diff --git a/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-manager.c b/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-manager.c
index ebf85e30eb..7743fddd7c 100644
--- a/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-manager.c
+++ b/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-manager.c
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ find_active_vpn_connection_by_connection (NMVPNManager *self, NMConnection *conn
 	NMVPNManagerPrivate *priv = NM_VPN_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 	GHashTableIter iter;
 	gpointer data;
-	GSList *active, *aiter;
+	const GSList *active, *aiter;
 	NMVPNConnection *found = NULL;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (connection, NULL);
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ find_active_vpn_connection_by_connection (NMVPNManager *self, NMConnection *conn
 				break;
 			}
 		}
-		g_slist_free (active);
 	}
 	return found;
 }
@@ -174,7 +173,7 @@ nm_vpn_manager_deactivate_connection (NMVPNManager *self,
 	NMVPNManagerPrivate *priv;
 	GHashTableIter iter;
 	gpointer data;
-	GSList *active, *aiter;
+	const GSList *active, *aiter;
 	gboolean success = FALSE;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (self, FALSE);
@@ -194,7 +193,6 @@ nm_vpn_manager_deactivate_connection (NMVPNManager *self,
 				break;
 			}
 		}
-		g_slist_free (active);
 	}
 
 	return success;
diff --git a/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-service.c b/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-service.c
index 9b5aec50c2..668cbf2e35 100644
--- a/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-service.c
+++ b/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-service.c
@@ -369,12 +369,12 @@ nm_vpn_service_activate (NMVPNService *service,
 	return vpn;
 }
 
-GSList *
+const GSList *
 nm_vpn_service_get_active_connections (NMVPNService *service)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_VPN_SERVICE (service), NULL);
 
-	return g_slist_copy (NM_VPN_SERVICE_GET_PRIVATE (service)->connections);
+	return NM_VPN_SERVICE_GET_PRIVATE (service)->connections;
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-service.h b/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-service.h
index 6ccdcc4733..e883d55f8b 100644
--- a/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-service.h
+++ b/src/vpn-manager/nm-vpn-service.h
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ NMVPNConnection * nm_vpn_service_activate (NMVPNService *service,
                                            gulong user_uid,
                                            GError **error);
 
-GSList * nm_vpn_service_get_active_connections (NMVPNService *service);
+const GSList *nm_vpn_service_get_active_connections (NMVPNService *service);
 
 void nm_vpn_service_connections_stop (NMVPNService *service,
                                       gboolean fail,