diff --git a/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nm-ifcfg-connection.c b/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nm-ifcfg-connection.c
index 7e18ed08fc..bfc36af6fd 100644
--- a/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nm-ifcfg-connection.c
+++ b/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nm-ifcfg-connection.c
@@ -317,27 +317,27 @@ nm_ifcfg_connection_get_unmanaged (NMIfcfgConnection *self)
 	return NM_IFCFG_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (self)->unmanaged;
 }
 
+gboolean
+nm_ifcfg_connection_update (NMIfcfgConnection *self, GHashTable *new_settings, GError **error)
+{
+	NMExportedConnection *exported = NM_EXPORTED_CONNECTION (self);
+	NMIfcfgConnectionPrivate *priv = NM_IFCFG_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (exported);
+	NMConnection *connection;
+
+	connection = nm_exported_connection_get_connection (exported);
+	if (!nm_connection_replace_settings (connection, new_settings, error))
+		return FALSE;
+
+	return writer_update_connection (connection, IFCFG_DIR, priv->filename, priv->keyfile, error);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 update (NMExportedConnection *exported, GHashTable *new_settings, GError **error)
 {
-	NMIfcfgConnectionPrivate *priv = NM_IFCFG_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (exported);
-	gboolean success;
-	NMConnection *connection;
+	if (!NM_EXPORTED_CONNECTION_CLASS (nm_ifcfg_connection_parent_class)->update (exported, new_settings, error))
+		return FALSE;
 
-	success = NM_EXPORTED_CONNECTION_CLASS (nm_ifcfg_connection_parent_class)->update (exported, new_settings, error);
-	if (success) {
-		connection = nm_exported_connection_get_connection (exported);
-		success = nm_connection_replace_settings (connection, new_settings, error);
-		if (success) {
-			success = writer_update_connection (connection,
-			                                    IFCFG_DIR,
-			                                    priv->filename,
-			                                    priv->keyfile,
-			                                    error);
-		}
-	}
-
-	return success;
+	return nm_ifcfg_connection_update (NM_IFCFG_CONNECTION (exported), new_settings, error);
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nm-ifcfg-connection.h b/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nm-ifcfg-connection.h
index f2a8c6d6d1..dc13aa6c11 100644
--- a/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nm-ifcfg-connection.h
+++ b/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nm-ifcfg-connection.h
@@ -60,6 +60,10 @@ const char *nm_ifcfg_connection_get_udi (NMIfcfgConnection *self);
 
 gboolean nm_ifcfg_connection_get_unmanaged (NMIfcfgConnection *self);
 
+gboolean nm_ifcfg_connection_update (NMIfcfgConnection *self,
+                                     GHashTable *new_settings,
+                                     GError **error);
+
 G_END_DECLS
 
 #endif /* NM_IFCFG_CONNECTION_H */
diff --git a/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/plugin.c b/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/plugin.c
index 25d93b96c7..976090c4b5 100644
--- a/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/plugin.c
+++ b/system-settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/plugin.c
@@ -293,9 +293,9 @@ connection_changed_handler (SCPluginIfcfg *plugin,
 		/* errors reading connection; remove it */
 		if (!ignore_error) {
 			PLUGIN_WARN (IFCFG_PLUGIN_NAME, "    error: %s",
-			             error->message ? error->message : "(unknown)");
+			             (error && error->message) ? error->message : "(unknown)");
 		}
-		g_error_free (error);
+		g_clear_error (&error);
 
 		PLUGIN_PRINT (IFCFG_PLUGIN_NAME, "removed %s.", path);
 		*do_remove = TRUE;
@@ -336,7 +336,11 @@ connection_changed_handler (SCPluginIfcfg *plugin,
 		/* Only update if different */
 		if (!nm_connection_compare (new_wrapped, old_wrapped, NM_SETTING_COMPARE_FLAG_EXACT)) {
 			settings = nm_connection_to_hash (new_wrapped);
-			nm_exported_connection_update (NM_EXPORTED_CONNECTION (connection), settings, NULL);
+			if (!nm_ifcfg_connection_update (connection, settings, &error)) {
+				PLUGIN_WARN (IFCFG_PLUGIN_NAME, "    error updating: %s",
+				             (error && error->message) ? error->message : "(unknown)");
+				g_clear_error (&error);
+			}
 			g_hash_table_destroy (settings);
 		}