diff --git a/src/nm-active-connection.c b/src/nm-active-connection.c
index 239f5a6cc2..15b4b48553 100644
--- a/src/nm-active-connection.c
+++ b/src/nm-active-connection.c
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 #include "nm-dbus-manager.h"
 #include "nm-properties-changed-signal.h"
 #include "nm-device.h"
+#include "nm-settings-connection.h"
 
 #include "nm-active-connection-glue.h"
 
@@ -95,10 +96,19 @@ nm_active_connection_set_state (NMActiveConnection *self,
                                 NMActiveConnectionState new_state)
 {
 	NMActiveConnectionPrivate *priv = NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	NMActiveConnectionState old_state;
 
-	if (priv->state != new_state) {
-		priv->state = new_state;
-		g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (self), NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_STATE);
+	if (priv->state == new_state)
+		return;
+
+	old_state = priv->state;
+	priv->state = new_state;
+	g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (self), NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_STATE);
+
+	if (   new_state == NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_STATE_ACTIVATED
+	    || old_state == NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_STATE_ACTIVATED) {
+		nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (priv->connection),
+		                                         (guint64) time (NULL), TRUE);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nm-device.c b/src/nm-device.c
index 99dced2b4b..c4cfbce038 100644
--- a/src/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/nm-device.c
@@ -4789,15 +4789,6 @@ nm_device_state_changed (NMDevice *device,
 	/* Cache the activation request for the dispatcher */
 	req = priv->act_request ? g_object_ref (priv->act_request) : NULL;
 
-	/* Update connection timestamps; do this before possibly deactivating the
-	 * device since that will clear the activation request and thus the
-	 * connection, which we need.
-	 */
-	if (state == NM_DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVATED || old_state == NM_DEVICE_STATE_ACTIVATED) {
-		nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (nm_act_request_get_connection (req)),
-		                                         (guint64) time (NULL), TRUE);
-	}
-
 	if (state <= NM_DEVICE_STATE_UNAVAILABLE)
 		_clear_available_connections (device, TRUE);
 
diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index d5ef09f689..6bd31700b1 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -223,7 +223,6 @@ typedef struct {
 	gboolean net_enabled;
 
 	NMVPNManager *vpn_manager;
-	gulong vpn_manager_activated_id;
 
 	NMModemManager *modem_manager;
 	guint modem_added_id;
@@ -430,18 +429,6 @@ manager_sleeping (NMManager *self)
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
-static void
-vpn_manager_connection_activated_cb (NMVPNManager *manager,
-                                     NMVPNConnection *vpn,
-                                     gpointer user_data)
-{
-	NMConnection *connection = nm_vpn_connection_get_connection (vpn);
-
-	/* Update timestamp for the VPN connection */
-	nm_settings_connection_update_timestamp (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (connection),
-	                                         (guint64) time (NULL), TRUE);
-}
-
 static void
 modem_added (NMModemManager *modem_manager,
 			 NMModem *modem,
@@ -4087,11 +4074,6 @@ dispose (GObject *object)
 	g_free (priv->hostname);
 
 	g_object_unref (priv->settings);
-
-	if (priv->vpn_manager_activated_id) {
-		g_source_remove (priv->vpn_manager_activated_id);
-		priv->vpn_manager_activated_id = 0;
-	}
 	g_object_unref (priv->vpn_manager);
 
 	if (priv->modem_added_id) {
@@ -4407,8 +4389,6 @@ nm_manager_init (NMManager *manager)
 	                                           G_CALLBACK (modem_removed), manager);
 
 	priv->vpn_manager = nm_vpn_manager_get ();
-	priv->vpn_manager_activated_id = g_signal_connect (G_OBJECT (priv->vpn_manager), "connection-activated",
-	                                                   G_CALLBACK (vpn_manager_connection_activated_cb), manager);
 
 	g_connection = nm_dbus_manager_get_connection (priv->dbus_mgr);