diff --git a/src/core/nm-core-utils.c b/src/core/nm-core-utils.c
index 82e65a8483..ec7bcab059 100644
--- a/src/core/nm-core-utils.c
+++ b/src/core/nm-core-utils.c
@@ -2402,7 +2402,7 @@ _uuid_data_init(UuidData *uuid_data, gboolean packed, gboolean is_fake, const NM
         nm_utils_bin2hexstr_full(uuid, sizeof(*uuid), '\0', FALSE, uuid_data->str);
     } else {
         G_STATIC_ASSERT_EXPR(sizeof(uuid_data->str) >= 37);
-        _nm_utils_uuid_unparse(uuid, uuid_data->str);
+        nm_uuid_unparse(uuid, uuid_data->str);
     }
     return uuid_data;
 }
diff --git a/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-utils.c b/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-utils.c
index dea6a4f93c..761c627063 100644
--- a/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-utils.c
+++ b/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-utils.c
@@ -3055,20 +3055,6 @@ _nm_utils_uuid_parse(const char *str, NMUuid *out_uuid)
     return out_uuid;
 }
 
-char *
-_nm_utils_uuid_unparse(const NMUuid *uuid, char *out_str /*[37]*/)
-{
-    nm_assert(uuid);
-
-    if (!out_str) {
-        /* for convenience, allow %NULL to indicate that a new
-         * string should be allocated. */
-        out_str = g_malloc(37);
-    }
-    uuid_unparse_lower(uuid->uuid, out_str);
-    return out_str;
-}
-
 NMUuid *
 _nm_utils_uuid_generate_random(NMUuid *out_uuid)
 {
@@ -3107,7 +3093,7 @@ nm_utils_uuid_generate_buf_(char *buf)
     nm_assert(buf);
 
     _nm_utils_uuid_generate_random(&uuid);
-    return _nm_utils_uuid_unparse(&uuid, buf);
+    return nm_uuid_unparse(&uuid, buf);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -3220,7 +3206,7 @@ nm_utils_uuid_generate_from_string(const char *s, gssize slen, int uuid_type, gp
     NMUuid uuid;
 
     nm_utils_uuid_generate_from_string_bin(&uuid, s, slen, uuid_type, type_args);
-    return _nm_utils_uuid_unparse(&uuid, NULL);
+    return nm_uuid_unparse(&uuid, g_new(char, 37));
 }
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/libnm-core-intern/nm-core-internal.h b/src/libnm-core-intern/nm-core-internal.h
index cc396483dc..66b102a1f3 100644
--- a/src/libnm-core-intern/nm-core-internal.h
+++ b/src/libnm-core-intern/nm-core-internal.h
@@ -353,7 +353,6 @@ gboolean _nm_utils_check_module_file(const char *              name,
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
 NMUuid *_nm_utils_uuid_parse(const char *str, NMUuid *uuid);
-char *  _nm_utils_uuid_unparse(const NMUuid *uuid, char *out_str /*[37]*/);
 NMUuid *_nm_utils_uuid_generate_random(NMUuid *out_uuid);
 
 gboolean nm_utils_uuid_is_null(const NMUuid *uuid);