diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-reader.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-reader.c
index b64cad3576..46bd2de17f 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-reader.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-reader.c
@@ -3387,7 +3387,7 @@ make_wireless_setting (shvarFile *ifcfg,
 	const char *cvalue;
 	char *value = NULL;
 	gint64 chan = 0;
-	NMSettingMacRandomization mac_randomization = NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_NEVER;
+	NMSettingMacRandomization mac_randomization;
 	NMSettingWirelessPowersave powersave = NM_SETTING_WIRELESS_POWERSAVE_DEFAULT;
 
 	s_wireless = NM_SETTING_WIRELESS (nm_setting_wireless_new ());
@@ -3587,7 +3587,7 @@ make_wireless_setting (shvarFile *ifcfg,
 		}
 		g_free (value);
 	} else
-		mac_randomization = NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_NEVER;
+		mac_randomization = NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_DEFAULT;
 
 	g_object_set (s_wireless,
 	              NM_SETTING_WIRELESS_MAC_ADDRESS_RANDOMIZATION,
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-writer.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-writer.c
index 90a8e7acd8..fa8013b024 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-writer.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-writer.c
@@ -941,17 +941,16 @@ write_wireless_setting (NMConnection *connection,
 		break;
 	}
 
-	svUnsetValue (ifcfg, "MAC_ADDRESS_RANDOMIZATION");
 	switch (nm_setting_wireless_get_mac_address_randomization (s_wireless)) {
-	case NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_DEFAULT:
-		svSetValueString (ifcfg, "MAC_ADDRESS_RANDOMIZATION", "default");
+	case NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_NEVER:
+		svSetValueString (ifcfg, "MAC_ADDRESS_RANDOMIZATION", "never");
 		break;
 	case NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_ALWAYS:
 		svSetValueString (ifcfg, "MAC_ADDRESS_RANDOMIZATION", "always");
 		break;
+	case NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_DEFAULT:
 	default:
-	case NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_NEVER:
-		svSetValueString (ifcfg, "MAC_ADDRESS_RANDOMIZATION", "never");
+		svSetValueString (ifcfg, "MAC_ADDRESS_RANDOMIZATION", "default");
 		break;
 	}
 
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 1a8439f6ce..f467d864cc 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/tests/test-ifcfg-rh.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/tests/test-ifcfg-rh.c
@@ -8998,7 +8998,7 @@ int main (int argc, char **argv)
 	nmtst_add_test_func (TPATH "wifi/read-mac-random-always",   test_read_wifi_mac_random,  "always",  GINT_TO_POINTER (NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_ALWAYS));
 	nmtst_add_test_func (TPATH "wifi/read-mac-random-never",    test_read_wifi_mac_random,  "never",   GINT_TO_POINTER (NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_NEVER));
 	nmtst_add_test_func (TPATH "wifi/read-mac-random-default",  test_read_wifi_mac_random,  "default", GINT_TO_POINTER (NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_DEFAULT));
-	nmtst_add_test_func (TPATH "wifi/read-mac-random-missing",  test_read_wifi_mac_random,  "missing", GINT_TO_POINTER (NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_NEVER));
+	nmtst_add_test_func (TPATH "wifi/read-mac-random-missing",  test_read_wifi_mac_random,  "missing", GINT_TO_POINTER (NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_DEFAULT));
 
 	nmtst_add_test_func (TPATH "wifi/write-mac-random-always",  test_write_wifi_mac_random, "always",  GINT_TO_POINTER (NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_ALWAYS),  "always");
 	nmtst_add_test_func (TPATH "wifi/write-mac-random-never",   test_write_wifi_mac_random, "never",   GINT_TO_POINTER (NM_SETTING_MAC_RANDOMIZATION_NEVER),   "never");