diff --git a/src/core/settings/plugins/keyfile/tests/test-keyfile-settings.c b/src/core/settings/plugins/keyfile/tests/test-keyfile-settings.c
index 11a8e4169c..b24acc45af 100644
--- a/src/core/settings/plugins/keyfile/tests/test-keyfile-settings.c
+++ b/src/core/settings/plugins/keyfile/tests/test-keyfile-settings.c
@@ -1924,6 +1924,7 @@ test_write_bridge_main(void)
     gs_unref_object NMConnection *connection = NULL;
     NMSettingConnection          *s_con;
     NMSettingBridge              *s_bridge;
+    NMSettingWired               *s_wired;
     NMSettingIPConfig            *s_ip4;
     NMSettingIPConfig            *s_ip6;
 
@@ -1953,6 +1954,11 @@ test_write_bridge_main(void)
     g_assert(s_bridge);
     nm_connection_add_setting(connection, NM_SETTING(s_bridge));
 
+    /* Ethernet setting */
+    s_wired = (NMSettingWired *) nm_setting_wired_new();
+    g_assert(s_wired);
+    nm_connection_add_setting(connection, NM_SETTING(s_wired));
+
     /* IP4 setting */
     s_ip4 = (NMSettingIPConfig *) nm_setting_ip4_config_new();
     g_assert(s_ip4);
diff --git a/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-connection.c b/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-connection.c
index 5f1a157a65..aed4be2113 100644
--- a/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-connection.c
+++ b/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-connection.c
@@ -1708,7 +1708,7 @@ _normalize_required_settings(NMConnection *self)
     NMSetting          *s_bridge;
     gboolean            changed = FALSE;
 
-    if (nm_connection_get_setting_vlan(self)) {
+    if (nm_connection_get_setting_vlan(self) || nm_connection_get_setting_bridge(self)) {
         if (!nm_connection_get_setting_wired(self)) {
             nm_connection_add_setting(self, nm_setting_wired_new());
             changed = TRUE;
diff --git a/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-setting-bridge.c b/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-setting-bridge.c
index fab6e4762e..39a3fb6017 100644
--- a/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-setting-bridge.c
+++ b/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-setting-bridge.c
@@ -1311,6 +1311,15 @@ verify(NMSetting *setting, NMConnection *connection, GError **error)
                                            NM_SETTING_BRIDGE_VLANS))
         return NM_SETTING_VERIFY_NORMALIZABLE;
 
+    if (connection && !nm_connection_get_setting_wired(connection)) {
+        g_set_error_literal(error,
+                            NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
+                            NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_SETTING_NOT_FOUND,
+                            _("bridge connection should have a ethernet setting as well"));
+        g_prefix_error(error, "%s: ", NM_SETTING_BRIDGE_SETTING_NAME);
+        return NM_SETTING_VERIFY_NORMALIZABLE;
+    }
+
     return TRUE;
 }