diff --git a/src/devices/wwan/nm-modem-manager.c b/src/devices/wwan/nm-modem-manager.c
index 381a909c18..d6a515077a 100644
--- a/src/devices/wwan/nm-modem-manager.c
+++ b/src/devices/wwan/nm-modem-manager.c
@@ -97,6 +97,10 @@ G_DEFINE_TYPE (NMModemManager, nm_modem_manager, G_TYPE_OBJECT)
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+NM_DEFINE_SINGLETON_GETTER (NMModemManager, nm_modem_manager_get, NM_TYPE_MODEM_MANAGER);
+
+/*****************************************************************************/
+
 static void modm_schedule_manager_relaunch (NMModemManager *self,
                                             guint n_seconds);
 static void modm_ensure_manager (NMModemManager *self);
diff --git a/src/devices/wwan/nm-modem-manager.h b/src/devices/wwan/nm-modem-manager.h
index 70feee9109..84eb232e98 100644
--- a/src/devices/wwan/nm-modem-manager.h
+++ b/src/devices/wwan/nm-modem-manager.h
@@ -43,4 +43,6 @@ typedef struct _NMModemManagerClass NMModemManagerClass;
 
 GType nm_modem_manager_get_type (void);
 
+NMModemManager *nm_modem_manager_get (void);
+
 #endif /* __NETWORKMANAGER_MODEM_MANAGER_H__ */
diff --git a/src/devices/wwan/nm-wwan-factory.c b/src/devices/wwan/nm-wwan-factory.c
index fa4c8dbbf6..663102de4d 100644
--- a/src/devices/wwan/nm-wwan-factory.c
+++ b/src/devices/wwan/nm-wwan-factory.c
@@ -127,8 +127,8 @@ start (NMDeviceFactory *factory)
 	NMWwanFactory *self = NM_WWAN_FACTORY (factory);
 	NMWwanFactoryPrivate *priv = NM_WWAN_FACTORY_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 
-	priv->mm = g_object_new (NM_TYPE_MODEM_MANAGER, NULL);
-	g_assert (priv->mm);
+	priv->mm = g_object_ref (nm_modem_manager_get ());
+
 	g_signal_connect (priv->mm,
 	                  NM_MODEM_MANAGER_MODEM_ADDED,
 	                  G_CALLBACK (modem_added_cb),