diff --git a/src/dns/nm-dns-systemd-resolved.c b/src/dns/nm-dns-systemd-resolved.c
index de70a60d0f..fe8cd9c2eb 100644
--- a/src/dns/nm-dns-systemd-resolved.c
+++ b/src/dns/nm-dns-systemd-resolved.c
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	bool try_start_blocked:1;
 	bool dbus_has_owner:1;
 	bool dbus_initied:1;
+	bool request_queue_to_send:1;
 } NMDnsSystemdResolvedPrivate;
 
 struct _NMDnsSystemdResolved {
@@ -132,18 +133,17 @@ call_done (GObject *source, GAsyncResult *r, gpointer user_data)
 	RequestItem *request_item;
 	NMLogLevel log_level;
 
-	request_item = user_data;
-
 	v = g_dbus_connection_call_finish (G_DBUS_CONNECTION (source), r, &error);
 	if (nm_utils_error_is_cancelled (error))
-		goto out;
+		return;
 
+	request_item = user_data;
 	self = request_item->self;
 	priv = NM_DNS_SYSTEMD_RESOLVED_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 
 	if (v) {
 		priv->send_updates_warn_ratelimited = FALSE;
-		goto out;
+		return;
 	}
 
 	log_level = LOGL_DEBUG;
@@ -158,9 +158,6 @@ call_done (GObject *source, GAsyncResult *r, gpointer user_data)
 	        request_item->operation,
 	        request_item->ifindex,
 	        error->message);
-
-out:
-	_request_item_free (request_item);
 }
 
 static gboolean
@@ -327,7 +324,7 @@ send_updates (NMDnsSystemdResolved *self)
 	NMDnsSystemdResolvedPrivate *priv = NM_DNS_SYSTEMD_RESOLVED_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 	RequestItem *request_item;
 
-	if (c_list_is_empty (&priv->request_queue_lst_head)) {
+	if (!priv->request_queue_to_send) {
 		/* nothing to do. */
 		return;
 	}
@@ -357,16 +354,21 @@ send_updates (NMDnsSystemdResolved *self)
 		return;
 	}
 
-	_LOGT ("send-updates: start %lu requests",
-	       c_list_length (&priv->request_queue_lst_head));
-
 	nm_clear_g_cancellable (&priv->cancellable);
 
+	if (c_list_is_empty (&priv->request_queue_lst_head)) {
+		_LOGT ("send-updates: no requests to send");
+		priv->request_queue_to_send = FALSE;
+		return;
+	}
+
+	_LOGT ("send-updates: start %lu requests", c_list_length (&priv->request_queue_lst_head));
+
 	priv->cancellable = g_cancellable_new ();
 
-	while ((request_item = c_list_first_entry (&priv->request_queue_lst_head,
-	                                           RequestItem,
-	                                           request_queue_lst))) {
+	priv->request_queue_to_send = FALSE;
+
+	c_list_for_each_entry (request_item, &priv->request_queue_lst_head, request_queue_lst) {
 		/* Above we explicitly call "StartServiceByName" trying to avoid D-Bus activating systmd-resolved
 		 * multiple times. There is still a race, were we might hit this line although actually
 		 * the service just quit this very moment. In that case, we would try to D-Bus activate the
@@ -387,7 +389,6 @@ send_updates (NMDnsSystemdResolved *self)
 		                        priv->cancellable,
 		                        call_done,
 		                        request_item);
-		c_list_unlink (&request_item->request_queue_lst);
 	}
 }
 
@@ -462,8 +463,8 @@ update (NMDnsPlugin *plugin,
 		}
 	}
 
+	priv->request_queue_to_send = TRUE;
 	send_updates (self);
-
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
@@ -483,8 +484,10 @@ name_owner_changed (NMDnsSystemdResolved *self,
 		_LOGT ("D-Bus name for systemd-resolved has owner %s", owner);
 
 	priv->dbus_has_owner = !!owner;
-	if (owner)
+	if (owner) {
 		priv->try_start_blocked = FALSE;
+		priv->request_queue_to_send = TRUE;
+	}
 
 	send_updates (self);
 }