diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
index 3b77d685da..4c3279e665 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ enum {
 static NMDeviceCapabilities
 get_generic_capabilities (NMDevice *dev)
 {
-	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT;
+	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT | NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_SOFTWARE;
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
index 3cf7889a81..a2d99e6f7c 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ enum {
 static NMDeviceCapabilities
 get_generic_capabilities (NMDevice *dev)
 {
-	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT;
+	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT | NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_SOFTWARE;
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c b/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
index 5e89660e7d..06fad615d1 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
@@ -44,12 +44,15 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE (NMDeviceInfiniband, nm_device_infiniband, NM_TYPE_DEVICE)
 
 #define NM_DEVICE_INFINIBAND_GET_PRIVATE(o) (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE ((o), NM_TYPE_DEVICE_INFINIBAND, NMDeviceInfinibandPrivate))
 
+#define NM_DEVICE_INFINIBAND_IS_PARTITION "is-partition"
+
 typedef struct {
-	int dummy;
+	gboolean is_partition;
 } NMDeviceInfinibandPrivate;
 
 enum {
 	PROP_0,
+	PROP_IS_PARTITION,
 
 	LAST_PROP
 };
@@ -62,7 +65,12 @@ nm_device_infiniband_init (NMDeviceInfiniband * self)
 static NMDeviceCapabilities
 get_generic_capabilities (NMDevice *dev)
 {
-	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT;
+	guint32 caps = NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT;
+
+	if (NM_DEVICE_INFINIBAND_GET_PRIVATE (dev)->is_partition)
+		caps |= NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_SOFTWARE;
+
+	return caps;
 }
 
 static NMActStageReturn
@@ -243,6 +251,9 @@ get_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
               GValue *value, GParamSpec *pspec)
 {
 	switch (prop_id) {
+	case PROP_IS_PARTITION:
+		g_value_set_boolean (value, NM_DEVICE_INFINIBAND_GET_PRIVATE (object)->is_partition);
+		break;
 	default:
 		G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
 		break;
@@ -254,6 +265,9 @@ set_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 			  const GValue *value, GParamSpec *pspec)
 {
 	switch (prop_id) {
+	case PROP_IS_PARTITION:
+		NM_DEVICE_INFINIBAND_GET_PRIVATE (object)->is_partition = g_value_get_boolean (value);
+		break;
 	default:
 		G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID (object, prop_id, pspec);
 		break;
@@ -281,6 +295,12 @@ nm_device_infiniband_class_init (NMDeviceInfinibandClass *klass)
 	parent_class->ip4_config_pre_commit = ip4_config_pre_commit;
 
 	/* properties */
+	g_object_class_install_property
+		(object_class, PROP_IS_PARTITION,
+		 g_param_spec_boolean (NM_DEVICE_INFINIBAND_IS_PARTITION, "", "",
+		                       FALSE,
+		                       G_PARAM_READWRITE | G_PARAM_CONSTRUCT_ONLY |
+		                       G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 
 	nm_dbus_manager_register_exported_type (nm_dbus_manager_get (),
 	                                        G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (klass),
@@ -299,6 +319,7 @@ new_link (NMDeviceFactory *factory, NMPlatformLink *plink, gboolean *out_ignore,
 	                                  NM_DEVICE_PLATFORM_DEVICE, plink,
 	                                  NM_DEVICE_TYPE_DESC, "InfiniBand",
 	                                  NM_DEVICE_DEVICE_TYPE, NM_DEVICE_TYPE_INFINIBAND,
+	                                  NM_DEVICE_INFINIBAND_IS_PARTITION, (plink->parent > 0),
 	                                  NULL);
 }
 
@@ -342,6 +363,7 @@ create_virtual_device_for_connection (NMDeviceFactory *factory,
 	                                  NM_DEVICE_DRIVER, nm_device_get_driver (parent),
 	                                  NM_DEVICE_TYPE_DESC, "InfiniBand",
 	                                  NM_DEVICE_DEVICE_TYPE, NM_DEVICE_TYPE_INFINIBAND,
+	                                  NM_DEVICE_INFINIBAND_IS_PARTITION, TRUE,
 	                                  NULL);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c b/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
index fcbe402aba..24dd36b1e5 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ static NMDeviceCapabilities
 get_generic_capabilities (NMDevice *dev)
 {
 	/* We assume VLAN interfaces always support carrier detect */
-	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT;
+	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT | NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_SOFTWARE;
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index ddb284079e..5f7f4f0446 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -185,7 +185,6 @@ typedef struct {
 	char *        path;
 	char *        iface;   /* may change, could be renamed by user */
 	int           ifindex;
-	gboolean      is_software;
 	char *        ip_iface;
 	int           ip_ifindex;
 	NMDeviceType  type;
@@ -538,9 +537,7 @@ nm_device_get_ifindex (NMDevice *self)
 gboolean
 nm_device_is_software (NMDevice *self)
 {
-	NMDevicePrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self);
-
-	return priv->is_software;
+	return NM_FLAGS_HAS (NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self)->capabilities, NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_SOFTWARE);
 }
 
 const char *
@@ -1057,7 +1054,7 @@ nm_device_finish_init (NMDevice *self)
 		nm_device_enslave_slave (priv->master, self, NULL);
 
 	if (priv->ifindex > 0) {
-		if (priv->platform_link_initialized || (priv->is_nm_owned && priv->is_software)) {
+		if (priv->platform_link_initialized || (priv->is_nm_owned && nm_device_is_software (self))) {
 			nm_platform_link_get_unmanaged (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex, &platform_unmanaged);
 			nm_device_set_initial_unmanaged_flag (self, NM_UNMANAGED_DEFAULT, platform_unmanaged);
 		} else {
@@ -8434,6 +8431,12 @@ constructor (GType type,
 		priv->capabilities |= NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->get_generic_capabilities (self);
 
 	if (priv->ifindex > 0) {
+		priv->physical_port_id = nm_platform_link_get_physical_port_id (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex);
+		priv->dev_id = nm_platform_link_get_dev_id (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex);
+		if (nm_platform_link_is_software (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex))
+			priv->capabilities |= NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_SOFTWARE;
+		priv->mtu = nm_platform_link_get_mtu (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex);
+
 		nm_platform_link_get_driver_info (NM_PLATFORM_GET,
 		                                  priv->ifindex,
 		                                  NULL,
@@ -8441,6 +8444,9 @@ constructor (GType type,
 		                                  &priv->firmware_version);
 	}
 
+	if (NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->get_generic_capabilities)
+		priv->capabilities |= NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->get_generic_capabilities (self);
+
 	/* Watch for external IP config changes */
 	platform = nm_platform_get ();
 	g_signal_connect (platform, NM_PLATFORM_SIGNAL_IP4_ADDRESS_CHANGED, G_CALLBACK (device_ip_changed), self);
@@ -8517,16 +8523,6 @@ constructed (GObject *object)
 		priv->carrier = TRUE;
 	}
 
-	if (priv->ifindex > 0) {
-		priv->is_software = nm_platform_link_is_software (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex);
-		priv->physical_port_id = nm_platform_link_get_physical_port_id (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex);
-		priv->dev_id = nm_platform_link_get_dev_id (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex);
-		priv->mtu = nm_platform_link_get_mtu (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex);
-	}
-	/* Indicate software device in capabilities. */
-	if (priv->is_software)
-		priv->capabilities |= NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_SOFTWARE;
-
 	/* Enslave ourselves */
 	master = nm_platform_link_get_master (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex);
 	if (master)
diff --git a/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c b/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
index ea67e8985d..a8466466b4 100644
--- a/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
+++ b/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ static gboolean teamd_start (NMDevice *device, NMSettingTeam *s_team);
 static NMDeviceCapabilities
 get_generic_capabilities (NMDevice *device)
 {
-	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT;
+	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_CARRIER_DETECT | NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_SOFTWARE;
 }
 
 static gboolean