diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
index f59ec9ff22..ca5f431013 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
@@ -436,6 +436,12 @@ release_slave (NMDevice *device,
 	NMDeviceBond *self = NM_DEVICE_BOND (device);
 	gboolean success, no_firmware = FALSE;
 	gs_free char *address = NULL;
+	int ifindex;
+
+	ifindex = nm_device_get_ifindex (device);
+	if (   ifindex <= 0
+	    || !nm_platform_link_get (nm_device_get_platform (device), ifindex))
+		configure = FALSE;
 
 	if (configure) {
 		/* When the last slave is released the bond MAC will be set to a random
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
index c81a025338..c7edad60ba 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
@@ -403,6 +403,12 @@ release_slave (NMDevice *device,
 {
 	NMDeviceBridge *self = NM_DEVICE_BRIDGE (device);
 	gboolean success;
+	int ifindex;
+
+	ifindex = nm_device_get_ifindex (device);
+	if (   ifindex <= 0
+	    || !nm_platform_link_get (nm_device_get_platform (device), ifindex))
+		configure = FALSE;
 
 	if (configure) {
 		success = nm_platform_link_release (nm_device_get_platform (device),
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 6a7dac083b..18883d49b2 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -4580,7 +4580,6 @@ nm_device_master_release_slaves (NMDevice *self)
 {
 	NMDevicePrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 	NMDeviceStateReason reason;
-	gboolean configure = TRUE;
 	CList *iter, *safe;
 
 	/* Don't release the slaves if this connection doesn't belong to NM. */
@@ -4591,13 +4590,10 @@ nm_device_master_release_slaves (NMDevice *self)
 	if (priv->state == NM_DEVICE_STATE_FAILED)
 		reason = NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_DEPENDENCY_FAILED;
 
-	if (!nm_platform_link_get (nm_device_get_platform (self), priv->ifindex))
-		configure = FALSE;
-
 	c_list_for_each_safe (iter, safe, &priv->slaves) {
 		SlaveInfo *info = c_list_entry (iter, SlaveInfo, lst_slave);
 
-		nm_device_master_release_one_slave (self, info->slave, configure, reason);
+		nm_device_master_release_one_slave (self, info->slave, TRUE, reason);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c b/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
index f83ba22b5d..027abb13c7 100644
--- a/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
+++ b/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
@@ -763,6 +763,12 @@ release_slave (NMDevice *device,
 	NMDeviceTeam *self = NM_DEVICE_TEAM (device);
 	NMDeviceTeamPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_TEAM_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 	gboolean success, no_firmware = FALSE;
+	int ifindex;
+
+	ifindex = nm_device_get_ifindex (device);
+	if (   ifindex <= 0
+	    || !nm_platform_link_get (nm_device_get_platform (device), ifindex))
+		configure = FALSE;
 
 	if (configure) {
 		success = nm_platform_link_release (nm_device_get_platform (device),