diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
index 6dabdfe855..8241d04e80 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
@@ -415,6 +415,12 @@ release_slave (NMDevice *device,
 	NMDeviceBond *self = NM_DEVICE_BOND (device);
 	gboolean success;
 	gs_free char *address = NULL;
+	int ifindex;
+
+	ifindex = nm_device_get_ifindex (device);
+	if (   ifindex <= 0
+	    || !nm_platform_link_get (nm_device_get_platform (device), ifindex))
+		configure = FALSE;
 
 	if (configure) {
 		/* When the last slave is released the bond MAC will be set to a random
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
index 4c8921c071..6c3bdcfa78 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
@@ -481,6 +481,12 @@ release_slave (NMDevice *device,
 {
 	NMDeviceBridge *self = NM_DEVICE_BRIDGE (device);
 	gboolean success;
+	int ifindex;
+
+	ifindex = nm_device_get_ifindex (device);
+	if (   ifindex <= 0
+	    || !nm_platform_link_get (nm_device_get_platform (device), ifindex))
+		configure = FALSE;
 
 	if (configure) {
 		success = nm_platform_link_release (nm_device_get_platform (device),
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index a585f6e0ca..edd164b024 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -4844,7 +4844,6 @@ nm_device_master_release_slaves (NMDevice *self)
 {
 	NMDevicePrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 	NMDeviceStateReason reason;
-	gboolean configure = TRUE;
 	CList *iter, *safe;
 
 	/* Don't release the slaves if this connection doesn't belong to NM. */
@@ -4855,14 +4854,10 @@ nm_device_master_release_slaves (NMDevice *self)
 	if (priv->state == NM_DEVICE_STATE_FAILED)
 		reason = NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_DEPENDENCY_FAILED;
 
-	if (   priv->ifindex <= 0
-	    || !nm_platform_link_get (nm_device_get_platform (self), priv->ifindex))
-		configure = FALSE;
-
 	c_list_for_each_safe (iter, safe, &priv->slaves) {
 		SlaveInfo *info = c_list_entry (iter, SlaveInfo, lst_slave);
 
-		nm_device_master_release_one_slave (self, info->slave, configure, reason);
+		nm_device_master_release_one_slave (self, info->slave, TRUE, reason);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c b/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
index 6159be70d2..1711ee0aaf 100644
--- a/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
+++ b/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
@@ -774,6 +774,12 @@ release_slave (NMDevice *device,
 	NMDeviceTeam *self = NM_DEVICE_TEAM (device);
 	NMDeviceTeamPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_TEAM_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 	gboolean success;
+	int ifindex;
+
+	ifindex = nm_device_get_ifindex (device);
+	if (   ifindex <= 0
+	    || !nm_platform_link_get (nm_device_get_platform (device), ifindex))
+		configure = FALSE;
 
 	if (configure) {
 		success = nm_platform_link_release (nm_device_get_platform (device),