-	if (info->udi && g_strcmp0 (info->udi, priv->udi)) {
+	udi = nm_platform_link_get_udi (NM_PLATFORM_GET, info->ifindex);
+	if (udi && g_strcmp0 (udi, priv->udi)) {
 		/* Update UDI to what udev gives us */
 		g_free (priv->udi);
-		priv->udi = g_strdup (info->udi);
+		priv->udi = g_strdup (udi);
 		g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (self), NM_DEVICE_UDI);
 	}
 
@@ -8938,7 +8940,7 @@ set_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 		platform_device = g_value_get_pointer (value);
 		if (platform_device) {
 			g_free (priv->udi);
-			priv->udi = g_strdup (platform_device->udi);
+			priv->udi = g_strdup (nm_platform_link_get_udi (NM_PLATFORM_GET, platform_device->ifindex));
 			g_free (priv->iface);
 			priv->iface = g_strdup (platform_device->name);
 			priv->ifindex = platform_device->ifindex;
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
index 042d98a282..36c6898b48 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
@@ -129,7 +129,7 @@ link_init (NMFakePlatformLink *device, int ifindex, int type, const char *name)
 	device->link.type = type;
 	device->link.kind = type_to_type_name (type);
 	device->link.driver = type_to_type_name (type);
-	device->link.udi = device->udi = g_strdup_printf ("fake:%d", ifindex);
+	device->udi = g_strdup_printf ("fake:%d", ifindex);
 	device->link.initialized = TRUE;
 	device->ip6_lladdr = *nmtst_inet6_from_string (ip6_lladdr);
 	if (name)
@@ -543,6 +543,16 @@ link_get_dev_id (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex)
 	return 0;
 }
 
+static const char *
+link_get_udi (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex)
+{
+	NMFakePlatformLink *device = link_get (platform, ifindex);
+
+	if (!device)
+		return NULL;
+	return device->udi;
+}
+
 static gboolean
 link_get_wake_on_lan (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex)
 {
@@ -1511,6 +1521,8 @@ nm_fake_platform_class_init (NMFakePlatformClass *klass)
 	platform_class->link_get_type_name = link_get_type_name;
 	platform_class->link_get_unmanaged = link_get_unmanaged;
 
+	platform_class->link_get_udi = link_get_udi;
+
 	platform_class->link_set_up = link_set_up;
 	platform_class->link_set_down = link_set_down;
 	platform_class->link_set_arp = link_set_arp;
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index edb1addaa5..b42b40feda 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -2950,6 +2950,18 @@ link_get_ipv6_token (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex, NMUtilsIPv6IfaceId *iid)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+static const char *
+link_get_udi (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex)
+{
+	const NMPObject *obj = cache_lookup_link (platform, ifindex);
+
+	if (   !obj
+	    || !obj->_link.netlink.is_in_netlink
+	    || !obj->_link.udev.device)
+		return NULL;
+	return g_udev_device_get_sysfs_path (obj->_link.udev.device);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 link_get_user_ipv6ll_enabled (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex)
 {
@@ -4979,6 +4991,7 @@ nm_linux_platform_class_init (NMLinuxPlatformClass *klass)
 	platform_class->link_is_connected = link_is_connected;
 	platform_class->link_uses_arp = link_uses_arp;
 
+	platform_class->link_get_udi = link_get_udi;
 	platform_class->link_get_ipv6_token = link_get_ipv6_token;
 
 	platform_class->link_get_user_ipv6ll_enabled = link_get_user_ipv6ll_enabled;
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
index f77ee93498..b5a2099012 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
@@ -915,6 +915,18 @@ nm_platform_link_get_ipv6_token (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex, NMUtilsIPv6Iface
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
+const char *
+nm_platform_link_get_udi (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex)
+{
+	_CHECK_SELF (self, klass, FALSE);
+	reset_error (self);
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (ifindex >= 0, NULL);
+
+	if (klass->link_get_udi)
+		return klass->link_get_udi (self, ifindex);
+	return NULL;
+}
 
 /**
  * nm_platform_link_get_user_ip6vll_enabled:
@@ -2533,7 +2545,7 @@ nm_platform_link_to_string (const NMPlatformLink *link)
 	            "%s%s" /* addr */
 	            "%s%s" /* inet6_token */
 	            "%s%s" /* driver */
-	            "%s%s", /* udi */
+	            ,
 	            link->ifindex,
 	            link->name,
 	            parent,
@@ -2552,9 +2564,7 @@ nm_platform_link_to_string (const NMPlatformLink *link)
 	            str_inet6_token ? " inet6token " : "",
 	            str_inet6_token ? str_inet6_token : "",
 	            link->driver ? " driver " : "",
-	            link->driver ? link->driver : "",
-	            link->udi ? " udi " : "",
-	            link->udi ? link->udi : "");
+	            link->driver ? link->driver : "");
 	g_string_free (str_flags, TRUE);
 	return _nm_platform_to_string_buffer;
 }
@@ -2854,11 +2864,6 @@ nm_platform_link_cmp (const NMPlatformLink *a, const NMPlatformLink *b)
 	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, inet6_addr_gen_mode_inv);
 	_CMP_FIELD (a, b, inet6_token.is_valid);
 	_CMP_FIELD_STR_INTERNED (a, b, kind);
-
-	/* udi is not an interned string, but NMRefString. Hence,
-	 * do a pointer comparison first. */
-	_CMP_FIELD_STR_INTERNED (a, b, udi);
-
 	_CMP_FIELD_STR_INTERNED (a, b, driver);
 	if (a->addr.len)
 		_CMP_FIELD_MEMCMP_LEN (a, b, addr.data, a->addr.len);
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.h b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
index a0addbfdd5..fb9ed34fec 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.h
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
@@ -95,12 +95,6 @@ struct _NMPlatformLink {
 	/* NMPlatform initializes this field with a static string. */
 	const char *kind;
 
-	/* Beware: NMPlatform initializes this string with an allocated string
-	 * (NMRefString). Handle it properly (i.e. don't keep a reference to it
-	 * without incrementing the ref-counter).
-	 * This property depends on @initialized. */
-	const char *udi;
-
 	/* NMPlatform initializes this field with a static string. */
 	const char *driver;
 
@@ -438,6 +432,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	gboolean (*link_is_connected) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex);
 	gboolean (*link_uses_arp) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex);
 
+	const char *(*link_get_udi) (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex);
 	gboolean (*link_get_ipv6_token) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex, NMUtilsIPv6IfaceId *iid);
 
 	gboolean (*link_get_user_ipv6ll_enabled) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex);
@@ -627,6 +622,7 @@ gboolean nm_platform_link_is_connected (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex);
 gboolean nm_platform_link_uses_arp (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex);
 
 gboolean nm_platform_link_get_ipv6_token (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex, NMUtilsIPv6IfaceId *iid);
+const char *nm_platform_link_get_udi (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex);
 
 gboolean nm_platform_link_get_user_ipv6ll_enabled (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex);
 gboolean nm_platform_link_set_user_ipv6ll_enabled (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex, gboolean enabled);
diff --git a/src/platform/nmp-object.c b/src/platform/nmp-object.c
index 38eef91452..2765d113d1 100644
--- a/src/platform/nmp-object.c
+++ b/src/platform/nmp-object.c
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ void
 _nmp_object_fixup_link_udev_fields (NMPObject *obj, gboolean use_udev)
 {
 	const char *driver = NULL;
-	const char *udi = NULL;
 	gboolean initialized = FALSE;
 
 	nm_assert (NMP_OBJECT_GET_TYPE (obj) == OBJECT_TYPE_LINK);
@@ -145,10 +144,9 @@ _nmp_object_fixup_link_udev_fields (NMPObject *obj, gboolean use_udev)
 		driver = _link_get_driver (obj->_link.udev.device,
 		                           obj->link.kind,
 		                           obj->link.name);
-		if (obj->_link.udev.device) {
-			udi = g_udev_device_get_sysfs_path (obj->_link.udev.device);
+		if (obj->_link.udev.device)
 			initialized = TRUE;
-		} else if (!use_udev) {
+		else if (!use_udev) {
 			/* If we don't use udev, we immediately mark the link as initialized.
 			 *
 			 * For that, we consult @use_udev argument, that is cached via
@@ -165,7 +163,6 @@ _nmp_object_fixup_link_udev_fields (NMPObject *obj, gboolean use_udev)
 	}
 
 	obj->link.driver = driver;
-	obj->link.udi = nm_ref_string_replace (obj->link.udi, udi);
 	obj->link.initialized = initialized;
 }
 
@@ -225,7 +222,6 @@ nmp_object_unref (NMPObject *obj)
 static void
 _vt_cmd_obj_dispose_link (NMPObject *obj)
 {
-	nm_ref_string_unref (obj->link.udi);
 	g_clear_object (&obj->_link.udev.device);
 }
 
@@ -587,10 +583,6 @@ _vt_cmd_obj_copy_link (NMPObject *dst, const NMPObject *src)
 		if (src->_link.udev.device)
 			g_object_ref (src->_link.udev.device);
 	}
-	if (dst->link.udi != src->link.udi) {
-		nm_ref_string_unref (dst->link.udi);
-		nm_ref_string_ref (src->link.udi);
-	}
 	dst->_link = src->_link;
 }
 
@@ -1512,8 +1504,7 @@ nmp_cache_update_netlink (NMPCache *cache, NMPObject *obj, NMPObject **out_obj,
 	 * a use-case */
 	nm_assert (NMP_OBJECT_GET_TYPE (obj) != OBJECT_TYPE_LINK ||
 	           (   !obj->_link.udev.device
-	            && !obj->link.driver
-	            && !obj->link.udi));
+	            && !obj->link.driver));
 
 	old = g_hash_table_lookup (cache->idx_main, obj);
 
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/dump.c b/src/platform/tests/dump.c
index 5187d266f6..575ce6fb34 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/dump.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/dump.c
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ dump_interface (NMPlatformLink *link)
 	printf ("\n");
 	if (link->driver)
 		printf ("    driver: %s\n", link->driver);
-	printf ("    UDI: %s\n", link->udi);
+	printf ("    UDI: %s\n", nm_platform_link_get_udi (NM_PLATFORM_GET, link->ifindex));
 	if (!nm_platform_vlan_get_info (NM_PLATFORM_GET, link->ifindex, &vlan_parent, &vlan_id))
 		g_assert_not_reached ();
 	if (vlan_parent)