diff --git a/src/main.c b/src/main.c
index c20928db11..d59da0522a 100644
--- a/src/main.c
+++ b/src/main.c
@@ -357,11 +357,15 @@ main (int argc, char *argv[])
 	/* Set up unix signal handling - before creating threads, but after daemonizing! */
 	nm_main_utils_setup_signals (main_loop);
 
-	nm_logging_syslog_openlog (nm_config_data_get_value_cached (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA_ORIG,
-	                                                            NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_LOGGING,
-	                                                            NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_LOGGING_BACKEND,
-	                                                            NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_STRIP | NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_NO_EMPTY),
-	                           nm_config_get_is_debug (config));
+	{
+		gs_free char *v = NULL;
+
+		v = nm_config_data_get_value (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA_ORIG,
+		                              NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_LOGGING,
+		                              NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_LOGGING_BACKEND,
+		                              NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_STRIP | NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_NO_EMPTY);
+		nm_logging_syslog_openlog (v, nm_config_get_is_debug (config));
+	}
 
 	nm_log_info (LOGD_CORE, "NetworkManager (version " NM_DIST_VERSION ") is starting... (%s)",
 	             nm_config_get_first_start (config) ? "for the first time" : "after a restart");
diff --git a/src/nm-config-data.c b/src/nm-config-data.c
index 4898510210..5b06e00a16 100644
--- a/src/nm-config-data.c
+++ b/src/nm-config-data.c
@@ -108,9 +108,6 @@ typedef struct {
 	char *rc_manager;
 
 	NMGlobalDnsConfig *global_dns;
-
-	/* mutable field */
-	char *value_cached;
 } NMConfigDataPrivate;
 
 struct _NMConfigData {
@@ -171,22 +168,6 @@ nm_config_data_get_value (const NMConfigData *self, const char *group, const cha
 	return nm_config_keyfile_get_value (NM_CONFIG_DATA_GET_PRIVATE (self)->keyfile, group, key, flags);
 }
 
-const char *nm_config_data_get_value_cached (const NMConfigData *self, const char *group, const char *key, NMConfigGetValueFlags flags)
-{
-	const NMConfigDataPrivate *priv;
-
-	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_CONFIG_DATA (self), NULL);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (group && *group, NULL);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (key && *key, NULL);
-
-	priv = NM_CONFIG_DATA_GET_PRIVATE (self);
-
-	/* we modify @value_cached. In C++ jargon, the field is mutable. */
-	g_free (((NMConfigDataPrivate *) priv)->value_cached);
-	((NMConfigDataPrivate *) priv)->value_cached = nm_config_keyfile_get_value (priv->keyfile, group, key, flags);
-	return priv->value_cached;
-}
-
 gboolean
 nm_config_data_has_value (const NMConfigData *self, const char *group, const char *key, NMConfigGetValueFlags flags)
 {
@@ -1658,8 +1639,6 @@ finalize (GObject *gobject)
 		g_key_file_unref (priv->keyfile_intern);
 
 	G_OBJECT_CLASS (nm_config_data_parent_class)->finalize (gobject);
-
-	g_free (priv->value_cached);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/nm-config-data.h b/src/nm-config-data.h
index 844eb9526b..3efe4259d5 100644
--- a/src/nm-config-data.h
+++ b/src/nm-config-data.h
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@ const char *nm_config_data_get_config_description (const NMConfigData *config_da
 gboolean nm_config_data_has_group (const NMConfigData *self, const char *group);
 gboolean nm_config_data_has_value (const NMConfigData *self, const char *group, const char *key, NMConfigGetValueFlags flags);
 char *nm_config_data_get_value (const NMConfigData *config_data, const char *group, const char *key, NMConfigGetValueFlags flags);
-const char *nm_config_data_get_value_cached (const NMConfigData *config_data, const char *group, const char *key, NMConfigGetValueFlags flags);
 gint nm_config_data_get_value_boolean (const NMConfigData *self, const char *group, const char *key, gint default_value);
 gint64 nm_config_data_get_value_int64 (const NMConfigData *self, const char *group, const char *key, guint base, gint64 min, gint64 max, gint64 fallback);
 
diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index be64a868ba..3b2b4861e9 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -2548,13 +2548,13 @@ platform_query_devices (NMManager *self)
 	gs_unref_ptrarray GPtrArray *links = NULL;
 	int i;
 	gboolean guess_assume;
-	const char *order;
+	gs_free char *order = NULL;
 
 	guess_assume = nm_config_get_first_start (nm_config_get ());
-	order = nm_config_data_get_value_cached (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA,
-	                                         NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN,
-	                                         NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_SLAVES_ORDER,
-	                                         NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_STRIP);
+	order = nm_config_data_get_value (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA,
+	                                  NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN,
+	                                  NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_SLAVES_ORDER,
+	                                  NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_STRIP);
 	links = nm_platform_link_get_all (priv->platform, !nm_streq0 (order, "index"));
 	if (!links)
 		return;
@@ -3139,14 +3139,15 @@ autoconnect_slaves (NMManager *self,
 	if (should_connect_slaves (NM_CONNECTION (master_connection), master_device)) {
 		gs_free SlaveConnectionInfo *slaves = NULL;
 		guint i, n_slaves = 0;
-		const char *value;
 
 		slaves = find_slaves (self, master_connection, master_device, &n_slaves);
 		if (n_slaves > 1) {
-			value = nm_config_data_get_value_cached (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA,
-			                                         NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN,
-			                                         NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_SLAVES_ORDER,
-			                                         NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_STRIP);
+			gs_free char *value = NULL;
+
+			value = nm_config_data_get_value (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA,
+			                                  NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN,
+			                                  NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_KEY_MAIN_SLAVES_ORDER,
+			                                  NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_STRIP);
 			g_qsort_with_data (slaves, n_slaves, sizeof (slaves[0]),
 			                   compare_slaves,
 			                   GINT_TO_POINTER (!nm_streq0 (value, "index")));
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
index 746c8954da..6f66394c12 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
@@ -2547,7 +2547,6 @@ nm_settings_connection_autoconnect_retries_get (NMSettingsConnection *self)
 	if (G_UNLIKELY (priv->autoconnect_retries == AUTOCONNECT_RETRIES_UNSET)) {
 		NMSettingConnection *s_con;
 		int retries = -1;
-		const char *value;
 
 		s_con = nm_connection_get_setting_connection ((NMConnection *) self);
 		if (s_con)
@@ -2555,14 +2554,11 @@ nm_settings_connection_autoconnect_retries_get (NMSettingsConnection *self)
 
 		/* -1 means 'default' */
 		if (retries == -1) {
-			value = nm_config_data_get_value_cached (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA,
-			                                         NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN,
-			                                         "autoconnect-retries-default",
-			                                         NM_CONFIG_GET_VALUE_STRIP);
-
-			retries = _nm_utils_ascii_str_to_int64 (value,
-			                                        10, 0, G_MAXINT32,
-			                                        AUTOCONNECT_RETRIES_DEFAULT);
+			retries = nm_config_data_get_value_int64 (NM_CONFIG_GET_DATA,
+			                                          NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN,
+			                                          "autoconnect-retries-default",
+			                                          10, 0, G_MAXINT32,
+			                                          AUTOCONNECT_RETRIES_DEFAULT);
 		}
 
 		/* 0 means 'forever', which is translated to a retry count of -1 */