diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-setting-connection.c b/libnm-core/nm-setting-connection.c
index 6832a985d6..3ab8873dcf 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-setting-connection.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-setting-connection.c
@@ -1604,7 +1604,7 @@ nm_setting_connection_class_init (NMSettingConnectionClass *setting_class)
 	/* ---ifcfg-rh---
 	 * property: autoconnect-slaves
 	 * variable: AUTOCONNECT-SLAVES(+)
-	 * default: no
+	 * default: missing variable means global default
 	 * description: Whether slaves of this connection should be auto-connected
 	 *   when this connection is activated.
 	 * ---end---
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/reader.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/reader.c
index 2387be3fcd..9dcf5f3b59 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/reader.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/reader.c
@@ -177,6 +177,8 @@ make_connection_setting (const char *file,
 	                                      NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_MIN,
 	                                      NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_MAX,
 	                                      NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_DEFAULT),
+	              NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_SLAVES,
+	              svTrueValue (ifcfg, "AUTOCONNECT_SLAVES", NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_SLAVES_DEFAULT),
 	              NULL);
 
 	value = svGetValue (ifcfg, "USERS", FALSE);
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/writer.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/writer.c
index df2308e405..c93d167936 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/writer.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/writer.c
@@ -1694,7 +1694,7 @@ write_connection_setting (NMSettingConnection *s_con, shvarFile *ifcfg)
 {
 	guint32 n, i;
 	GString *str;
-	const char *master;
+	const char *master, *type;
 	char *tmp;
 	gint i_int;
 
@@ -1711,6 +1711,20 @@ write_connection_setting (NMSettingConnection *s_con, shvarFile *ifcfg)
 	svSetValue (ifcfg, "AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY", tmp, FALSE);
 	g_free (tmp);
 
+	/* Only save the value for master connections */
+	svSetValue (ifcfg, "AUTOCONNECT_SLAVES", NULL, FALSE);
+	type = nm_setting_connection_get_connection_type (s_con);
+	if (   !g_strcmp0 (type, NM_SETTING_BOND_SETTING_NAME)
+	    || !g_strcmp0 (type, NM_SETTING_TEAM_SETTING_NAME)
+	    || !g_strcmp0 (type, NM_SETTING_BRIDGE_SETTING_NAME)) {
+		NMSettingConnectionAutoconnectSlaves autoconnect_slaves;
+		autoconnect_slaves = nm_setting_connection_get_autoconnect_slaves (s_con);
+		svSetValue (ifcfg, "AUTOCONNECT_SLAVES",
+		            autoconnect_slaves == NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_SLAVES_YES ? "yes" :
+		            autoconnect_slaves == NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_SLAVES_NO ? "no" : NULL,
+		            FALSE);
+	}
+
 	/* Permissions */
 	svSetValue (ifcfg, "USERS", NULL, FALSE);
 	n = nm_setting_connection_get_num_permissions (s_con);