diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index e471f5775a..1c1497a4c4 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -6135,13 +6135,6 @@ reason_to_string (NMDeviceStateReason reason)
 	return "unknown";
 }
 
-static inline gboolean
-state_implies_pending_action (NMDeviceState state)
-{
-	return (   state >= NM_DEVICE_STATE_PREPARE
-	        && state < NM_DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVATED);
-}
-
 static void
 notify_ip_properties (NMDevice *device)
 {
@@ -6183,10 +6176,6 @@ nm_device_state_changed (NMDevice *device,
 	priv->state = state;
 	priv->state_reason = reason;
 
-	if (    state_implies_pending_action (state)
-	    && !state_implies_pending_action (old_state))
-		nm_device_add_pending_action (device, "activation");
-
 	nm_log_info (LOGD_DEVICE, "(%s): device state change: %s -> %s (reason '%s') [%d %d %d]",
 	             nm_device_get_iface (device),
 	             state_to_string (old_state),
@@ -6352,10 +6341,6 @@ nm_device_state_changed (NMDevice *device,
 	if (req)
 		g_object_unref (req);
 
-	if (    state_implies_pending_action (old_state)
-	    && !state_implies_pending_action (state))
-		nm_device_remove_pending_action (device, "activation");
-
 	priv->in_state_changed = FALSE;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nm-active-connection.c b/src/nm-active-connection.c
index 6a825bc0d7..34f438c0fb 100644
--- a/src/nm-active-connection.c
+++ b/src/nm-active-connection.c
@@ -139,6 +139,12 @@ nm_active_connection_set_state (NMActiveConnection *self,
 		                                         (guint64) time (NULL), TRUE);
 	}
 
+	if (priv->device) {
+		if (   old_state < NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_STATE_ACTIVATED
+		    && new_state >= NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_STATE_ACTIVATED)
+			nm_device_remove_pending_action (priv->device, "activation");
+	}
+
 	if (priv->state == NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_STATE_DEACTIVATED) {
 		/* Device is no longer relevant when deactivated; emit property change
 		 * notification so clients re-read the value, which will be NULL due to
@@ -352,6 +358,8 @@ nm_active_connection_set_device (NMActiveConnection *self, NMDevice *device)
 		                                          "state-changed",
 		                                          G_CALLBACK (device_state_changed),
 		                                          self);
+
+		nm_device_add_pending_action (device, "activation");
 	}
 	return TRUE;
 }