diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index 2171260240..f239d5f32b 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -2266,10 +2266,24 @@ platform_link_added (NMManager *self,
 
 	if (device) {
 		gs_free_error GError *error = NULL;
+		NMUnmanFlagOp unmanaged_user_explicit = NM_UNMAN_FLAG_OP_FORGET;
+
+		if (dev_state) {
+			switch (dev_state->managed) {
+			case NM_CONFIG_DEVICE_STATE_MANAGED_TYPE_MANAGED:
+				unmanaged_user_explicit = NM_UNMAN_FLAG_OP_SET_MANAGED;
+				break;
+			case NM_CONFIG_DEVICE_STATE_MANAGED_TYPE_UNMANAGED:
+				unmanaged_user_explicit = NM_UNMAN_FLAG_OP_SET_UNMANAGED;
+				break;
+			case NM_CONFIG_DEVICE_STATE_MANAGED_TYPE_UNKNOWN:
+				break;
+			}
+		}
 
 		if (nm_device_realize_start (device,
 		                             plink,
-		                             NM_UNMAN_FLAG_OP_FORGET,
+		                             unmanaged_user_explicit,
 		                             NULL,
 		                             &error)) {
 			add_device (self, device, NULL);