diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-connection.c b/libnm-core/nm-connection.c
index 142fee4cd0..23e9f2159c 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-connection.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-connection.c
@@ -1012,8 +1012,8 @@ nm_connection_update_secrets (NMConnection *connection,
 		if (!full_connection) {
 			g_set_error_literal (error,
 			                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
-			                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_SETTING_NOT_FOUND,
-			                     key);
+			                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_SETTING,
+			                     _("Update secrets expects a full connection, instead only a setting is provided."));
 			return FALSE;
 		}
 
diff --git a/libnm-core/tests/test-secrets.c b/libnm-core/tests/test-secrets.c
index 738441ad47..d728223b39 100644
--- a/libnm-core/tests/test-secrets.c
+++ b/libnm-core/tests/test-secrets.c
@@ -716,7 +716,7 @@ test_update_secrets_null_setting_name_with_setting_hash (void)
 	secrets = build_wep_secrets (wepkey);
 
 	success = nm_connection_update_secrets (connection, NULL, secrets, &error);
-	g_assert_error (error, NM_CONNECTION_ERROR, NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_SETTING_NOT_FOUND);
+	g_assert_error (error, NM_CONNECTION_ERROR, NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_SETTING);
 	g_assert (!success);
 
 	g_variant_unref (secrets);