diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 625ad3ee33..398d9e05e4 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -3134,7 +3134,7 @@ ip4_config_merge_and_apply (NMDevice *self,
 		 * tweak the effective metric).
 		 */
 		if (   !assumed
-		    && nm_default_route_manager_ip4_connection_has_default_route (nm_default_route_manager_get (), connection)) {
+		    && nm_default_route_manager_ip4_connection_has_default_route (nm_default_route_manager_get (), connection, NULL)) {
 			guint32 gateway = 0;
 
 			priv->default_route.v4_is_assumed = FALSE;
@@ -3697,7 +3697,7 @@ ip6_config_merge_and_apply (NMDevice *self,
 		 * tweak the effective metric).
 		 */
 		if (   !assumed
-		    && nm_default_route_manager_ip6_connection_has_default_route (nm_default_route_manager_get (), connection)) {
+		    && nm_default_route_manager_ip6_connection_has_default_route (nm_default_route_manager_get (), connection, NULL)) {
 			const struct in6_addr *gateway = NULL;
 
 			priv->default_route.v6_is_assumed = FALSE;
diff --git a/src/nm-default-route-manager.c b/src/nm-default-route-manager.c
index 4caf4672d7..1019807c45 100644
--- a/src/nm-default-route-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-default-route-manager.c
@@ -832,48 +832,60 @@ nm_default_route_manager_ip6_update_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *self,
 /***********************************************************************************/
 
 static gboolean
-_ipx_connection_has_default_route (const VTableIP *vtable, NMDefaultRouteManager *self, NMConnection *connection)
+_ipx_connection_has_default_route (const VTableIP *vtable, NMDefaultRouteManager *self, NMConnection *connection, gboolean *out_is_never_default)
 {
 	const char *method;
 	NMSettingIPConfig *s_ip;
+	gboolean is_never_default = FALSE;
+	gboolean has_default_route = FALSE;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_DEFAULT_ROUTE_MANAGER (self), FALSE);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_CONNECTION (connection), FALSE);
+
+	if (!connection)
+		goto out;
 
 	if (vtable->vt->is_ip4)
 		s_ip = nm_connection_get_setting_ip4_config (connection);
 	else
 		s_ip = nm_connection_get_setting_ip6_config (connection);
-	if (!s_ip || nm_setting_ip_config_get_never_default (s_ip))
-		return FALSE;
+	if (!s_ip)
+		goto out;
+	if (nm_setting_ip_config_get_never_default (s_ip)) {
+		is_never_default = TRUE;
+		goto out;
+	}
 
 	if (vtable->vt->is_ip4) {
 		method = nm_utils_get_ip_config_method (connection, NM_TYPE_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG);
 		if (   !method
 		    || !strcmp (method, NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_METHOD_DISABLED)
 		    || !strcmp (method, NM_SETTING_IP4_CONFIG_METHOD_LINK_LOCAL))
-			return FALSE;
+			goto out;
 	} else {
 		method = nm_utils_get_ip_config_method (connection, NM_TYPE_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG);
 		if (   !method
 		    || !strcmp (method, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_IGNORE)
 		    || !strcmp (method, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_LINK_LOCAL))
-			return FALSE;
+			goto out;
 	}
 
-	return TRUE;
+	has_default_route = TRUE;
+out:
+	if (out_is_never_default)
+		*out_is_never_default = is_never_default;
+	return has_default_route;
 }
 
 gboolean
-nm_default_route_manager_ip4_connection_has_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *self, NMConnection *connection)
+nm_default_route_manager_ip4_connection_has_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *self, NMConnection *connection, gboolean *out_is_never_default)
 {
-	return _ipx_connection_has_default_route (&vtable_ip4, self, connection);
+	return _ipx_connection_has_default_route (&vtable_ip4, self, connection, out_is_never_default);
 }
 
 gboolean
-nm_default_route_manager_ip6_connection_has_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *self, NMConnection *connection)
+nm_default_route_manager_ip6_connection_has_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *self, NMConnection *connection, gboolean *out_is_never_default)
 {
-	return _ipx_connection_has_default_route (&vtable_ip6, self, connection);
+	return _ipx_connection_has_default_route (&vtable_ip6, self, connection, out_is_never_default);
 }
 
 /***********************************************************************************/
@@ -972,7 +984,7 @@ _ipx_get_best_activating_device (const VTableIP *vtable, NMDefaultRouteManager *
 			    || state >= NM_DEVICE_STATE_DEACTIVATING)
 				continue;
 
-			if (!_ipx_connection_has_default_route (vtable, self, nm_device_get_connection (device)))
+			if (!_ipx_connection_has_default_route (vtable, self, nm_device_get_connection (device), NULL))
 				continue;
 
 			prio = nm_device_get_ip4_route_metric (device);
diff --git a/src/nm-default-route-manager.h b/src/nm-default-route-manager.h
index d8e422735e..7fc27bbd1c 100644
--- a/src/nm-default-route-manager.h
+++ b/src/nm-default-route-manager.h
@@ -51,8 +51,8 @@ NMDefaultRouteManager *nm_default_route_manager_get (void);
 void nm_default_route_manager_ip4_update_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *manager, gpointer source);
 void nm_default_route_manager_ip6_update_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *manager, gpointer source);
 
-gboolean nm_default_route_manager_ip4_connection_has_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *manager, NMConnection *connection);
-gboolean nm_default_route_manager_ip6_connection_has_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *manager, NMConnection *connection);
+gboolean nm_default_route_manager_ip4_connection_has_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *manager, NMConnection *connection, gboolean *out_is_never_default);
+gboolean nm_default_route_manager_ip6_connection_has_default_route (NMDefaultRouteManager *manager, NMConnection *connection, gboolean *out_is_never_default);
 
 NMDevice *nm_default_route_manager_ip4_get_best_device (NMDefaultRouteManager *manager, const GSList *devices, gboolean fully_activated, NMDevice *preferred_device);
 NMDevice *nm_default_route_manager_ip6_get_best_device (NMDefaultRouteManager *manager, const GSList *devices, gboolean fully_activated, NMDevice *preferred_device);