diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
index 33cbd67112..8d22c8bc11 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
@@ -495,9 +495,6 @@ set_persist_mode (NMSettingsConnection *self, NMSettingsConnectionPersistMode pe
 	                                      | NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_FLAGS_NM_GENERATED
 	                                      | NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_FLAGS_VOLATILE;
 
-	if (persist_mode == NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP)
-		return;
-
 	switch (persist_mode) {
 	case NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_DISK:
 		flags = NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_FLAGS_NONE;
@@ -512,8 +509,16 @@ set_persist_mode (NMSettingsConnection *self, NMSettingsConnectionPersistMode pe
 		flags = NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_FLAGS_UNSAVED |
 		        NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_FLAGS_VOLATILE;
 		break;
+	case NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED:
+		/* only set the connection as unsaved, but preserve the nm-generated
+		 * and volatile flag. */
+		nm_settings_connection_set_flags (self,
+		                                  NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_FLAGS_UNSAVED,
+		                                  TRUE);
+		return;
 	case NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP:
-		g_return_if_reached ();
+		/* Nothing to do */
+		return;
 	}
 
 	nm_settings_connection_set_flags_full (self, ALL, flags);
@@ -522,7 +527,7 @@ set_persist_mode (NMSettingsConnection *self, NMSettingsConnectionPersistMode pe
 static void
 connection_changed_cb (NMSettingsConnection *self, gpointer unused)
 {
-	set_persist_mode (self, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_IN_MEMORY);
+	set_persist_mode (self, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED);
 	_emit_updated (self, FALSE);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
index 051fcf7ff9..fc8ad1de1a 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
@@ -138,6 +138,11 @@ gboolean nm_settings_connection_has_unmodified_applied_connection (NMSettingsCon
 typedef enum {
 	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
 	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_DISK,
+
+	/* unsaved, only sets the unsaved flag, but it doesn't touch
+	 * the NM_GENERATED nor VOLATILE flag. */
+	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED,
+
 	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_IN_MEMORY,
 	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_IN_MEMORY_DETACHED,
 	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_IN_MEMORY_ONLY,
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
index b81a9eb919..3cf5c978c9 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ nm_ifcfg_connection_new (NMConnection *source,
 	                                   tmp,
 	                                   full_path
 	                                     ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP /* connection is already on disk */
-	                                     : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_IN_MEMORY,
+	                                     : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED,
 	                                   NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 	                                   NULL,
 	                                   error))
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-connection.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-connection.c
index aeb4467472..e7cd19cd2c 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-connection.c
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ nm_ifnet_connection_new (NMConnection *source, const char *conn_name)
 	if (!nm_settings_connection_update (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (object),
 	                                    tmp,
 	                                    update_unsaved
-	                                      ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_IN_MEMORY
+	                                      ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED
 	                                      : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
 	                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 	                                    NULL,
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-connection.c b/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-connection.c
index 9e9ab9621b..5a6d8a76e7 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-connection.c
@@ -162,7 +162,7 @@ nms_keyfile_connection_new (NMConnection *source,
 	if (!nm_settings_connection_update (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (object),
 	                                    tmp,
 	                                    update_unsaved
-	                                      ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_IN_MEMORY
+	                                      ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED
 	                                      : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
 	                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 	                                    NULL,