diff --git a/libnm-util/libnm-util.ver b/libnm-util/libnm-util.ver
index c7a2e87687..7472ec4244 100644
--- a/libnm-util/libnm-util.ver
+++ b/libnm-util/libnm-util.ver
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ global:
 	nm_connection_for_each_setting_value;
 	nm_connection_get_connection_type;
 	nm_connection_get_id;
+	nm_connection_get_interface_name;
 	nm_connection_get_path;
 	nm_connection_get_setting;
 	nm_connection_get_setting_802_1x;
diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-connection.c b/libnm-util/nm-connection.c
index 934c8610c0..936090c83b 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-connection.c
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-connection.c
@@ -1105,6 +1105,33 @@ nm_connection_get_path (NMConnection *connection)
 	return NM_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (connection)->path;
 }
 
+/**
+ * nm_connection_get_interface_name:
+ * @connection: The #NMConnection
+ *
+ * Returns the interface name as stored in NMSettingConnection:interface_name.
+ * If the connection contains no NMSettingConnection, it will return %NULL.
+ *
+ * For hardware devices and software devices created outside of NetworkManager,
+ * this name is used to match the device. for software devices created by
+ * NetworkManager, this is the name of the created interface.
+ *
+ * Returns: Name of the kernel interface or %NULL
+ *
+ * Since: 1.0
+ */
+const char *
+nm_connection_get_interface_name (NMConnection *connection)
+{
+	NMSettingConnection *s_con;
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_CONNECTION (connection), NULL);
+
+	s_con = nm_connection_get_setting_connection (connection);
+
+	return s_con ? nm_setting_connection_get_interface_name (s_con) : NULL;
+}
+
 /**
  * nm_connection_get_virtual_iface_name:
  * @connection: The #NMConnection
diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-connection.h b/libnm-util/nm-connection.h
index 4524c8f62d..4f7680f495 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-connection.h
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-connection.h
@@ -181,6 +181,9 @@ const char *  nm_connection_get_path      (NMConnection *connection);
 
 const char *  nm_connection_get_virtual_iface_name (NMConnection *connection);
 
+NM_AVAILABLE_IN_1_0
+const char *  nm_connection_get_interface_name (NMConnection *connection);
+
 gboolean      nm_connection_is_type (NMConnection *connection, const char *type);
 
 void          nm_connection_for_each_setting_value (NMConnection *connection,
diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-setting-connection.c b/libnm-util/nm-setting-connection.c
index b35b0fca10..6a6d3ebe47 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-setting-connection.c
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-setting-connection.c
@@ -1138,6 +1138,8 @@ nm_setting_connection_class_init (NMSettingConnectionClass *setting_class)
 	 * set, then the connection can be attached to any interface of the
 	 * appropriate type (subject to restrictions imposed by other settings).
 	 *
+	 * For software devices this specifies the name of the created device.
+	 *
 	 * For connection types where interface names cannot easily be made
 	 * persistent (e.g. mobile broadband or USB Ethernet), this property should
 	 * not be used. Setting this property restricts the interfaces a connection
@@ -1171,7 +1173,7 @@ nm_setting_connection_class_init (NMSettingConnectionClass *setting_class)
 
 	/**
 	 * NMSettingConnection:permissions:
-	 * 
+	 *
 	 * An array of strings defining what access a given user has to this
 	 * connection.  If this is %NULL or empty, all users are allowed to access
 	 * this connection.  Otherwise a user is allowed to access this connection