diff --git a/src/nm-active-connection.c b/src/nm-active-connection.c
index 59f7622c77..559d05cf13 100644
--- a/src/nm-active-connection.c
+++ b/src/nm-active-connection.c
@@ -1447,6 +1447,7 @@ nm_active_connection_init (NMActiveConnection *self)
 	priv->version_id = _version_id_new ();
 
 	priv->keep_alive = nm_keep_alive_new ();
+	_nm_keep_alive_set_owner (priv->keep_alive, G_OBJECT (self));
 	g_signal_connect_object (priv->keep_alive, "notify::" NM_KEEP_ALIVE_ALIVE,
 	                         (GCallback) keep_alive_alive_changed,
 	                         self,
@@ -1532,6 +1533,8 @@ finalize (GObject *object)
 	NMActiveConnectionPrivate *priv = NM_ACTIVE_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 
 	nm_dbus_track_obj_path_set (&priv->settings_connection, NULL, FALSE);
+
+	_nm_keep_alive_set_owner (priv->keep_alive, NULL);
 	g_clear_object (&priv->keep_alive);
 
 	G_OBJECT_CLASS (nm_active_connection_parent_class)->finalize (object);
diff --git a/src/nm-keep-alive.c b/src/nm-keep-alive.c
index 0b3b7fabd7..4af6c38ddb 100644
--- a/src/nm-keep-alive.c
+++ b/src/nm-keep-alive.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ NM_GOBJECT_PROPERTIES_DEFINE (NMKeepAlive,
 );
 
 typedef struct {
+	GObject *owner;
+
 	NMSettingsConnection *connection;
 	GDBusConnection *dbus_connection;
 	char *dbus_client;
@@ -398,6 +400,62 @@ get_property (GObject *object,
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+/**
+ * nm_keep_alive_get_owner:
+ * @self: the #NMKeepAlive
+ *
+ * Returns: the owner instance associated with this @self. This commonly
+ *   is set to be the target instance, which @self guards for being alive.
+ *   Returns a gpointer, but of course it's some GObject instance. */
+gpointer /* GObject * */
+nm_keep_alive_get_owner (NMKeepAlive *self)
+{
+	NMKeepAlivePrivate *priv = NM_KEEP_ALIVE_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+
+	nm_assert (!priv->owner || G_IS_OBJECT (priv->owner));
+
+	return priv->owner;
+}
+
+/**
+ * _nm_keep_alive_set_owner:
+ * @self: the #NMKeepAlive
+ * @owner: the owner to set or unset.
+ *
+ * Sets or unsets the owner instance. Think of the owner the target
+ * instance that is guarded by @self. It's the responsibility of the
+ * owner to set and properly unset this pointer. As the owner also
+ * controls the lifetime of the NMKeepAlive instance.
+ *
+ * This API is not to be called by everybody, but only the owner of
+ * @self.
+ */
+void
+_nm_keep_alive_set_owner (NMKeepAlive *self,
+                          GObject *owner)
+{
+	NMKeepAlivePrivate *priv = NM_KEEP_ALIVE_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+
+	nm_assert (!owner || G_IS_OBJECT (owner));
+
+	/* it's bad style to reset the owner object. You are supposed to
+	 * set it once, and clear it once. That's it. */
+	nm_assert (!owner || !priv->owner);
+
+	/* optimally, we would take a reference to @owner. But the
+	 * owner already owns a refrence to the keep-alive, so we cannot
+	 * just own a reference back.
+	 *
+	 * We could register a weak-pointer here. But instead, declare that
+	 * owner is required to set itself as owner when creating the
+	 * keep-alive instance, and unset itself when it lets go of the
+	 * keep-alive instance (at latest, when the owner itself gets destroyed).
+	 */
+	priv->owner = owner;
+}
+
+/*****************************************************************************/
+
 static void
 nm_keep_alive_init (NMKeepAlive *self)
 {
@@ -419,6 +477,8 @@ dispose (GObject *object)
 {
 	NMKeepAlive *self = NM_KEEP_ALIVE (object);
 
+	nm_assert (!NM_KEEP_ALIVE_GET_PRIVATE (self)->owner);
+
 	/* disarm also happens to free all resources. */
 	nm_keep_alive_disarm (self);
 }
diff --git a/src/nm-keep-alive.h b/src/nm-keep-alive.h
index 3a7cd66858..72133224cd 100644
--- a/src/nm-keep-alive.h
+++ b/src/nm-keep-alive.h
@@ -53,4 +53,10 @@ void nm_keep_alive_set_dbus_client_watch (NMKeepAlive      *self,
                                           GDBusConnection  *connection,
                                           const char       *client_address);
 
+gpointer /* GObject * */ nm_keep_alive_get_owner (NMKeepAlive *self);
+
+/* _nm_keep_alive_set_owner() is reserved for the owner to set/unset itself. */
+void                     _nm_keep_alive_set_owner (NMKeepAlive *self,
+                                                   GObject *owner);
+
 #endif /* __NETWORKMANAGER_KEEP_ALIVE_H__ */