diff --git a/src/NetworkManagerUtils.c b/src/NetworkManagerUtils.c
index 19e51cf198..8270d05809 100644
--- a/src/NetworkManagerUtils.c
+++ b/src/NetworkManagerUtils.c
@@ -981,6 +981,7 @@ _shutdown_waitobj_cb (gpointer user_data,
  * nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_full:
  * @watched_obj: the object to watch. Takes a weak reference on the object
  *   to be notified when it gets destroyed.
+ *   If wait_type is %NM_SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TYPE_HANDLE, this must be %NULL.
  * @wait_type: whether @watched_obj is just a plain GObject or a GCancellable
  *   that should be cancelled.
  * @msg_reason: a reason message, for debugging and logging purposes.
@@ -1029,6 +1030,8 @@ nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_full (gpointer watched_obj,
 		g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_OBJECT (watched_obj), NULL);
 	else if (wait_type == NM_SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TYPE_CANCELLABLE)
 		g_return_val_if_fail (G_IS_CANCELLABLE (watched_obj), NULL);
+	else if (wait_type == NM_SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TYPE_HANDLE)
+		g_return_val_if_fail (!watched_obj, NULL);
 	else
 		g_return_val_if_reached (NULL);
 
@@ -1046,7 +1049,8 @@ nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_full (gpointer watched_obj,
 		.is_cancellable  = (wait_type == NM_SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TYPE_CANCELLABLE),
 	};
 	c_list_link_tail (&_shutdown_waitobj_lst_head, &handle->lst);
-	g_object_weak_ref (watched_obj, _shutdown_waitobj_cb, handle);
+	if (watched_obj)
+		g_object_weak_ref (watched_obj, _shutdown_waitobj_cb, handle);
 	return handle;
 }
 
@@ -1055,10 +1059,11 @@ nm_shutdown_wait_obj_unregister (NMShutdownWaitObjHandle *handle)
 {
 	g_return_if_fail (handle);
 
-	nm_assert (G_IS_OBJECT (handle->watched_obj));
+	nm_assert (!handle->watched_obj || G_IS_OBJECT (handle->watched_obj));
 	nm_assert (nm_c_list_contains_entry (&_shutdown_waitobj_lst_head, handle, lst));
 
-	g_object_weak_unref (handle->watched_obj, _shutdown_waitobj_cb, handle);
+	if (handle->watched_obj)
+		g_object_weak_unref (handle->watched_obj, _shutdown_waitobj_cb, handle);
 	_shutdown_waitobj_unregister (handle);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/NetworkManagerUtils.h b/src/NetworkManagerUtils.h
index 72be1c4cf6..adb1201bf2 100644
--- a/src/NetworkManagerUtils.h
+++ b/src/NetworkManagerUtils.h
@@ -75,6 +75,10 @@ NMPlatformRoutingRule *nm_ip_routing_rule_to_platform (const NMIPRoutingRule *ru
 #define NM_SHUTDOWN_TIMEOUT_MS_WATCHDOG    500
 
 typedef enum {
+	/* There is no watched_obj argument, and the shutdown is delayed until the user
+	 * explicitly calls unregister on the returned handle. */
+	NM_SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TYPE_HANDLE,
+
 	/* The watched_obj argument is a GObject, and shutdown is delayed until the object
 	 * gets destroyed (or unregistered). */
 	NM_SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TYPE_OBJECT,
@@ -102,6 +106,15 @@ nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_object_full (gpointer watched_obj,
 
 #define nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_object(watched_obj, msg_reason) nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_object_full((watched_obj), (""msg_reason""), FALSE)
 
+static inline NMShutdownWaitObjHandle *
+nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_handle_full (char *msg_reason,
+                                           gboolean free_msg_reason)
+{
+	return nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_full (NULL, NM_SHUTDOWN_WAIT_TYPE_HANDLE, msg_reason, free_msg_reason);
+}
+
+#define nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_handle(msg_reason) nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_handle_full((""msg_reason""), FALSE)
+
 static inline NMShutdownWaitObjHandle *
 nm_shutdown_wait_obj_register_cancellable_full (GCancellable *watched_obj,
                                                 char *msg_reason,