diff --git a/clients/cli/agent.c b/clients/cli/agent.c
index fc716b57f7..c4ff3f9efd 100644
--- a/clients/cli/agent.c
+++ b/clients/cli/agent.c
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ do_agent_secret (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	nmc->secret_agent = nm_secret_agent_simple_new ("nmcli-agent");
 	if (nmc->secret_agent) {
 		/* We keep running */
-		nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+		nmc->should_wait++;
 
 		nm_secret_agent_simple_enable (NM_SECRET_AGENT_SIMPLE (nmc->secret_agent), NULL);
 		g_signal_connect (nmc->secret_agent, "request-secrets", G_CALLBACK (secrets_requested), nmc);
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ do_agent_polkit (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 		g_error_free (error);
 	} else {
 		/* We keep running */
-		nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+		nmc->should_wait++;
 
 		g_print (_("nmcli successfully registered as a polkit agent.\n"));
 	}
diff --git a/clients/cli/connections.c b/clients/cli/connections.c
index 7483e1ac7e..08c2ea8eea 100644
--- a/clients/cli/connections.c
+++ b/clients/cli/connections.c
@@ -1535,8 +1535,6 @@ do_connections_show (NmCli *nmc, gboolean active_only, gboolean show_secrets,
 	char *profile_flds = NULL, *active_flds = NULL;
 	GPtrArray *invisibles, *sorted_cons;
 
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
-
 	if (argc == 0) {
 		char *fields_str;
 		char *fields_all =    NMC_FIELDS_CON_SHOW_ALL;
@@ -2377,13 +2375,14 @@ do_connection_up (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	 * and we can follow activation progress.
 	 */
 	nmc->nowait_flag = (nmc->timeout == 0);
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 
 	if (!nmc_activate_connection (nmc, connection, ifname, ap, nsp, pwds, activate_connection_cb, &error)) {
 		g_string_printf (nmc->return_text, _("Error: %s."),
 		                 error ? error->message : _("unknown error"));
 		nmc->return_value = error ? error->code : NMC_RESULT_ERROR_CON_ACTIVATION;
 		g_clear_error (&error);
+		nmc->should_wait--;
 		goto error;
 	}
 
@@ -2391,10 +2390,7 @@ do_connection_up (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	if (nmc->print_output == NMC_PRINT_PRETTY)
 		progress_id = g_timeout_add (120, progress_cb, _("preparing"));
 
-	g_free (line);
-	return nmc->return_value;
 error:
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
 	g_free (line);
 	return nmc->return_value;
 }
@@ -2549,7 +2545,7 @@ do_connection_down (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	queue = g_slist_reverse (queue);
 
 	if (nmc->timeout > 0) {
-		nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+		nmc->should_wait++;
 
 		info = g_slice_new0 (ConnectionCbInfo);
 		info->nmc = nmc;
@@ -6586,7 +6582,7 @@ do_connection_add (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 		goto error;
 	}
 
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 
 	info = g_malloc0 (sizeof (AddConnectionInfo));
 	info->nmc = nmc;
@@ -6610,7 +6606,6 @@ error:
 	g_free (type_ask);
 	g_free (ifname_ask);
 
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
 	return nmc->return_value;
 }
 
@@ -8959,7 +8954,7 @@ editor_menu_main (NmCli *nmc, NMConnection *connection, const char *connection_t
 			}
 
 			nmc->nowait_flag = FALSE;
-			nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+			nmc->should_wait++;
 			nmc->print_output = NMC_PRINT_PRETTY;
 			if (!nmc_activate_connection (nmc, NM_CONNECTION (rem_con), ifname, ap_nsp, ap_nsp, NULL,
 			                              activate_connection_editor_cb, &tmp_err)) {
@@ -9433,14 +9428,14 @@ do_connection_edit (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 		g_object_unref (connection);
 	g_free (nmc_tab_completion.con_type);
 
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 	return nmc->return_value;
 
 error:
 	g_assert (!connection);
 	g_free (type_ask);
 
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 	return nmc->return_value;
 }
 
@@ -9483,7 +9478,6 @@ do_connection_modify (NmCli *nmc,
 	GError *error = NULL;
 
 	nmc->return_value = NMC_RESULT_SUCCESS;
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
 
 	if (argc == 0) {
 		g_string_printf (nmc->return_text, _("Error: No arguments provided."));
@@ -9538,7 +9532,7 @@ do_connection_modify (NmCli *nmc,
 
 	update_connection (!temporary, rc, modify_connection_cb, nmc);
 
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 finish:
 	return nmc->return_value;
 }
@@ -9785,7 +9779,7 @@ do_connection_delete (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	info->timeout_id = g_timeout_add_seconds (nmc->timeout, connection_op_timeout_cb, info);
 
 	nmc->nowait_flag = (nmc->timeout == 0);
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 
 	g_signal_connect (nmc->client, NM_CLIENT_CONNECTION_REMOVED,
 	                  G_CALLBACK (connection_removed_cb), info);
@@ -9813,7 +9807,6 @@ do_connection_reload (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	GError *error = NULL;
 
 	nmc->return_value = NMC_RESULT_SUCCESS;
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
 
 	if (!nm_client_reload_connections (nmc->client, NULL, &error)) {
 		g_string_printf (nmc->return_text, _("Error: failed to reload connections: %s."),
@@ -9833,7 +9826,6 @@ do_connection_load (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	int i;
 
 	nmc->return_value = NMC_RESULT_SUCCESS;
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
 
 	if (argc == 0) {
 		g_string_printf (nmc->return_text, _("Error: No connection specified."));
@@ -10115,7 +10107,7 @@ do_connections (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "add") == 0) {
 			nmc->return_value = do_connection_add (nmc, argc-1, argv+1);
 		} else if (matches(*argv, "edit") == 0) {
-			nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+			nmc->should_wait++;
 			editor_thread_data.nmc = nmc;
 			editor_thread_data.argc = argc - 1;
 			editor_thread_data.argv = argv + 1;
diff --git a/clients/cli/devices.c b/clients/cli/devices.c
index e37d0f4b2b..b6e73e82ee 100644
--- a/clients/cli/devices.c
+++ b/clients/cli/devices.c
@@ -1622,7 +1622,7 @@ do_device_connect (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	 * till connect_device_cb() is called, giving NM time to check our permissions.
 	 */
 	nmc->nowait_flag = (nmc->timeout == 0);
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 
 	/* Create secret agent */
 	nmc->secret_agent = nm_secret_agent_simple_new ("nmcli-connect");
@@ -1840,7 +1840,7 @@ do_device_disconnect (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	                  G_CALLBACK (device_removed_cb), info);
 
 	nmc->nowait_flag = (nmc->timeout == 0);
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 
 	for (iter = queue; iter; iter = g_slist_next (iter)) {
 		device = iter->data;
@@ -1961,7 +1961,7 @@ do_device_delete (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	                  G_CALLBACK (device_removed_cb), info);
 
 	nmc->nowait_flag = (nmc->timeout == 0);
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 
 	for (iter = queue; iter; iter = g_slist_next (iter)) {
 		device = iter->data;
@@ -2726,7 +2726,7 @@ do_device_wifi_connect_network (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	 * the user doesn't want to wait, in order to give NM time to check our
 	 * permissions. */
 	nmc->nowait_flag = (nmc->timeout == 0);
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 
 	info = g_malloc0 (sizeof (AddAndActivateInfo));
 	info->nmc = nmc;
@@ -3116,8 +3116,6 @@ do_device_wifi_rescan (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	const char *ssid;
 	int i;
 
-	nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
-
 	ssids = g_ptr_array_new ();
 
 	/* Get the parameters */
@@ -3185,7 +3183,7 @@ do_device_wifi_rescan (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 	g_ptr_array_free (ssids, FALSE);
 	return nmc->return_value;
 error:
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
+	nmc->should_wait++;
 	g_ptr_array_free (ssids, FALSE);
 	return nmc->return_value;
 }
diff --git a/clients/cli/general.c b/clients/cli/general.c
index 9118fb33d1..abf71f67a1 100644
--- a/clients/cli/general.c
+++ b/clients/cli/general.c
@@ -619,7 +619,7 @@ do_general (NmCli *nmc, int argc, char **argv)
 				if (next_arg (&argc, &argv) == 0)
 					g_print ("Warning: ignoring extra garbage after '%s' hostname\n", hostname);
 
-				nmc->should_wait = TRUE;
+				nmc->should_wait++;
 				nmc->get_client (nmc); /* create NMClient */
 				nm_client_save_hostname_async (nmc->client, hostname, NULL, save_hostname_cb, nmc);
 			}
diff --git a/clients/cli/nmcli.c b/clients/cli/nmcli.c
index bd176c8fc8..9242dd4f41 100644
--- a/clients/cli/nmcli.c
+++ b/clients/cli/nmcli.c
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ nmc_init (NmCli *nmc)
 	nmc->pwds_hash = NULL;
 	nmc->pk_listener = NULL;
 
-	nmc->should_wait = FALSE;
+	nmc->should_wait = 0;
 	nmc->nowait_flag = TRUE;
 	nmc->print_output = NMC_PRINT_NORMAL;
 	nmc->multiline_output = FALSE;
diff --git a/clients/cli/nmcli.h b/clients/cli/nmcli.h
index 06662fefee..de44a08c19 100644
--- a/clients/cli/nmcli.h
+++ b/clients/cli/nmcli.h
@@ -144,7 +144,7 @@ typedef struct _NmCli {
 	GHashTable *pwds_hash;                            /* Hash table with passwords in passwd-file */
 	NMPolkitListener *pk_listener ;                   /* polkit agent listener */
 
-	gboolean should_wait;                             /* Indication that nmcli should not end yet */
+	int should_wait;                                  /* Semaphore indicating whether nmcli should not end or not yet */
 	gboolean nowait_flag;                             /* '--nowait' option; used for passing to callbacks */
 	NMCPrintOutput print_output;                      /* Output mode */
 	gboolean multiline_output;                        /* Multiline output instead of default tabular */