diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
index 0ac4e44d62..26d1be63cb 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ NM_GOBJECT_PROPERTIES_DEFINE (NMSettingsConnection,
 enum {
 	UPDATED,
 	REMOVED,
-	UPDATED_BY_USER,
+	UPDATED_INTERNAL,
 	LAST_SIGNAL
 };
 static guint signals[LAST_SIGNAL] = { 0 };
@@ -130,6 +130,15 @@ typedef struct {
 
 /*******************************************************************/
 
+static void
+_emit_updated (NMSettingsConnection *self, gboolean by_user)
+{
+	g_signal_emit (self, signals[UPDATED], 0);
+	g_signal_emit (self, signals[UPDATED_INTERNAL], 0, by_user);
+}
+
+/*******************************************************************/
+
 gboolean
 nm_settings_connection_has_unmodified_applied_connection (NMSettingsConnection *self,
                                                           NMConnection *applied_connection,
@@ -483,7 +492,7 @@ static void
 connection_changed_cb (NMSettingsConnection *self, gpointer unused)
 {
 	set_unsaved (self, TRUE);
-	g_signal_emit (self, signals[UPDATED], 0);
+	_emit_updated (self, FALSE);
 }
 
 /* Update the settings of this connection to match that of 'new_connection',
@@ -566,12 +575,10 @@ nm_settings_connection_replace_settings (NMSettingsConnection *self,
 	if (update_unsaved)
 		set_unsaved (self, TRUE);
 
-	g_signal_emit (self, signals[UPDATED], 0);
-
-	g_signal_emit (self, signals[UPDATED_BY_USER], 0);
-
 	g_signal_handlers_unblock_by_func (self, G_CALLBACK (connection_changed_cb), NULL);
 
+	_emit_updated (self, TRUE);
+
 	return success;
 }
 
@@ -2739,7 +2746,6 @@ nm_settings_connection_class_init (NMSettingsConnectionClass *class)
 
 	/* Signals */
 
-	/* Emitted when the connection is changed for any reason */
 	signals[UPDATED] =
 	    g_signal_new (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED,
 	                  G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (class),
@@ -2749,14 +2755,14 @@ nm_settings_connection_class_init (NMSettingsConnectionClass *class)
 	                  g_cclosure_marshal_VOID__VOID,
 	                  G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
 
-	/* Emitted when connection is changed from D-Bus */
-	signals[UPDATED_BY_USER] =
-	    g_signal_new (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED_BY_USER,
+	/* internal signal, with an argument (gboolean by_user). */
+	signals[UPDATED_INTERNAL] =
+	    g_signal_new (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED_INTERNAL,
 	                  G_TYPE_FROM_CLASS (class),
 	                  G_SIGNAL_RUN_FIRST,
 	                  0, NULL, NULL,
-	                  g_cclosure_marshal_VOID__VOID,
-	                  G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
+	                  g_cclosure_marshal_VOID__BOOLEAN,
+	                  G_TYPE_NONE, 1, G_TYPE_BOOLEAN);
 
 	signals[REMOVED] =
 	    g_signal_new (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_REMOVED,
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
index 5c12a8aca7..c45505d9f0 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
@@ -43,8 +43,8 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 #define NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_GET_SECRETS "get-secrets"
 #define NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_CANCEL_SECRETS "cancel-secrets"
 
-/* Emitted when connection is changed by a user action */
-#define NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED_BY_USER "updated-by-user"
+/* Internal signals */
+#define NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED_INTERNAL "updated-internal"
 
 /* Properties */
 #define NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_VISIBLE  "visible"
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings.c b/src/settings/nm-settings.c
index d831cf68f0..685ff04929 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings.c
@@ -879,9 +879,15 @@ next:
 }
 
 static void
-connection_updated (NMSettingsConnection *connection, gpointer user_data)
+connection_updated (NMSettingsConnection *connection, gboolean by_user, gpointer user_data)
 {
-	/* Re-emit for listeners like NMPolicy */
+	if (by_user) {
+		g_signal_emit (NM_SETTINGS (user_data),
+		               signals[CONNECTION_UPDATED_BY_USER],
+		               0,
+		               connection);
+	}
+
 	g_signal_emit (NM_SETTINGS (user_data),
 	               signals[CONNECTION_UPDATED],
 	               0,
@@ -889,16 +895,6 @@ connection_updated (NMSettingsConnection *connection, gpointer user_data)
 	g_signal_emit_by_name (NM_SETTINGS (user_data), NM_CP_SIGNAL_CONNECTION_UPDATED, connection);
 }
 
-static void
-connection_updated_by_user (NMSettingsConnection *connection, gpointer user_data)
-{
-	/* Re-emit for listeners like NMPolicy */
-	g_signal_emit (NM_SETTINGS (user_data),
-	               signals[CONNECTION_UPDATED_BY_USER],
-	               0,
-	               connection);
-}
-
 static void
 connection_visibility_changed (NMSettingsConnection *connection,
                                GParamSpec *pspec,
@@ -929,7 +925,6 @@ connection_removed (NMSettingsConnection *connection, gpointer user_data)
 
 	g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (connection, G_CALLBACK (connection_removed), self);
 	g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (connection, G_CALLBACK (connection_updated), self);
-	g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (connection, G_CALLBACK (connection_updated_by_user), self);
 	g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (connection, G_CALLBACK (connection_visibility_changed), self);
 	g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (connection, G_CALLBACK (connection_ready_changed), self);
 	g_object_unref (self);
@@ -1061,10 +1056,8 @@ claim_connection (NMSettings *self, NMSettingsConnection *connection)
 	g_object_ref (self);
 	g_signal_connect (connection, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_REMOVED,
 	                  G_CALLBACK (connection_removed), self);
-	g_signal_connect (connection, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED,
+	g_signal_connect (connection, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED_INTERNAL,
 	                  G_CALLBACK (connection_updated), self);
-	g_signal_connect (connection, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED_BY_USER,
-	                  G_CALLBACK (connection_updated_by_user), self);
 	g_signal_connect (connection, "notify::" NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_VISIBLE,
 	                  G_CALLBACK (connection_visibility_changed),
 	                  self);
@@ -1928,10 +1921,13 @@ default_wired_connection_removed_cb (NMSettingsConnection *connection, NMSetting
 }
 
 static void
-default_wired_connection_updated_by_user_cb (NMSettingsConnection *connection, NMSettings *self)
+default_wired_connection_updated_by_user_cb (NMSettingsConnection *connection, gboolean by_user, NMSettings *self)
 {
 	NMDevice *device;
 
+	if (!by_user)
+		return;
+
 	/* The connection has been changed by the user, it should no longer be
 	 * considered a default wired connection, and should no longer affect
 	 * the no-auto-default configuration option.
@@ -2006,7 +2002,7 @@ device_realized (NMDevice *device, GParamSpec *pspec, NMSettings *self)
 	g_object_set_data (G_OBJECT (added), DEFAULT_WIRED_DEVICE_TAG, device);
 	g_object_set_data (G_OBJECT (device), DEFAULT_WIRED_CONNECTION_TAG, added);
 
-	g_signal_connect (added, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED_BY_USER,
+	g_signal_connect (added, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_UPDATED_INTERNAL,
 	                  G_CALLBACK (default_wired_connection_updated_by_user_cb), self);
 	g_signal_connect (added, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_REMOVED,
 	                  G_CALLBACK (default_wired_connection_removed_cb), self);