diff --git a/src/nm-default-route-manager.c b/src/nm-default-route-manager.c
index 66a94a05a4..1f6342ccce 100644
--- a/src/nm-default-route-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-default-route-manager.c
@@ -304,7 +304,7 @@ _platform_route_sync_add (const VTableIP *vtable, NMDefaultRouteManager *self, g
 		rt.plen = 0;
 		rt.metric = entry->effective_metric;
 
-		success = nm_platform_ip4_route_add (priv->platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &rt);
+		success = (nm_platform_ip4_route_add (priv->platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &rt) == NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS);
 	} else {
 		NMPlatformIP6Route rt = entry->route.r6;
 
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ _platform_route_sync_add (const VTableIP *vtable, NMDefaultRouteManager *self, g
 		rt.plen = 0;
 		rt.metric = entry->effective_metric;
 
-		success = nm_platform_ip6_route_add (priv->platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &rt);
+		success = (nm_platform_ip6_route_add (priv->platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &rt) == NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS);
 	}
 	if (!success) {
 		_LOGW (vtable->vt->addr_family, "failed to add default route %s with effective metric %u",
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
index d51acce791..40877b321a 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-fake-platform.c
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ ip_route_delete (NMPlatform *platform, const NMPObject *obj)
 	return ipx_route_delete (platform, AF_UNSPEC, -1, obj);
 }
 
-static gboolean
+static NMPlatformError
 ip_route_add (NMPlatform *platform,
               NMPNlmFlags flags,
               int addr_family,
@@ -1284,7 +1284,7 @@ ip_route_add (NMPlatform *platform,
 				nm_log_warn (LOGD_PLATFORM, "Fake platform: failure adding ip6-route '%d: %s/%d %d': Network Unreachable",
 				             r->ifindex, nm_utils_inet6_ntop (&r6->network, NULL), r->plen, r->metric);
 			}
-			return FALSE;
+			return NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_UNSPECIFIED;
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -1346,7 +1346,7 @@ ip_route_add (NMPlatform *platform,
 		}
 	}
 
-	return TRUE;
+	return NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 6c4b34a03c..7c874df23f 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -265,6 +265,16 @@ static gboolean event_handler_read_netlink (NMPlatform *platform, gboolean wait_
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+static NMPlatformError
+wait_for_nl_response_to_plerr (WaitForNlResponseResult seq_result)
+{
+	if (seq_result == WAIT_FOR_NL_RESPONSE_RESULT_RESPONSE_OK)
+		return NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS;
+	if (seq_result < 0)
+		return (NMPlatformError) seq_result;
+	return NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_NETLINK;
+}
+
 static const char *
 wait_for_nl_response_to_string (WaitForNlResponseResult seq_result, char *buf, gsize buf_size)
 {
@@ -4223,14 +4233,12 @@ do_add_link_with_lookup (NMPlatform *platform,
 	return !!obj;
 }
 
-static gboolean
+static NMPlatformError
 do_add_addrroute (NMPlatform *platform, const NMPObject *obj_id, struct nl_msg *nlmsg)
 {
 	WaitForNlResponseResult seq_result = WAIT_FOR_NL_RESPONSE_RESULT_UNKNOWN;
 	int nle;
 	char s_buf[256];
-	const NMPObject *obj;
-	NMPCache *cache = nm_platform_get_cache (platform);
 
 	nm_assert (NM_IN_SET (NMP_OBJECT_GET_TYPE (obj_id),
 	                      NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP4_ADDRESS, NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP6_ADDRESS,
@@ -4244,7 +4252,7 @@ do_add_addrroute (NMPlatform *platform, const NMPObject *obj_id, struct nl_msg *
 		       NMP_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (obj_id)->obj_type_name,
 		       nmp_object_to_string (obj_id, NMP_OBJECT_TO_STRING_ID, NULL, 0),
 		       nl_geterror (nle), -nle);
-		return FALSE;
+		return NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_NETLINK;
 	}
 
 	delayed_action_handle_all (platform, FALSE);
@@ -4253,30 +4261,26 @@ do_add_addrroute (NMPlatform *platform, const NMPObject *obj_id, struct nl_msg *
 
 	_NMLOG (seq_result == WAIT_FOR_NL_RESPONSE_RESULT_RESPONSE_OK
 	            ? LOGL_DEBUG
-	            : LOGL_ERR,
+	            : LOGL_WARN,
 	        "do-add-%s[%s]: %s",
 	        NMP_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (obj_id)->obj_type_name,
 	        nmp_object_to_string (obj_id, NMP_OBJECT_TO_STRING_ID, NULL, 0),
 	        wait_for_nl_response_to_string (seq_result, s_buf, sizeof (s_buf)));
 
-	/* In rare cases, the object is not yet ready as we received the ACK from
-	 * kernel. Need to refetch.
-	 *
-	 * We want to safe the expensive refetch, thus we look first into the cache
-	 * whether the object exists.
-	 *
-	 * FIXME: if the object already existed previously, we might not notice a
-	 * missing update. It's not clear how to fix that reliably without refechting
-	 * all the time. */
-	obj = nmp_cache_lookup_obj (cache, obj_id);
-	if (!obj) {
-		do_request_one_type (platform, NMP_OBJECT_GET_TYPE (obj_id));
-		obj = nmp_cache_lookup_obj (cache, obj_id);
+	if (NMP_OBJECT_GET_TYPE (obj_id) == NMP_OBJECT_TYPE_IP6_ADDRESS) {
+		/* In rare cases, the object is not yet ready as we received the ACK from
+		 * kernel. Need to refetch.
+		 *
+		 * We want to safe the expensive refetch, thus we look first into the cache
+		 * whether the object exists.
+		 *
+		 * rh#1484434 */
+		if (!nmp_cache_lookup_obj (nm_platform_get_cache (platform),
+		                           obj_id))
+			do_request_one_type (platform, NMP_OBJECT_GET_TYPE (obj_id));
 	}
 
-	/* Adding is only successful, if kernel reported success *and* we have the
-	 * expected object in cache afterwards. */
-	return obj && seq_result == WAIT_FOR_NL_RESPONSE_RESULT_RESPONSE_OK;
+	return wait_for_nl_response_to_plerr (seq_result);
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -5910,7 +5914,7 @@ ip4_address_add (NMPlatform *platform,
 	                             label);
 
 	nmp_object_stackinit_id_ip4_address (&obj_id, ifindex, addr, plen, peer_addr);
-	return do_add_addrroute (platform, &obj_id, nlmsg);
+	return do_add_addrroute (platform, &obj_id, nlmsg) == NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -5940,7 +5944,7 @@ ip6_address_add (NMPlatform *platform,
 	                             NULL);
 
 	nmp_object_stackinit_id_ip6_address (&obj_id, ifindex, &addr);
-	return do_add_addrroute (platform, &obj_id, nlmsg);
+	return do_add_addrroute (platform, &obj_id, nlmsg) == NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -5995,7 +5999,7 @@ ip6_address_delete (NMPlatform *platform, int ifindex, struct in6_addr addr, gui
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
-static gboolean
+static NMPlatformError
 ip_route_add (NMPlatform *platform,
               NMPNlmFlags flags,
               int addr_family,
@@ -6019,7 +6023,7 @@ ip_route_add (NMPlatform *platform,
 
 	nlmsg = _nl_msg_new_route (RTM_NEWROUTE, flags, &obj);
 	if (!nlmsg)
-		g_return_val_if_reached (FALSE);
+		g_return_val_if_reached (NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_BUG);
 	return do_add_addrroute (platform, &obj, nlmsg);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
index 211a0abc9f..ae409b207b 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
@@ -248,6 +248,7 @@ NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_DEFINE (_nm_platform_error_to_string, NMPlatformError,
 	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_ITEM (NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_NOT_SLAVE,   "not-slave"),
 	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_ITEM (NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_NO_FIRMWARE, "no-firmware"),
 	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_ITEM (NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_OPNOTSUPP,   "not-supported"),
+	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_ITEM (NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_NETLINK,     "netlink"),
 	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_ITEM_IGNORE (_NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_MININT),
 );
 
@@ -3597,6 +3598,8 @@ nm_platform_ip_route_sync (NMPlatform *self,
 
 	for (i_type = 0; i_type < 2; i_type++) {
 		for (i = 0; i < routes->len; i++) {
+			NMPlatformError plerr;
+
 			conf_o = routes->pdata[i];
 
 #define VTABLE_IS_DEVICE_ROUTE(vt, o) (vt->is_ip4 \
@@ -3621,9 +3624,10 @@ nm_platform_ip_route_sync (NMPlatform *self,
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			if (!nm_platform_ip_route_add (self,
-			                               NMP_NLM_FLAG_APPEND,
-			                               conf_o)) {
+			plerr = nm_platform_ip_route_add (self,
+			                                  NMP_NLM_FLAG_APPEND,
+			                                  conf_o);
+			if (plerr != NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS) {
 				/* ignore error adding route. */
 			}
 		}
@@ -3710,7 +3714,7 @@ nm_platform_ip_route_normalize (int addr_family,
 	}
 }
 
-static gboolean
+static NMPlatformError
 _ip_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
                NMPNlmFlags flags,
                int addr_family,
@@ -3733,7 +3737,7 @@ _ip_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
 	return klass->ip_route_add (self, flags, addr_family, route);
 }
 
-gboolean
+NMPlatformError
 nm_platform_ip_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
                           NMPNlmFlags flags,
                           const NMPObject *route)
@@ -3754,7 +3758,7 @@ nm_platform_ip_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
 	return _ip_route_add (self, flags, addr_family, NMP_OBJECT_CAST_IP_ROUTE (route));
 }
 
-gboolean
+NMPlatformError
 nm_platform_ip4_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
                            NMPNlmFlags flags,
                            const NMPlatformIP4Route *route)
@@ -3762,7 +3766,7 @@ nm_platform_ip4_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
 	return _ip_route_add (self, flags, AF_INET, route);
 }
 
-gboolean
+NMPlatformError
 nm_platform_ip6_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
                            NMPNlmFlags flags,
                            const NMPlatformIP6Route *route)
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.h b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
index 2bd6509c73..dbd55b4dd0 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.h
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.h
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@ typedef enum { /*< skip >*/
 	NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_NOT_SLAVE,
 	NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_NO_FIRMWARE,
 	NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_OPNOTSUPP,
+	NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_NETLINK,
 } NMPlatformError;
 
 #define NM_PLATFORM_LINK_OTHER_NETNS    (-1)
@@ -797,10 +798,10 @@ typedef struct {
 	gboolean (*ip4_address_delete) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex, in_addr_t address, guint8 plen, in_addr_t peer_address);
 	gboolean (*ip6_address_delete) (NMPlatform *, int ifindex, struct in6_addr address, guint8 plen);
 
-	gboolean (*ip_route_add) (NMPlatform *,
-	                          NMPNlmFlags flags,
-	                          int addr_family,
-	                          const NMPlatformIPRoute *route);
+	NMPlatformError (*ip_route_add) (NMPlatform *,
+	                                 NMPNlmFlags flags,
+	                                 int addr_family,
+	                                 const NMPlatformIPRoute *route);
 	gboolean (*ip_route_delete) (NMPlatform *, const NMPObject *obj);
 
 	NMPlatformError (*ip_route_get) (NMPlatform *self,
@@ -1122,11 +1123,11 @@ gboolean nm_platform_ip_address_flush (NMPlatform *self,
 void nm_platform_ip_route_normalize (int addr_family,
                                      NMPlatformIPRoute *route);
 
-gboolean nm_platform_ip_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
-                                   NMPNlmFlags flags,
-                                   const NMPObject *route);
-gboolean nm_platform_ip4_route_add (NMPlatform *self, NMPNlmFlags flags, const NMPlatformIP4Route *route);
-gboolean nm_platform_ip6_route_add (NMPlatform *self, NMPNlmFlags flags, const NMPlatformIP6Route *route);
+NMPlatformError nm_platform_ip_route_add (NMPlatform *self,
+                                          NMPNlmFlags flags,
+                                          const NMPObject *route);
+NMPlatformError nm_platform_ip4_route_add (NMPlatform *self, NMPNlmFlags flags, const NMPlatformIP4Route *route);
+NMPlatformError nm_platform_ip6_route_add (NMPlatform *self, NMPNlmFlags flags, const NMPlatformIP6Route *route);
 
 gboolean nm_platform_ip_route_delete (NMPlatform *self, const NMPObject *route);
 
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/test-common.c b/src/platform/tests/test-common.c
index 9692c09050..c0e6cb96de 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/test-common.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/test-common.c
@@ -1009,7 +1009,7 @@ void nmtstp_ip4_route_add (NMPlatform *platform,
 	route.metric = metric;
 	route.mss = mss;
 
-	g_assert (nm_platform_ip4_route_add (platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &route));
+	g_assert_cmpint (nm_platform_ip4_route_add (platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &route), ==, NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS);
 }
 
 void nmtstp_ip6_route_add (NMPlatform *platform,
@@ -1033,7 +1033,7 @@ void nmtstp_ip6_route_add (NMPlatform *platform,
 	route.metric = metric;
 	route.mss = mss;
 
-	g_assert (nm_platform_ip6_route_add (platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &route));
+	g_assert_cmpint (nm_platform_ip6_route_add (platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &route), ==, NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS);
 }
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/platform/tests/test-route.c b/src/platform/tests/test-route.c
index a8ba384492..f749d7514c 100644
--- a/src/platform/tests/test-route.c
+++ b/src/platform/tests/test-route.c
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ test_ip4_route_options (void)
 	route.mtu = 1350;
 	route.lock_cwnd = TRUE;
 
-	g_assert (nm_platform_ip4_route_add (NM_PLATFORM_GET, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &route));
+	g_assert (nm_platform_ip4_route_add (NM_PLATFORM_GET, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &route) == NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS);
 
 	/* Test route listing */
 	routes = nmtstp_ip4_route_get_all (NM_PLATFORM_GET, ifindex);
@@ -597,7 +597,7 @@ test_ip6_route_options (gconstpointer test_data)
 	_wait_for_ipv6_addr_non_tentative (NM_PLATFORM_GET, 400, IFINDEX, addr_n, addr_in6);
 
 	for (i = 0; i < rts_n; i++)
-		g_assert (nm_platform_ip6_route_add (NM_PLATFORM_GET, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &rts_add[i]));
+		g_assert (nm_platform_ip6_route_add (NM_PLATFORM_GET, NMP_NLM_FLAG_REPLACE, &rts_add[i]) == NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS);
 
 	routes = nmtstp_ip6_route_get_all (NM_PLATFORM_GET, IFINDEX);
 	switch (TEST_IDX) {
@@ -703,7 +703,7 @@ again_find_idx:
 			order_idx[order_len++] = idx;
 
 			r->ifindex = iface_data[idx].ifindex;
-			g_assert (nm_platform_ip4_route_add (platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_APPEND, r));
+			g_assert (nm_platform_ip4_route_add (platform, NMP_NLM_FLAG_APPEND, r) == NM_PLATFORM_ERROR_SUCCESS);
 		} else {
 			i = nmtst_get_rand_int () % order_len;
 			idx = order_idx[i];