diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-setting-vlan.h b/libnm-core/nm-setting-vlan.h
index 9d2cf3a0b7..28cdfd6dc9 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-setting-vlan.h
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-setting-vlan.h
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #endif
 
 #include "nm-setting.h"
-#include <linux/if_vlan.h>
 
 G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-utils.h b/libnm-core/nm-utils.h
index 052660d705..393f0f3a50 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-utils.h
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-utils.h
@@ -12,12 +12,6 @@
 
 #include <glib.h>
 
-#include <netinet/in.h>
-
-/* For ETH_ALEN and INFINIBAND_ALEN */
-#include <linux/if_ether.h>
-#include <linux/if_infiniband.h>
-
 #include "nm-core-enum-types.h"
 #include "nm-setting-sriov.h"
 #include "nm-setting-tc-config.h"
diff --git a/libnm/NetworkManager.h b/libnm/NetworkManager.h
index ba83647afa..c0ffc0441e 100644
--- a/libnm/NetworkManager.h
+++ b/libnm/NetworkManager.h
@@ -115,6 +115,17 @@
 
 #include "nm-autoptr.h"
 
+#if !defined(NETWORKMANAGER_COMPILATION) \
+    && (!defined(NM_NO_INCLUDE_EXTRA_HEADERS) || !NM_NO_INCLUDE_EXTRA_HEADERS)
+    /* historically, NetworkManager.h drags in the following system headers.
+     * These are not strictly necessary and the user may wish to opt out from
+     * including them. */
+    #include <linux/if_ether.h>
+    #include <linux/if_infiniband.h>
+    #include <linux/if_vlan.h>
+    #include <netinet/in.h>
+#endif
+
 #undef __NETWORKMANAGER_H_INSIDE__
 
 #endif /* __NETWORKMANAGER_H__ */