diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-ethernet.c b/src/devices/nm-device-ethernet.c
index d2e15725f4..5e980ed9c5 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-ethernet.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-ethernet.c
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 		if (!match_subchans (self, s_wired, &try_mac))
 			return FALSE;
 
-		perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, TRUE);
+		perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device);
 		mac = nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired);
 		if (perm_hw_addr) {
 			if (try_mac && mac && !nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (mac, -1, perm_hw_addr, -1))
@@ -1346,6 +1346,7 @@ complete_connection (NMDevice *device,
 	NMSettingPppoe *s_pppoe;
 	const char *setting_mac;
 	const char *perm_hw_addr;
+	gboolean perm_hw_addr_is_fake;
 
 	s_pppoe = nm_connection_get_setting_pppoe (connection);
 
@@ -1373,8 +1374,8 @@ complete_connection (NMDevice *device,
 		nm_connection_add_setting (connection, NM_SETTING (s_wired));
 	}
 
-	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, FALSE);
-	if (perm_hw_addr) {
+	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address_full (device, &perm_hw_addr_is_fake);
+	if (perm_hw_addr && !perm_hw_addr_is_fake) {
 		setting_mac = nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired);
 		if (setting_mac) {
 			/* Make sure the setting MAC (if any) matches the device's permanent MAC */
@@ -1410,7 +1411,7 @@ new_default_connection (NMDevice *self)
 	if (nm_config_get_no_auto_default_for_device (nm_config_get (), self))
 		return NULL;
 
-	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (self, TRUE);
+	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (self);
 	if (!perm_hw_addr)
 		return NULL;
 
@@ -1470,7 +1471,8 @@ update_connection (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 {
 	NMDeviceEthernetPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_ETHERNET_GET_PRIVATE ((NMDeviceEthernet *) device);
 	NMSettingWired *s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
-	const char *perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, FALSE);
+	gboolean perm_hw_addr_is_fake;
+	const char *perm_hw_addr;
 	const char *mac = nm_device_get_hw_address (device);
 	const char *mac_prop = NM_SETTING_WIRED_MAC_ADDRESS;
 	GHashTableIter iter;
@@ -1489,7 +1491,8 @@ update_connection (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 	/* If the device reports a permanent address, use that for the MAC address
 	 * and the current MAC, if different, is the cloned MAC.
 	 */
-	if (perm_hw_addr) {
+	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address_full (device, &perm_hw_addr_is_fake);
+	if (perm_hw_addr && !perm_hw_addr_is_fake) {
 		g_object_set (s_wired, NM_SETTING_WIRED_MAC_ADDRESS, perm_hw_addr, NULL);
 
 		mac_prop = NULL;
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c b/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
index 17f50ba2c7..e2a67de4e9 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 
 		mac = nm_setting_infiniband_get_mac_address (s_infiniband);
 		if (mac) {
-			hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, TRUE);
+			hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device);
 			if (   !hw_addr
 			    || !nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (mac, -1, hw_addr, -1))
 				return FALSE;
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ complete_connection (NMDevice *device,
 	}
 
 	setting_mac = nm_setting_infiniband_get_mac_address (s_infiniband);
-	hw_address = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, TRUE);
+	hw_address = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device);
 	if (setting_mac) {
 		/* Make sure the setting MAC (if any) matches the device's MAC */
 		if (!nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (setting_mac, -1, hw_address, -1)) {
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ static void
 update_connection (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 {
 	NMSettingInfiniband *s_infiniband = nm_connection_get_setting_infiniband (connection);
-	const char *mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, TRUE);
+	const char *mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device);
 	const char *transport_mode = "datagram";
 	int ifindex;
 
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c b/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
index 0a43646dde..c53abb68c9 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
@@ -373,7 +373,7 @@ match_hwaddr (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection, gboolean fail_if_no_hw
 	if (!priv->parent)
 		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
 
-	parent_mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (priv->parent, FALSE);
+	parent_mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (priv->parent);
 	return parent_mac && nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (setting_mac, -1, parent_mac, -1);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c b/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
index 16edc0d2ba..461bae6692 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
@@ -391,7 +391,7 @@ match_hwaddr (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection, gboolean fail_if_no_hw
 	if (!priv->parent)
 		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
 
-	parent_mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (priv->parent, FALSE);
+	parent_mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (priv->parent);
 	return parent_mac && nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (setting_mac, -1, parent_mac, -1);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index ff253dd45c..b9f1de01a4 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -11890,7 +11890,7 @@ nm_device_hw_addr_set_cloned (NMDevice *self, NMConnection *connection, gboolean
 	}
 
 	if (nm_streq (addr, NM_CLONED_MAC_PERMANENT)) {
-		addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (self, TRUE);
+		addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (self);
 		if (!addr)
 			return FALSE;
 		priv->hw_addr_type = HW_ADDR_TYPE_PERMANENT;
@@ -11979,19 +11979,11 @@ nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address_full (NMDevice *self, gboolean *out_is_fake)
 }
 
 const char *
-nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (NMDevice *self, gboolean fallback_fake)
+nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (NMDevice *self)
 {
-	NMDevicePrivate *priv;
-
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_DEVICE (self), NULL);
 
-	priv = NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self);
-	if (!priv->hw_addr_perm)
-		return NULL;
-	if (   priv->hw_addr_perm_fake
-	    && !fallback_fake)
-		return NULL;
-	return priv->hw_addr_perm;
+	return NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self)->hw_addr_perm;
 }
 
 const char *
@@ -12048,7 +12040,7 @@ spec_match_list (NMDevice *self, const GSList *specs)
 		}
 	}
 
-	hw_addr_perm = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (self, TRUE);
+	hw_addr_perm = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (self);
 	if (hw_addr_perm) {
 		m = nm_match_spec_hwaddr (specs, hw_addr_perm);
 		matched = MAX (matched, m);
@@ -12522,10 +12514,15 @@ get_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 	case PROP_HW_ADDRESS:
 		g_value_set_string (value, priv->hw_addr);
 		break;
-	case PROP_PERM_HW_ADDRESS:
+	case PROP_PERM_HW_ADDRESS: {
+		const char *perm_hw_addr;
+		gboolean perm_hw_addr_is_fake;
+
+		perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address_full (self, &perm_hw_addr_is_fake);
 		/* this property is exposed on D-Bus for NMDeviceEthernet and NMDeviceWifi. */
-		g_value_set_string (value, nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (self, FALSE));
+		g_value_set_string (value, perm_hw_addr && !perm_hw_addr_is_fake ? perm_hw_addr : NULL);
 		break;
+	}
 	case PROP_HAS_PENDING_ACTION:
 		g_value_set_boolean (value, nm_device_has_pending_action (self));
 		break;
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.h b/src/devices/nm-device.h
index 010c9b9f0d..476a42bc0f 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.h
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.h
@@ -364,8 +364,7 @@ guint32         nm_device_get_ip4_route_metric  (NMDevice *dev);
 guint32         nm_device_get_ip6_route_metric  (NMDevice *dev);
 
 const char *    nm_device_get_hw_address        (NMDevice *dev);
-const char *    nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (NMDevice *dev,
-                                                    gboolean fallback_fake);
+const char *    nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (NMDevice *self);
 const char *    nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address_full (NMDevice *self,
                                                          gboolean *out_is_fake);
 const char *    nm_device_get_initial_hw_address (NMDevice *dev);
diff --git a/src/devices/wifi/nm-device-wifi.c b/src/devices/wifi/nm-device-wifi.c
index f467c8141c..f65b0ccaf3 100644
--- a/src/devices/wifi/nm-device-wifi.c
+++ b/src/devices/wifi/nm-device-wifi.c
@@ -615,7 +615,7 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 	if (!s_wireless)
 		return FALSE;
 
-	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, FALSE);
+	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device);
 	mac = nm_setting_wireless_get_mac_address (s_wireless);
 	if (perm_hw_addr) {
 		if (mac && !nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (mac, -1, perm_hw_addr, -1))
@@ -907,7 +907,7 @@ complete_connection (NMDevice *device,
 	if (hidden)
 		g_object_set (s_wifi, NM_SETTING_WIRELESS_HIDDEN, TRUE, NULL);
 
-	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, FALSE);
+	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device);
 	if (perm_hw_addr) {
 		setting_mac = nm_setting_wireless_get_mac_address (s_wifi);
 		if (setting_mac) {
diff --git a/src/nm-config.c b/src/nm-config.c
index 3823e34b3d..f0f0c528bd 100644
--- a/src/nm-config.c
+++ b/src/nm-config.c
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ nm_config_set_no_auto_default_for_device (NMConfig *self, NMDevice *device)
 
 	priv = NM_CONFIG_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 
-	hw_address = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, TRUE);
+	hw_address = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device);
 	if (!hw_address)
 		return;
 
diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index a585fb5780..722a4b7daa 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -610,7 +610,7 @@ find_device_by_permanent_hw_addr (NMManager *manager, const char *hwaddr)
 
 	if (nm_utils_hwaddr_valid (hwaddr, -1)) {
 		for (iter = NM_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (manager)->devices; iter; iter = iter->next) {
-			device_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (NM_DEVICE (iter->data), FALSE);
+			device_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (NM_DEVICE (iter->data));
 			if (device_addr && nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (hwaddr, -1, device_addr, -1))
 				return NM_DEVICE (iter->data);
 		}
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings.c b/src/settings/nm-settings.c
index 1f691c0bd5..cd54e52c51 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings.c
@@ -1874,7 +1874,7 @@ have_connection_for_device (NMSettings *self, NMDevice *device)
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_SETTINGS (self), FALSE);
 
-	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device, FALSE);
+	perm_hw_addr = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (device);
 
 	/* Find a wired connection locked to the given MAC address, if any */
 	g_hash_table_iter_init (&iter, priv->connections);