diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 50858333aa..619eda9bba 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -1210,20 +1210,26 @@ is_unmanaged_external_down (NMDevice *self, gboolean consider_can)
 
 	/* Manage externally-created software interfaces only when they are IFF_UP */
 	if (   priv->ifindex <= 0
-	    || !priv->up)
+	    || !priv->up
+	    || !nm_platform_link_can_assume (NM_PLATFORM_GET, priv->ifindex))
 		return NM_UNMAN_FLAG_OP_SET_UNMANAGED;
 
 	return NM_UNMAN_FLAG_OP_SET_MANAGED;
 }
 
 static void
-set_unmanaged_external_down (NMDevice *self)
+set_unmanaged_external_down (NMDevice *self, gboolean only_if_unmanaged)
 {
 	NMUnmanFlagOp ext_flags;
 
 	if (!nm_device_get_unmanaged_mask (self, NM_UNMANAGED_EXTERNAL_DOWN))
 		return;
 
+	if (only_if_unmanaged) {
+		if (!nm_device_get_unmanaged_flags (self, NM_UNMANAGED_EXTERNAL_DOWN))
+			return;
+	}
+
 	ext_flags = is_unmanaged_external_down (self, FALSE);
 	if (ext_flags != NM_UNMAN_FLAG_OP_SET_UNMANAGED) {
 		/* Ensure the assume check is queued before any queued state changes
@@ -1562,7 +1568,7 @@ device_link_changed (NMDevice *self)
 		nm_device_set_unmanaged_by_flags (self, NM_UNMANAGED_PLATFORM_INIT, FALSE, reason);
 	}
 
-	set_unmanaged_external_down (self);
+	set_unmanaged_external_down (self, FALSE);
 
 	device_recheck_slave_status (self, &info);
 	return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
@@ -3060,8 +3066,7 @@ nm_device_check_slave_connection_compatible (NMDevice *self, NMConnection *slave
 static gboolean
 nm_device_can_assume_connections (NMDevice *self)
 {
-	return   !!NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->update_connection
-	      && !NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self)->is_nm_owned;
+	return   !!NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->update_connection;
 }
 
 /**
@@ -8879,6 +8884,8 @@ queued_ip4_config_change (gpointer user_data)
 	update_ip4_config (self, FALSE);
 	g_object_unref (self);
 
+	set_unmanaged_external_down (self, TRUE);
+
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
@@ -8933,6 +8940,8 @@ queued_ip6_config_change (gpointer user_data)
 
 	g_object_unref (self);
 
+	set_unmanaged_external_down (self, TRUE);
+
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 14301598bf..3282e698ce 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -5128,6 +5128,49 @@ wifi_indicate_addressing_running (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex, gboolean ru
 
 /******************************************************************/
 
+static gboolean
+link_can_assume (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex)
+{
+	NMLinuxPlatformPrivate *priv = NM_LINUX_PLATFORM_GET_PRIVATE (platform);
+	NMPCacheId cache_id;
+	const NMPlatformObject *const *objs;
+	guint i, len;
+	const NMPObject *link;
+
+	if (ifindex <= 0)
+		return FALSE;
+
+	link = cache_lookup_link (platform, ifindex);
+	if (!link)
+		return FALSE;
+
+	if (!NM_FLAGS_HAS (link->link.n_ifi_flags, IFF_UP))
+		return FALSE;
+
+	if (link->link.master > 0)
+		return TRUE;
+
+	if (nmp_cache_lookup_multi (priv->cache,
+	                            nmp_cache_id_init_addrroute_visible_by_ifindex (&cache_id, NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP4_ADDRESS, ifindex),
+	                            NULL))
+		return TRUE;
+
+	objs = nmp_cache_lookup_multi (priv->cache,
+	                               nmp_cache_id_init_addrroute_visible_by_ifindex (&cache_id, NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP6_ADDRESS, ifindex),
+	                               &len);
+	if (objs) {
+		for (i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+			const NMPlatformIP6Address *a = (NMPlatformIP6Address *) objs[i];
+
+			if (!IN6_IS_ADDR_LINKLOCAL (&a->address))
+				return TRUE;
+		}
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
+/******************************************************************/
+
 static guint32
 mesh_get_channel (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex)
 {
@@ -6218,6 +6261,8 @@ nm_linux_platform_class_init (NMLinuxPlatformClass *klass)
 	platform_class->link_enslave = link_enslave;
 	platform_class->link_release = link_release;
 
+	platform_class->link_can_assume = link_can_assume;
+
 	platform_class->vlan_add = vlan_add;
 	platform_class->link_vlan_change = link_vlan_change;
 	platform_class->link_vxlan_add = link_vxlan_add;
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
index d5ee48d49f..5a399b316a 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
@@ -1378,6 +1378,18 @@ nm_platform_link_get_master (NMPlatform *self, int slave)
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+gboolean
+nm_platform_link_can_assume (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex)
+{
+	_CHECK_SELF (self, klass, FALSE);
+
+	if (klass->link_can_assume)
+		return klass->link_can_assume (self, ifindex);
+	g_return_val_if_reached (FALSE);
+}
+
+/*****************************************************************************/
+
 /**
  * nm_platform_link_get_lnk:
  * @self: the platform instance
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.h b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
index 8c97f7668a..15bd2fdeef 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.h
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
@@ -528,6 +528,8 @@ typedef struct {
 	gboolean (*link_enslave) (NMPlatform *, int master, int slave);
 	gboolean (*link_release) (NMPlatform *, int master, int slave);
 
+	gboolean (*link_can_assume) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex);
+
 	gboolean (*vlan_add) (NMPlatform *, const char *name, int parent, int vlanid, guint32 vlanflags, const NMPlatformLink **out_link);
 	gboolean (*link_vlan_change) (NMPlatform *self,
 	                              int ifindex,
@@ -717,6 +719,8 @@ gboolean nm_platform_link_get_user_ipv6ll_enabled (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex
 gconstpointer nm_platform_link_get_address (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex, size_t *length);
 int nm_platform_link_get_master (NMPlatform *self, int slave);
 
+gboolean nm_platform_link_can_assume (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex);
+
 gboolean nm_platform_link_get_unmanaged (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex, gboolean *unmanaged);
 gboolean nm_platform_link_supports_slaves (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex);
 const char *nm_platform_link_get_type_name (NMPlatform *self, int ifindex);