diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/plugin.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/plugin.c
index 1f9ed4726d..5fda59da09 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/plugin.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/plugin.c
@@ -646,7 +646,7 @@ plugin_get_hostname (SCPluginIfcfg *plugin)
 		return hostname;
 	}
 
-	network = svNewFile (SC_NETWORK_FILE);
+	network = svOpenFile (SC_NETWORK_FILE);
 	if (!network) {
 		PLUGIN_WARN (IFCFG_PLUGIN_NAME, "Could not get hostname: failed to read " SC_NETWORK_FILE);
 		return NULL;
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ plugin_set_hostname (SCPluginIfcfg *plugin, const char *hostname)
 	g_free (hostname_eol);
 
 	/* Remove "HOSTNAME" from SC_NETWORK_FILE, if present */
-	network = svNewFile (SC_NETWORK_FILE);
+	network = svOpenFile (SC_NETWORK_FILE);
 	if (network) {
 		svSetValue (network, "HOSTNAME", NULL, FALSE);
 		svWriteFile (network, 0644);
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/reader.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/reader.c
index 70e58e9e03..7a0a41649e 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/reader.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/reader.c
@@ -682,7 +682,7 @@ read_full_ip4_address (shvarFile *ifcfg,
 		gboolean read_success;
 
 		/* If no gateway in the ifcfg, try /etc/sysconfig/network instead */
-		network_ifcfg = svNewFile (network_file);
+		network_ifcfg = svOpenFile (network_file);
 		if (network_ifcfg) {
 			read_success = read_ip4_address (network_ifcfg, "GATEWAY", &tmp, error);
 			svCloseFile (network_ifcfg);
@@ -1066,7 +1066,7 @@ parse_full_ip6_address (shvarFile *ifcfg,
 	}
 	if (!value) {
 		/* If no gateway in the ifcfg, try global /etc/sysconfig/network instead */
-		network_ifcfg = svNewFile (network_file);
+		network_ifcfg = svOpenFile (network_file);
 		if (network_ifcfg) {
 			value = svGetValue (network_ifcfg, "IPV6_DEFAULTGW", FALSE);
 			svCloseFile (network_ifcfg);
@@ -1281,7 +1281,7 @@ make_ip4_setting (shvarFile *ifcfg,
 	never_default = !svTrueValue (ifcfg, "DEFROUTE", TRUE);
 
 	/* Then check if GATEWAYDEV; it's global and overrides DEFROUTE */
-	network_ifcfg = svNewFile (network_file);
+	network_ifcfg = svOpenFile (network_file);
 	if (network_ifcfg) {
 		char *gatewaydev;
 
@@ -1645,7 +1645,7 @@ make_ip6_setting (shvarFile *ifcfg,
 	 * they are global and override IPV6_DEFROUTE
 	 * When both are set, the device specified in IPV6_DEFAULTGW takes preference.
 	 */
-	network_ifcfg = svNewFile (network_file);
+	network_ifcfg = svOpenFile (network_file);
 	if (network_ifcfg) {
 		char *ipv6_defaultgw, *ipv6_defaultdev;
 		char *default_dev = NULL;
@@ -1680,7 +1680,7 @@ make_ip6_setting (shvarFile *ifcfg,
 	str_value = svGetValue (ifcfg, "IPV6INIT", FALSE);
 	ipv6init = svTrueValue (ifcfg, "IPV6INIT", FALSE);
 	if (!str_value) {
-		network_ifcfg = svNewFile (network_file);
+		network_ifcfg = svOpenFile (network_file);
 		if (network_ifcfg) {
 			ipv6init = svTrueValue (network_ifcfg, "IPV6INIT", FALSE);
 			svCloseFile (network_ifcfg);
@@ -4991,7 +4991,7 @@ uuid_from_file (const char *filename)
 	if (!ifcfg_name)
 		return NULL;
 
-	ifcfg = svNewFile (filename);
+	ifcfg = svOpenFile (filename);
 	if (!ifcfg)
 		return NULL;
 
@@ -5077,7 +5077,7 @@ connection_from_file (const char *filename,
 		return NULL;
 	}
 
-	parsed = svNewFile (filename);
+	parsed = svOpenFile (filename);
 	if (!parsed) {
 		g_set_error (error, IFCFG_PLUGIN_ERROR, 0,
 		             "Couldn't parse file '%s'", filename);
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/shvar.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/shvar.c
index 3af20eda89..630e9b6fd1 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/shvar.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/shvar.c
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
  * (actually, return a structure anyway) if it doesn't exist.
  */
 static shvarFile *
-svOpenFile (const char *name, gboolean create)
+svOpenFileInternal (const char *name, gboolean create)
 {
 	shvarFile *s = NULL;
 	gboolean closefd = FALSE;
@@ -106,9 +106,9 @@ svOpenFile (const char *name, gboolean create)
 
 /* Open the file <name>, return shvarFile on success, NULL on failure */
 shvarFile *
-svNewFile (const char *name)
+svOpenFile (const char *name)
 {
-	return svOpenFile (name, FALSE);
+	return svOpenFileInternal (name, FALSE);
 }
 
 /* Create a new file structure, returning actual data if the file exists,
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ svNewFile (const char *name)
 shvarFile *
 svCreateFile (const char *name)
 {
-	return svOpenFile (name, TRUE);
+	return svOpenFileInternal (name, TRUE);
 }
 
 /* remove escaped characters in place */
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/shvar.h b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/shvar.h
index 3062a0d5cd..d28bc6d7d5 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/shvar.h
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/shvar.h
@@ -45,11 +45,11 @@ struct _shvarFile {
 };
 
 
-/* Create the file <name>, return shvarFile on success, NULL on failure */
+/* Create the file <name>, return a shvarFile (never fails) */
 shvarFile *svCreateFile (const char *name);
 
 /* Open the file <name>, return shvarFile on success, NULL on failure */
-shvarFile *svNewFile (const char *name);
+shvarFile *svOpenFile (const char *name);
 
 /* Get the value associated with the key, and leave the current pointer
  * pointing at the line containing the value.  The char* returned MUST
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/tests/test-ifcfg-rh.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/tests/test-ifcfg-rh.c
index f45d788ece..4d774fa967 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/tests/test-ifcfg-rh.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/tests/test-ifcfg-rh.c
@@ -6106,7 +6106,7 @@ test_write_wifi_hidden (void)
 	                                 TEST_SCRATCH_DIR "/network-scripts/",
 	                                 &testfile,
 	                                 &error);
-	f = svNewFile (testfile);
+	f = svOpenFile (testfile);
 	g_assert (f);
 
 	g_assert_no_error (error);
@@ -7340,7 +7340,7 @@ test_write_wired_static_ip6_only_gw (gconstpointer user_data)
 
 	{
 		/* re-read the file to check that what key was written. */
-		shvarFile *ifcfg = svNewFile (testfile);
+		shvarFile *ifcfg = svOpenFile (testfile);
 
 		g_assert (ifcfg);
 		written_ifcfg_gateway = svGetValue (ifcfg, "IPV6_DEFAULTGW", FALSE);
@@ -8382,7 +8382,7 @@ test_write_wifi_open (void)
 	                               &ignore_error);
 
 	/* Now make sure that the ESSID item isn't double-quoted (rh #606518) */
-	ifcfg = svNewFile (testfile);
+	ifcfg = svOpenFile (testfile);
 	ASSERT (ifcfg != NULL,
 	        "wifi-open-write-reread", "failed to load %s as shvarfile", testfile);
 
@@ -10869,7 +10869,7 @@ test_write_wifi_dynamic_wep_leap (void)
 	 * did not get written.  Check first that the auth alg is not set to "LEAP"
 	 * and next that the only IEEE 802.1x EAP method is "LEAP".
 	 */
-	ifcfg = svNewFile (testfile);
+	ifcfg = svOpenFile (testfile);
 	g_assert (ifcfg);
 	tmp = svGetValue (ifcfg, "SECURITYMODE", FALSE);
 	g_assert_cmpstr (tmp, ==, NULL);
@@ -11487,7 +11487,7 @@ test_write_wired_ctc_dhcp (void)
 	g_assert (testfile != NULL);
 
 	/* Ensure the CTCPROT item gets written out as it's own option */
-	ifcfg = svNewFile (testfile);
+	ifcfg = svOpenFile (testfile);
 	g_assert (ifcfg);
 
 	tmp = svGetValue (ifcfg, "CTCPROT", TRUE);
@@ -13864,7 +13864,7 @@ test_write_fcoe_mode (gconstpointer user_data)
 	g_assert (testfile);
 
 	{
-		shvarFile *ifcfg = svNewFile (testfile);
+		shvarFile *ifcfg = svOpenFile (testfile);
 		char *written_mode;
 
 		g_assert (ifcfg);
@@ -13975,7 +13975,7 @@ test_write_team_master (void)
 	                                 TEST_SCRATCH_DIR "/network-scripts/",
 	                                 &testfile,
 	                                 &error);
-	f = svNewFile (testfile);
+	f = svOpenFile (testfile);
 	g_assert (f);
 
 	g_assert_no_error (error);
@@ -14092,7 +14092,7 @@ test_write_team_port (void)
 	                                 TEST_SCRATCH_DIR "/network-scripts/",
 	                                 &testfile,
 	                                 &error);
-	f = svNewFile (testfile);
+	f = svOpenFile (testfile);
 	g_assert (f);
 
 	g_assert_no_error (error);
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/utils.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/utils.c
index 5abb4282e5..07efa5cc53 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/utils.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/utils.c
@@ -296,7 +296,7 @@ utils_get_extra_ifcfg (const char *parent, const char *tag, gboolean should_crea
 		ifcfg = svCreateFile (path);
 
 	if (!ifcfg)
-		ifcfg = svNewFile (path);
+		ifcfg = svOpenFile (path);
 
 	g_free (path);
 	return ifcfg;
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/writer.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/writer.c
index ca8b2d79da..9c7b3037a3 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/writer.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/writer.c
@@ -2529,7 +2529,7 @@ write_connection (NMConnection *connection,
 
 	if (filename) {
 		/* For existing connections, 'filename' should be full path to ifcfg file */
-		ifcfg = svNewFile (filename);
+		ifcfg = svOpenFile (filename);
 		ifcfg_name = g_strdup (filename);
 	} else {
 		char *escaped;