diff --git a/src/nm-initrd-generator/nm-initrd-generator.h b/src/nm-initrd-generator/nm-initrd-generator.h
index a7bbbe65fa..87db9fc665 100644
--- a/src/nm-initrd-generator/nm-initrd-generator.h
+++ b/src/nm-initrd-generator/nm-initrd-generator.h
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@
 #define NMI_WAIT_DEVICE_TIMEOUT_MSEC 60000
 #define NMI_IP_REQUIRED_TIMEOUT_MSEC 20000
 
+#define NMI_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_CMDLINE  -100
+#define NMI_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_FIRMWARE -200
+
 static inline int
 get_ip_address_family(const char *str, gboolean with_prefix)
 {
diff --git a/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-cmdline-reader.c b/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
index 985da2d30f..431537cf52 100644
--- a/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
+++ b/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-cmdline-reader.c
@@ -99,6 +99,7 @@ reader_create_connection(Reader                  *reader,
                          const char              *ifname,
                          const char              *mac,
                          const char              *type_name,
+                         int                      autoconnect_priority,
                          NMConnectionMultiConnect multi_connect)
 {
     NMConnection *connection;
@@ -155,6 +156,8 @@ reader_create_connection(Reader                  *reader,
                  multi_connect,
                  NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_RETRIES,
                  1,
+                 NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY,
+                 autoconnect_priority,
                  NULL);
 
     if (nm_streq0(type_name, NM_SETTING_INFINIBAND_SETTING_NAME)) {
@@ -189,6 +192,7 @@ reader_get_default_connection(Reader *reader)
                                        NULL,
                                        NULL,
                                        NM_SETTING_WIRED_SETTING_NAME,
+                                       NMI_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_CMDLINE,
                                        NM_CONNECTION_MULTI_CONNECT_MULTIPLE);
         nm_connection_add_setting(con, nm_setting_wired_new());
         reader->default_connection = con;
@@ -264,6 +268,7 @@ reader_get_connection(Reader     *reader,
                                               ifname,
                                               mac,
                                               type_name,
+                                              NMI_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_CMDLINE,
                                               NM_CONNECTION_MULTI_CONNECT_SINGLE);
     }
     setting = (NMSetting *) nm_connection_get_setting_connection(connection);
@@ -1526,6 +1531,7 @@ nmi_cmdline_reader_parse(const char        *etc_connections_dir,
                                                   NULL,
                                                   bootif,
                                                   NM_SETTING_WIRED_SETTING_NAME,
+                                                  NMI_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_FIRMWARE,
                                                   NM_CONNECTION_MULTI_CONNECT_SINGLE);
         } else {
             g_object_set(s_wired, NM_SETTING_WIRED_MAC_ADDRESS, bootif, NULL);
diff --git a/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-dt-reader.c b/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-dt-reader.c
index 77ded4ac94..f1279d5807 100644
--- a/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-dt-reader.c
+++ b/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-dt-reader.c
@@ -248,6 +248,8 @@ nmi_dt_reader_parse(const char *sysfs_dir)
                                            NM_SETTING_WIRED_SETTING_NAME,
                                            NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_ID,
                                            "OpenFirmware Connection",
+                                           NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY,
+                                           NMI_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_FIRMWARE,
                                            NULL));
 
     s_ip4 = nm_setting_ip4_config_new();
diff --git a/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-ibft-reader.c b/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-ibft-reader.c
index f7145c9946..a5330fd2cb 100644
--- a/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-ibft-reader.c
+++ b/src/nm-initrd-generator/nmi-ibft-reader.c
@@ -330,6 +330,8 @@ connection_setting_add(GHashTable   *nic,
                  id,
                  NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_INTERFACE_NAME,
                  NULL,
+                 NM_SETTING_CONNECTION_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY,
+                 NMI_AUTOCONNECT_PRIORITY_FIRMWARE,
                  NULL);
 
     g_free(uuid);