diff --git a/shared/nm-utils/nm-compat.c b/shared/nm-utils/nm-compat.c
index 47035e62a1..22ab675de8 100644
--- a/shared/nm-utils/nm-compat.c
+++ b/shared/nm-utils/nm-compat.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ _get_keys_cb (const char *key, const char *val, gpointer user_data)
 {
 	GPtrArray *a = user_data;
 
-	g_ptr_array_add (a, (gpointer) key);
+	g_ptr_array_add (a, g_strdup (key));
 }
 
 static const char **
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ _get_keys (NMSettingVpn *setting,
 		g_ptr_array_sort (a, nm_strcmp_p);
 		g_ptr_array_add (a, NULL);
 		keys = (const char **) g_ptr_array_free (g_steal_pointer (&a), FALSE);
+
+		/* we need to cache the keys *somewhere*. */
+		g_object_set_qdata_full (G_OBJECT (setting),
+		                         is_secrets
+		                         ? NM_CACHED_QUARK ("libnm._nm_setting_vpn_get_secret_keys")
+		                         : NM_CACHED_QUARK ("libnm._nm_setting_vpn_get_data_keys"),
+		                         keys,
+		                         (GDestroyNotify) g_strfreev);
 	}
 
 	NM_SET_OUT (out_length, len);