diff --git a/src/core/devices/nm-device.c b/src/core/devices/nm-device.c
index 92f37f2f52..ca1b56b2ad 100644
--- a/src/core/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/core/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -2174,7 +2174,10 @@ _ethtool_pause_set(NMDevice *        self,
     GHashTableIter      iter;
     const char *        name;
     GVariant *          variant;
-    gboolean            has_old = FALSE;
+    gboolean            has_old       = FALSE;
+    NMTernary           pause_autoneg = NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT;
+    NMTernary           pause_rx      = NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT;
+    NMTernary           pause_tx      = NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT;
 
     nm_assert(NM_IS_DEVICE(self));
     nm_assert(NM_IS_PLATFORM(platform));
@@ -2202,19 +2205,18 @@ _ethtool_pause_set(NMDevice *        self,
                       "existing setting)");
                 return;
             }
-            has_old   = TRUE;
-            pause_new = pause_old;
+            has_old = TRUE;
         }
 
         switch (ethtool_id) {
         case NM_ETHTOOL_ID_PAUSE_AUTONEG:
-            pause_new.autoneg = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
+            pause_autoneg = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
             break;
         case NM_ETHTOOL_ID_PAUSE_RX:
-            pause_new.rx = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
+            pause_rx = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
             break;
         case NM_ETHTOOL_ID_PAUSE_TX:
-            pause_new.tx = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
+            pause_tx = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
             break;
         default:
             nm_assert_not_reached();
@@ -2224,6 +2226,20 @@ _ethtool_pause_set(NMDevice *        self,
     if (!has_old)
         return;
 
+    if (pause_rx != NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT || pause_tx != NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT) {
+        /* this implies to explicitly disable autoneg. */
+        nm_assert(pause_autoneg != NM_TERNARY_TRUE);
+        pause_autoneg = NM_TERNARY_FALSE;
+    }
+
+    pause_new = pause_old;
+    if (pause_autoneg != NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT)
+        pause_new.autoneg = !!pause_autoneg;
+    if (pause_rx != NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT)
+        pause_new.rx = !!pause_rx;
+    if (pause_tx != NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT)
+        pause_new.tx = !!pause_tx;
+
     ethtool_state->pause = nm_memdup(&pause_old, sizeof(pause_old));
 
     if (!nm_platform_ethtool_set_pause(platform, ethtool_state->ifindex, &pause_new)) {
diff --git a/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-setting-ethtool.c b/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-setting-ethtool.c
index 2329f228a6..abedcae3eb 100644
--- a/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-setting-ethtool.c
+++ b/src/libnm-core-impl/nm-setting-ethtool.c
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 #include "nm-setting-private.h"
 #include "libnm-base/nm-ethtool-base.h"
+#include "libnm-base/nm-ethtool-utils-base.h"
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
@@ -288,6 +289,9 @@ verify(NMSetting *setting, NMConnection *connection, GError **error)
     GVariant *const *  variants;
     guint              len;
     guint              i;
+    NMTernary          pause_autoneg = NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT;
+    NMTernary          pause_tx      = NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT;
+    NMTernary          pause_rx      = NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT;
 
     len = _nm_setting_option_get_all(setting, &optnames, &variants);
 
@@ -329,6 +333,25 @@ verify(NMSetting *setting, NMConnection *connection, GError **error)
                 g_prefix_error(error, "%s.%s: ", NM_SETTING_ETHTOOL_SETTING_NAME, optname);
                 return FALSE;
             }
+        } else if (NM_IN_SET(ethtool_id, NM_ETHTOOL_ID_PAUSE_AUTONEG))
+            pause_autoneg = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
+        else if (NM_IN_SET(ethtool_id, NM_ETHTOOL_ID_PAUSE_RX))
+            pause_rx = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
+        else if (NM_IN_SET(ethtool_id, NM_ETHTOOL_ID_PAUSE_TX))
+            pause_tx = g_variant_get_boolean(variant);
+    }
+
+    if (pause_rx != NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT || pause_tx != NM_TERNARY_DEFAULT) {
+        if (pause_autoneg == NM_TERNARY_TRUE) {
+            g_set_error_literal(error,
+                                NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
+                                NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_PROPERTY,
+                                _("pause-autoneg cannot be enabled when setting rx/tx options"));
+            g_prefix_error(error,
+                           "%s.%s: ",
+                           NM_SETTING_ETHTOOL_SETTING_NAME,
+                           NM_ETHTOOL_OPTNAME_PAUSE_AUTONEG);
+            return FALSE;
         }
     }