diff --git a/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c b/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
index 1a83cb9da3..8bd81dafda 100644
--- a/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
+++ b/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.c
@@ -27,6 +27,10 @@
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+const void *const _NM_PTRARRAY_EMPTY[1] = { NULL };
+
+/*****************************************************************************/
+
 void
 nm_utils_strbuf_append_c (char **buf, gsize *len, char c)
 {
diff --git a/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.h b/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.h
index 4d8f300c85..3776c1590e 100644
--- a/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.h
+++ b/shared/nm-utils/nm-shared-utils.h
@@ -24,6 +24,10 @@
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+extern const void *const _NM_PTRARRAY_EMPTY[1];
+
+#define NM_PTRARRAY_EMPTY(type) ((type const*) _NM_PTRARRAY_EMPTY)
+
 static inline void
 _nm_utils_strbuf_init (char *buf, gsize len, char **p_buf_ptr, gsize *p_buf_len)
 {