diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index a67401c3f5..445611ddca 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -3601,6 +3601,8 @@ rdisc_config_changed (NMRDisc *rdisc, NMRDiscConfigMap changed, NMDevice *device
 			address.timestamp = discovered_address->timestamp;
 			address.lifetime = discovered_address->lifetime;
 			address.preferred = discovered_address->preferred;
+			if (address.preferred > address.lifetime)
+				address.preferred = address.lifetime;
 			address.source = NM_PLATFORM_SOURCE_RDISC;
 			address.flags = ifa_flags;
 
diff --git a/src/platform/nm-platform.c b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
index 463822c7d9..e43f3033f2 100644
--- a/src/platform/nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/platform/nm-platform.c
@@ -1425,6 +1425,7 @@ nm_platform_ip4_address_add (int ifindex,
 	g_return_val_if_fail (ifindex > 0, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (plen > 0, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (lifetime > 0, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (preferred <= lifetime, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (klass->ip4_address_add, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!label || strlen (label) < sizeof (((NMPlatformIP4Address *) NULL)->label), FALSE);
 
@@ -1459,6 +1460,7 @@ nm_platform_ip6_address_add (int ifindex,
 	g_return_val_if_fail (ifindex > 0, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (plen > 0, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (lifetime > 0, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (preferred <= lifetime, FALSE);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (klass->ip6_address_add, FALSE);
 
 	if (nm_logging_enabled (LOGL_DEBUG, LOGD_PLATFORM)) {
@@ -1610,6 +1612,8 @@ nm_platform_ip4_address_sync (int ifindex, const GArray *known_addresses)
 
 			lifetime = subtract_guint32 (known_address->lifetime, shift);
 			preferred = subtract_guint32 (known_address->lifetime, shift);
+
+			g_warn_if_fail (known_address->preferred <= known_address->lifetime);
 		} else
 			lifetime = preferred = NM_PLATFORM_LIFETIME_PERMANENT;
 
@@ -1667,6 +1671,8 @@ nm_platform_ip6_address_sync (int ifindex, const GArray *known_addresses)
 
 			lifetime = subtract_guint32 (known_address->lifetime, shift);
 			preferred = subtract_guint32 (known_address->lifetime, shift);
+
+			g_warn_if_fail (known_address->preferred <= known_address->lifetime);
 		} else
 			lifetime = preferred = NM_PLATFORM_LIFETIME_PERMANENT;
 
diff --git a/src/rdisc/nm-lndp-rdisc.c b/src/rdisc/nm-lndp-rdisc.c
index f5efa1ec7f..cf0267d1c6 100644
--- a/src/rdisc/nm-lndp-rdisc.c
+++ b/src/rdisc/nm-lndp-rdisc.c
@@ -547,6 +547,8 @@ receive_ra (struct ndp *ndp, struct ndp_msg *msg, gpointer user_data)
 				address.timestamp = now;
 				address.lifetime = ndp_msg_opt_prefix_valid_time (msg, offset);
 				address.preferred = ndp_msg_opt_prefix_preferred_time (msg, offset);
+				if (address.preferred > address.lifetime)
+					address.preferred = address.lifetime;
 
 				fill_address_from_mac (&address.address, lladdr);