diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index 647991b21c..9f8ce92afc 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -58,11 +58,6 @@
 #include "nm-settings-system-interface.h"
 #include "nm-manager-auth.h"
 
-/* Fix for polkit 0.97 and later */
-#if !HAVE_POLKIT_AUTHORITY_GET_SYNC
-#define polkit_authority_get_sync polkit_authority_get
-#endif
-
 #define NM_AUTOIP_DBUS_SERVICE "org.freedesktop.nm_avahi_autoipd"
 #define NM_AUTOIP_DBUS_IFACE   "org.freedesktop.nm_avahi_autoipd"
 
@@ -150,6 +145,20 @@ static GSList * remove_one_device (NMManager *manager,
 
 static NMDevice *nm_manager_get_device_by_udi (NMManager *manager, const char *udi);
 
+/* Fix for polkit 0.97 and later */
+#if !HAVE_POLKIT_AUTHORITY_GET_SYNC
+static inline PolkitAuthority *
+polkit_authority_get_sync (GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error)
+{
+	PolkitAuthority *authority;
+
+	authority = polkit_authority_get ();
+	if (!authority)
+		g_set_error (error, 0, 0, "failed to get the PolicyKit authority");
+	return authority;
+}
+#endif
+
 #define SSD_POKE_INTERVAL 120
 #define ORIGDEV_TAG "originating-device"
 
@@ -4203,6 +4212,7 @@ nm_manager_init (NMManager *manager)
 	DBusGConnection *g_connection;
 	guint id, i;
 	GFile *file;
+	GError *error = NULL;
 
 	/* Initialize rfkill structures and states */
 	memset (priv->radio_states, 0, sizeof (priv->radio_states));
@@ -4285,14 +4295,18 @@ nm_manager_init (NMManager *manager)
 	} else
 		nm_log_warn (LOGD_AUTOIP4, "could not initialize avahi-autoipd D-Bus proxy");
 
-	priv->authority = polkit_authority_get_sync ();
+	priv->authority = polkit_authority_get_sync (NULL, &error);
 	if (priv->authority) {
 		priv->auth_changed_id = g_signal_connect (priv->authority,
 		                                          "changed",
 		                                          G_CALLBACK (pk_authority_changed_cb),
 		                                          manager);
-	} else
-		nm_log_warn (LOGD_CORE, "failed to create PolicyKit authority.");
+	} else {
+		nm_log_warn (LOGD_CORE, "failed to create PolicyKit authority: (%d) %s",
+		             error ? error->code : -1,
+		             error && error->message ? error->message : "(unknown)");
+		g_clear_error (&error);
+	}
 
 	/* Monitor the firmware directory */
 	if (strlen (KERNEL_FIRMWARE_DIR)) {
diff --git a/src/system-settings/nm-polkit-helpers.h b/src/system-settings/nm-polkit-helpers.h
index c4f3de2f3b..a37c2eebaa 100644
--- a/src/system-settings/nm-polkit-helpers.h
+++ b/src/system-settings/nm-polkit-helpers.h
@@ -25,14 +25,23 @@
 #include <config.h>
 #include <polkit/polkit.h>
 
-/* Fix for polkit 0.97 and later */
-#if !HAVE_POLKIT_AUTHORITY_GET_SYNC
-#define polkit_authority_get_sync polkit_authority_get
-#endif
-
 #define NM_SYSCONFIG_POLICY_ACTION_CONNECTION_MODIFY    "org.freedesktop.network-manager-settings.system.modify"
 #define NM_SYSCONFIG_POLICY_ACTION_WIFI_SHARE_PROTECTED "org.freedesktop.network-manager-settings.system.wifi.share.protected"
 #define NM_SYSCONFIG_POLICY_ACTION_WIFI_SHARE_OPEN      "org.freedesktop.network-manager-settings.system.wifi.share.open"
 #define NM_SYSCONFIG_POLICY_ACTION_HOSTNAME_MODIFY      "org.freedesktop.network-manager-settings.system.hostname.modify"
 
+/* Fix for polkit 0.97 and later */
+#if !HAVE_POLKIT_AUTHORITY_GET_SYNC
+static inline PolkitAuthority *
+polkit_authority_get_sync (GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error)
+{
+	PolkitAuthority *authority;
+
+	authority = polkit_authority_get ();
+	if (!authority)
+		g_set_error (error, 0, 0, "failed to get the PolicyKit authority");
+	return authority;
+}
+#endif
+
 #endif /* NM_POLKIT_HELPERS_H */
diff --git a/src/system-settings/nm-sysconfig-connection.c b/src/system-settings/nm-sysconfig-connection.c
index adb9897b94..73906d20a7 100644
--- a/src/system-settings/nm-sysconfig-connection.c
+++ b/src/system-settings/nm-sysconfig-connection.c
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
  * 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301 USA.
  *
  * (C) Copyright 2008 Novell, Inc.
- * (C) Copyright 2008 - 2009 Red Hat, Inc.
+ * (C) Copyright 2008 - 2010 Red Hat, Inc.
  */
 
 #include <NetworkManager.h>
@@ -612,10 +612,14 @@ static void
 nm_sysconfig_connection_init (NMSysconfigConnection *self)
 {
 	NMSysconfigConnectionPrivate *priv = NM_SYSCONFIG_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	GError *error = NULL;
 
-	priv->authority = polkit_authority_get_sync ();
+	priv->authority = polkit_authority_get_sync (NULL, NULL);
 	if (!priv->authority) {
-		nm_log_err (LOGD_SYS_SET, "%s: error creating PolicyKit authority");
+		nm_log_warn (LOGD_SYS_SET, "failed to create PolicyKit authority: (%d) %s",
+		             error ? error->code : -1,
+		             error && error->message ? error->message : "(unknown)");
+		g_clear_error (&error);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/system-settings/nm-sysconfig-settings.c b/src/system-settings/nm-sysconfig-settings.c
index 3ab387d54b..a9bae14b1e 100644
--- a/src/system-settings/nm-sysconfig-settings.c
+++ b/src/system-settings/nm-sysconfig-settings.c
@@ -1505,16 +1505,21 @@ static void
 nm_sysconfig_settings_init (NMSysconfigSettings *self)
 {
 	NMSysconfigSettingsPrivate *priv = NM_SYSCONFIG_SETTINGS_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	GError *error = NULL;
 
 	priv->connections = g_hash_table_new_full (g_direct_hash, g_direct_equal, g_object_unref, NULL);
 
-	priv->authority = polkit_authority_get_sync ();
+	priv->authority = polkit_authority_get_sync (NULL, &error);
 	if (priv->authority) {
 		priv->auth_changed_id = g_signal_connect (priv->authority,
 		                                          "changed",
 		                                          G_CALLBACK (pk_authority_changed_cb),
 		                                          self);
-	} else
-		nm_log_warn (LOGD_SYS_SET, "failed to create PolicyKit authority.");
+	} else {
+		nm_log_warn (LOGD_SYS_SET, "failed to create PolicyKit authority: (%d) %s",
+		             error ? error->code : -1,
+		             error && error->message ? error->message : "(unknown)");
+		g_clear_error (&error);
+	}
 }