diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-connection-private.h b/libnm-core/nm-connection-private.h
index 620e6a81ec..7dd088ace0 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-connection-private.h
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-connection-private.h
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ NMSetting  *_nm_connection_find_base_type_setting         (NMConnection *connect
 const char *_nm_connection_detect_slave_type              (NMConnection *connection,
                                                            NMSetting **out_s_port);
 
+const char *_nm_connection_detect_bluetooth_type (NMConnection *self);
+
 gboolean    _nm_connection_verify_required_interface_name (NMConnection *connection,
                                                            GError **error);
 
diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-connection.c b/libnm-core/nm-connection.c
index d2e528420e..a3fae442ba 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-connection.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-connection.c
@@ -683,6 +683,26 @@ _normalize_connection_type (NMConnection *self)
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
+const char *
+_nm_connection_detect_bluetooth_type (NMConnection *self)
+{
+	NMSettingBluetooth *s_bt = nm_connection_get_setting_bluetooth (self);
+
+	if (   s_bt
+	    && nm_setting_bluetooth_get_connection_type (s_bt)) {
+		if (   nm_connection_get_setting_gsm (self)
+		    || nm_connection_get_setting_cdma (self))
+			return NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_DUN;
+		if (nm_connection_get_setting_bridge (self))
+			return NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_NAP;
+		return NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_PANU;
+	}
+
+	/* NULL means the connection is not a bluetooth type, or it needs
+	 * no normalization, as the type is set explicitly. */
+	return NULL;
+}
+
 const char *
 _nm_connection_detect_slave_type (NMConnection *connection, NMSetting **out_s_port)
 {
@@ -1052,6 +1072,20 @@ _normalize_team_port_config (NMConnection *self, GHashTable *parameters)
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+_normalize_bluetooth_type (NMConnection *self, GHashTable *parameters)
+{
+	const char *type = _nm_connection_detect_bluetooth_type (self);
+
+	if (type) {
+		g_object_set (nm_connection_get_setting_bluetooth (self),
+		              NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE, type,
+		              NULL);
+		return TRUE;
+	}
+	return FALSE;
+}
+
 static gboolean
 _normalize_required_settings (NMConnection *self, GHashTable *parameters)
 {
@@ -1353,6 +1387,7 @@ nm_connection_normalize (NMConnection *connection,
 	was_modified |= _normalize_wireless_mac_address_randomization (connection, parameters);
 	was_modified |= _normalize_team_config (connection, parameters);
 	was_modified |= _normalize_team_port_config (connection, parameters);
+	was_modified |= _normalize_bluetooth_type (connection, parameters);
 
 	/* Verify anew. */
 	success = _nm_connection_verify (connection, error);
diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-setting-bluetooth.c b/libnm-core/nm-setting-bluetooth.c
index 6daf857ecb..5b6ef3eb97 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-setting-bluetooth.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-setting-bluetooth.c
@@ -113,6 +113,8 @@ static gboolean
 verify (NMSetting *setting, NMConnection *connection, GError **error)
 {
 	NMSettingBluetoothPrivate *priv = NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_GET_PRIVATE (setting);
+	const char *type;
+	gboolean missing_nap_bridge = FALSE;
 
 	if (priv->bdaddr && !nm_utils_hwaddr_valid (priv->bdaddr, ETH_ALEN)) {
 		g_set_error_literal (error,
@@ -123,28 +125,38 @@ verify (NMSetting *setting, NMConnection *connection, GError **error)
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
-	if (!priv->type) {
-		g_set_error_literal (error,
-		                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
-		                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_MISSING_PROPERTY,
-		                     _("property is missing"));
-		g_prefix_error (error, "%s.%s: ", NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_SETTING_NAME, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE);
-		return FALSE;
-	} else if (!g_str_equal (priv->type, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_DUN) &&
-	           !g_str_equal (priv->type, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_NAP) &&
-	           !g_str_equal (priv->type, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_PANU)) {
+	type = priv->type;
+	if (!type) {
+		if (connection) {
+			/* We may infer the type from the (non-)existence of gsm/cdma/bridge settings. */
+			type = _nm_connection_detect_bluetooth_type (connection);
+		}
+		if (!type) {
+			g_set_error_literal (error,
+			                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
+			                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_MISSING_PROPERTY,
+			                     _("property is missing"));
+			g_prefix_error (error, "%s.%s: ", NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_SETTING_NAME, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE);
+			return FALSE;
+		}
+	}
+
+	if (!NM_IN_STRSET (type, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_DUN,
+	                         NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_NAP,
+	                         NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_PANU)) {
+		nm_assert (priv->type == type);
 		g_set_error (error,
 		             NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
 		             NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_PROPERTY,
 		             _("'%s' is not a valid value for the property"),
-		             priv->type);
+		             type);
 		g_prefix_error (error, "%s.%s: ", NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_SETTING_NAME, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE);
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
 	/* Make sure the corresponding 'type' setting is present */
 	if (   connection
-	    && !strcmp (priv->type, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_DUN)) {
+	    && nm_streq (type, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_DUN)) {
 		gboolean gsm = FALSE, cdma = FALSE;
 
 		gsm = !!nm_connection_get_setting_gsm (connection);
@@ -170,19 +182,12 @@ verify (NMSetting *setting, NMConnection *connection, GError **error)
 	 */
 
 	/* NAP mode needs a bridge setting, and a bridge needs a name. */
-	if (!strcmp (priv->type, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_NAP)) {
+	if (nm_streq (type, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_NAP)) {
 		if (!_nm_connection_verify_required_interface_name (connection, error))
 			return FALSE;
-		if (connection && !nm_connection_get_setting_bridge (connection)) {
-			g_set_error (error,
-			             NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
-			             NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_SETTING,
-			             _("'%s' connection requires '%s' setting"),
-			             NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_NAP,
-			             NM_SETTING_BRIDGE_SETTING_NAME);
-			g_prefix_error (error, "%s: ", NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_SETTING_NAME);
-			return NM_SETTING_VERIFY_NORMALIZABLE_ERROR;
-		}
+		if (   connection
+		    && !nm_connection_get_setting_bridge (connection))
+			missing_nap_bridge = TRUE;
 	} else {
 		if (!priv->bdaddr) {
 			g_set_error_literal (error,
@@ -194,6 +199,30 @@ verify (NMSetting *setting, NMConnection *connection, GError **error)
 		}
 	}
 
+	/* errors form here are normalizable. */
+
+	if (!priv->type) {
+		/* as determined above, we can detect the bluetooth type. */
+		nm_assert (!missing_nap_bridge);
+		g_set_error_literal (error,
+		                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
+		                     NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_MISSING_PROPERTY,
+		                     _("property is missing"));
+		g_prefix_error (error, "%s.%s: ", NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_SETTING_NAME, NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE);
+		return NM_SETTING_VERIFY_NORMALIZABLE;
+	}
+
+	if (missing_nap_bridge) {
+		g_set_error (error,
+		             NM_CONNECTION_ERROR,
+		             NM_CONNECTION_ERROR_INVALID_SETTING,
+		             _("'%s' connection requires '%s' setting"),
+		             NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_TYPE_NAP,
+		             NM_SETTING_BRIDGE_SETTING_NAME);
+		g_prefix_error (error, "%s: ", NM_SETTING_BLUETOOTH_SETTING_NAME);
+		return NM_SETTING_VERIFY_NORMALIZABLE_ERROR;
+	}
+
 	return TRUE;
 }