diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index ae39b7f8a1..56011651ab 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -3978,13 +3978,15 @@ _internal_activation_auth_done (NMActiveConnection *active,
 
 	priv->authorizing_connections = g_slist_remove (priv->authorizing_connections, active);
 
-	/* Don't continue with the activation if an equivalent active connection
-	 * already exists.  We also check this earlier, but there we may fail to
+	/* Don't continue with an internal activation if an equivalent active
+	 * connection already exists. Note that slave autoconnections always force a
+	 * reconnection.  We also check this earlier, but there we may fail to
 	 * detect a duplicate if the existing active connection is undergoing
 	 * authorization in impl_manager_activate_connection().
 	 */
 	if (   success
-	    && nm_auth_subject_is_internal (nm_active_connection_get_subject (active))) {
+	    && nm_auth_subject_is_internal (nm_active_connection_get_subject (active))
+	    && nm_active_connection_get_activation_reason (active) != NM_ACTIVATION_REASON_AUTOCONNECT_SLAVES) {
 		c_list_for_each_entry (ac, &priv->active_connections_lst_head, active_connections_lst) {
 			if (   nm_active_connection_get_device (ac) == nm_active_connection_get_device (active)
 			    && nm_active_connection_get_settings_connection (ac) == nm_active_connection_get_settings_connection (active)