diff --git a/libnm/nm-client.c b/libnm/nm-client.c
index 1349127718..774f5f6ba0 100644
--- a/libnm/nm-client.c
+++ b/libnm/nm-client.c
@@ -2321,6 +2321,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	GCancellable *cancellable;
 	GSimpleAsyncResult *result;
 	int pending_init;
+	guint idle_init_id;
 } NMClientInitData;
 
 static void
@@ -2329,6 +2330,7 @@ init_async_complete (NMClientInitData *init_data)
 	g_simple_async_result_complete (init_data->result);
 	g_object_unref (init_data->result);
 	g_clear_object (&init_data->cancellable);
+	nm_clear_g_source (&init_data->idle_init_id);
 	g_slice_free (NMClientInitData, init_data);
 }
 
@@ -2411,8 +2413,8 @@ new_object_manager (GObject *source_object, GAsyncResult *res, gpointer user_dat
 	g_clear_object (&priv->new_object_manager_cancellable);
 }
 
-static void
-got_object_manager (GObject *object, GAsyncResult *result, gpointer user_data)
+static gboolean
+got_object_manager (gpointer user_data)
 {
 	NMClientInitData *init_data = user_data;
 	NMClient *client;
@@ -2422,11 +2424,26 @@ got_object_manager (GObject *object, GAsyncResult *result, gpointer user_data)
 	GError *error = NULL;
 	GDBusObjectManager *object_manager;
 
-	object_manager = g_dbus_object_manager_client_new_for_bus_finish (result, &error);
+	init_data->idle_init_id = 0;
+
+	if (g_cancellable_set_error_if_cancelled (init_data->cancellable,
+	                                          &error)) {
+		g_simple_async_result_take_error (init_data->result, error);
+		init_async_complete (init_data);
+		return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
+	}
+
+	object_manager = g_dbus_object_manager_client_new_for_bus_sync (_nm_dbus_bus_type (),
+	                                                                G_DBUS_OBJECT_MANAGER_CLIENT_FLAGS_DO_NOT_AUTO_START,
+	                                                                "org.freedesktop.NetworkManager",
+	                                                                "/org/freedesktop",
+	                                                                proxy_type, NULL, NULL,
+	                                                                init_data->cancellable,
+	                                                                &error);
 	if (object_manager == NULL) {
 		g_simple_async_result_take_error (init_data->result, error);
 		init_async_complete (init_data);
-		return;
+		return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
 	}
 
 	client = init_data->client;
@@ -2439,7 +2456,7 @@ got_object_manager (GObject *object, GAsyncResult *result, gpointer user_data)
 		if (!objects_created (client, priv->object_manager, &error)) {
 			g_simple_async_result_take_error (init_data->result, error);
 			init_async_complete (init_data);
-			return;
+			return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
 		}
 
 		objects = g_dbus_object_manager_get_objects (priv->object_manager);
@@ -2462,6 +2479,7 @@ got_object_manager (GObject *object, GAsyncResult *result, gpointer user_data)
 
 	g_signal_connect (priv->object_manager, "notify::name-owner",
 	                  G_CALLBACK (name_owner_changed), client);
+	return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
 }
 
 static void
@@ -2479,14 +2497,7 @@ prepare_object_manager (NMClient *client,
 	                                               user_data, init_async);
 	g_simple_async_result_set_op_res_gboolean (init_data->result, TRUE);
 
-	g_dbus_object_manager_client_new_for_bus (_nm_dbus_bus_type (),
-	                                          G_DBUS_OBJECT_MANAGER_CLIENT_FLAGS_DO_NOT_AUTO_START,
-	                                          "org.freedesktop.NetworkManager",
-	                                          "/org/freedesktop",
-	                                          proxy_type, NULL, NULL,
-	                                          init_data->cancellable,
-	                                          got_object_manager,
-	                                          init_data);
+	init_data->idle_init_id = g_idle_add (got_object_manager, init_data);
 }
 
 static void