diff --git a/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
index d0127c4733..cabaa8365d 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ sysctl_set (NMPlatform *platform, const char *path, const char *value)
 }
 
 static char *
-sysctl_get (NMPlatform *platform, const char *path, gboolean silent_on_error)
+sysctl_get (NMPlatform *platform, const char *path)
 {
 	NMFakePlatformPrivate *priv = NM_FAKE_PLATFORM_GET_PRIVATE (platform);
 
@@ -567,7 +567,7 @@ master_get_option (NMPlatform *platform, int master, const char *option)
 {
 	auto_g_free char *path = g_strdup_printf ("master:%d:%s", master, option);
 
-	return sysctl_get (platform, path, FALSE);
+	return sysctl_get (platform, path);
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ slave_get_option (NMPlatform *platform, int slave, const char *option)
 {
 	auto_g_free char *path = g_strdup_printf ("slave:%d:%s", slave, option);
 
-	return sysctl_get (platform, path, FALSE);
+	return sysctl_get (platform, path);
 }
 
 static gboolean
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 94cc81acf7..db734c96e2 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -1435,8 +1435,13 @@ sysctl_set (NMPlatform *platform, const char *path, const char *value)
 
 	fd = open (path, O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC);
 	if (fd == -1) {
-		error ("sysctl: failed to open '%s': (%d) %s",
-				path, errno, strerror (errno));
+		if (errno == ENOENT) {
+			debug ("sysctl: failed to open '%s': (%d) %s",
+			       path, errno, strerror (errno));
+		} else {
+			error ("sysctl: failed to open '%s': (%d) %s",
+			       path, errno, strerror (errno));
+		}
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
@@ -1452,19 +1457,21 @@ sysctl_set (NMPlatform *platform, const char *path, const char *value)
 	/* Try to write the entire value three times if a partial write occurs */
 	len = strlen (actual);
 	for (tries = 0, nwrote = 0; tries < 3 && nwrote != len; tries++) {
-		errno = 0;
 		nwrote = write (fd, actual, len);
 		if (nwrote == -1) {
 			if (errno == EINTR) {
-				error ("sysctl: interrupted, will try again");
+				debug ("sysctl: interrupted, will try again");
 				continue;
 			}
 			break;
 		}
 	}
-	if (nwrote != len && errno != EEXIST) {
+	if (nwrote == -1 && errno != EEXIST) {
 		error ("sysctl: failed to set '%s' to '%s': (%d) %s",
-		             path, value, errno, strerror (errno));
+		       path, value, errno, strerror (errno));
+	} else if (nwrote < len) {
+		error ("sysctl: failed to set '%s' to '%s' after three attempts",
+		       path, value);
 	}
 
 	g_free (actual);
@@ -1473,13 +1480,17 @@ sysctl_set (NMPlatform *platform, const char *path, const char *value)
 }
 
 static char *
-sysctl_get (NMPlatform *platform, const char *path, gboolean silent_on_error)
+sysctl_get (NMPlatform *platform, const char *path)
 {
 	GError *error = NULL;
 	char *contents;
 
 	if (!g_file_get_contents (path, &contents, NULL, &error)) {
-		if (!silent_on_error)
+		/* We assume FAILED means EOPNOTSUP */
+		if (   g_error_matches (error, G_FILE_ERROR, G_FILE_ERROR_NOENT)
+		    || g_error_matches (error, G_FILE_ERROR, G_FILE_ERROR_FAILED))
+			debug ("error reading %s: %s", path, error->message);
+		else
 			error ("error reading %s: %s", path, error->message);
 		g_clear_error (&error);
 		return NULL;
@@ -1902,7 +1913,7 @@ link_get_physical_port_id (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex)
 		return NULL;
 
 	path = g_strdup_printf ("/sys/class/net/%s/phys_port_id", ifname);
-	id = sysctl_get (platform, path, TRUE);
+	id = sysctl_get (platform, path);
 	g_free (path);
 
 	return id;
@@ -2021,7 +2032,7 @@ link_get_option (int master, const char *category, const char *option)
 {
 	auto_g_free char *path = link_option_path (master, category, option);
 
-	return path ? nm_platform_sysctl_get (path, FALSE) : NULL;
+	return path ? nm_platform_sysctl_get (path) : NULL;
 }
 
 static const char *
@@ -2153,7 +2164,7 @@ tun_get_properties (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex, NMPlatformTunProperties *
 		return FALSE;
 
 	path = g_strdup_printf ("/sys/class/net/%s/owner", ifname);
-	val = nm_platform_sysctl_get (path, TRUE);
+	val = nm_platform_sysctl_get (path);
 	g_free (path);
 	if (val) {
 		props->owner = nm_utils_ascii_str_to_int64 (val, 10, -1, G_MAXINT64, -1);
@@ -2164,7 +2175,7 @@ tun_get_properties (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex, NMPlatformTunProperties *
 		success = FALSE;
 
 	path = g_strdup_printf ("/sys/class/net/%s/group", ifname);
-	val = nm_platform_sysctl_get (path, TRUE);
+	val = nm_platform_sysctl_get (path);
 	g_free (path);
 	if (val) {
 		props->group = nm_utils_ascii_str_to_int64 (val, 10, -1, G_MAXINT64, -1);
@@ -2175,7 +2186,7 @@ tun_get_properties (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex, NMPlatformTunProperties *
 		success = FALSE;
 
 	path = g_strdup_printf ("/sys/class/net/%s/tun_flags", ifname);
-	val = nm_platform_sysctl_get (path, TRUE);
+	val = nm_platform_sysctl_get (path);
 	g_free (path);
 	if (val) {
 		gint64 flags;
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
index f9e31d1d6e..9ceab53ce6 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
@@ -267,20 +267,18 @@ nm_platform_sysctl_set (const char *path, const char *value)
 /**
  * nm_platform_sysctl_get:
  * @path: Absolute path to sysctl
- * @silent_on_error: don't log an error message when the value
- * could not be read.
  *
  * Returns: (transfer full): Contents of the virtual sysctl file.
  */
 char *
-nm_platform_sysctl_get (const char *path, gboolean silent_on_error)
+nm_platform_sysctl_get (const char *path)
 {
 	reset_error ();
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (path, NULL);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (klass->sysctl_get, NULL);
 
-	return klass->sysctl_get (platform, path, silent_on_error);
+	return klass->sysctl_get (platform, path);
 }
 
 /**
@@ -302,7 +300,7 @@ nm_platform_sysctl_get_int32 (const char *path, gint32 fallback)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (path, fallback);
 
 	if (path)
-		value = nm_platform_sysctl_get (path, FALSE);
+		value = nm_platform_sysctl_get (path);
 
 	if (!value) {
 		errno = EINVAL;
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.h b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
index bdf82b39fd..88bb5f1bc7 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.h
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
@@ -261,7 +261,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	gboolean (*setup) (NMPlatform *);
 
 	gboolean (*sysctl_set) (NMPlatform *, const char *path, const char *value);
-	char * (*sysctl_get) (NMPlatform *, const char *path, gboolean silent_on_error);
+	char * (*sysctl_get) (NMPlatform *, const char *path);
 
 	GArray *(*link_get_all) (NMPlatform *);
 	gboolean (*link_add) (NMPlatform *, const char *name, NMLinkType type);
@@ -382,7 +382,7 @@ const char *nm_platform_get_error_msg (void);
 void nm_platform_query_devices (void);
 
 gboolean nm_platform_sysctl_set (const char *path, const char *value);
-char *nm_platform_sysctl_get (const char *path, gboolean silent_on_error);
+char *nm_platform_sysctl_get (const char *path);
 gint32 nm_platform_sysctl_get_int32 (const char *path, gint32 fallback);
 
 GArray *nm_platform_link_get_all (void);
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/platform.c b/src/platform/tests/platform.c
index 3c636f5393..7ca2cb5258 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/platform.c
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ do_sysctl_set (char **argv)
 static gboolean
 do_sysctl_get (char **argv)
 {
-	auto_g_free char *value = nm_platform_sysctl_get (argv[0], FALSE);
+	auto_g_free char *value = nm_platform_sysctl_get (argv[0]);
 
 	printf ("%s\n", value);