diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
index 1a34207e79..37a0b3a6c3 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
@@ -517,6 +517,7 @@ set_persist_mode (NMSettingsConnection *self, NMSettingsConnectionPersistMode pe
 		                                  TRUE);
 		return;
 	case NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP:
+	case NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED:
 		/* Nothing to do */
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
index 899c48dab4..29ec05dd10 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.h
@@ -137,6 +137,9 @@ gboolean nm_settings_connection_has_unmodified_applied_connection (NMSettingsCon
 
 typedef enum {
 	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
+
+	/* like KEEP, but always clears the UNSAVED flag */
+	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED,
 	NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_DISK,
 
 	/* unsaved, only sets the unsaved flag, but it doesn't touch
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ibft/nms-ibft-connection.c b/src/settings/plugins/ibft/nms-ibft-connection.c
index 2a7c5f4a02..fb7f18f8d3 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ibft/nms-ibft-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ibft/nms-ibft-connection.c
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ nms_ibft_connection_new (const GPtrArray *block, GError **error)
 	/* Update settings with what was read from iscsiadm */
 	if (!nm_settings_connection_update (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (object),
 	                                    source,
-	                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
+	                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED,
 	                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 	                                    NULL,
 	                                    error))
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
index 3cf5c978c9..6979fdaaaf 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-connection.c
@@ -442,7 +442,7 @@ nm_ifcfg_connection_new (NMConnection *source,
 	if (nm_settings_connection_update (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (object),
 	                                   tmp,
 	                                   full_path
-	                                     ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP /* connection is already on disk */
+	                                     ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED
 	                                     : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED,
 	                                   NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 	                                   NULL,
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-plugin.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-plugin.c
index 8d222d31c2..0743fc9ff1 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-plugin.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifcfg-rh/nms-ifcfg-rh-plugin.c
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ update_connection (SettingsPluginIfcfg *self,
 
 			if (!nm_settings_connection_update (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (connection_by_uuid),
 			                                    NM_CONNECTION (connection_new),
-			                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
+			                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED,
 			                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 			                                    "ifcfg-update",
 			                                    &local)) {
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-connection.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-connection.c
index e7cd19cd2c..ce0b3f2bfc 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-connection.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ nm_ifnet_connection_new (NMConnection *source, const char *conn_name)
 	                                    tmp,
 	                                    update_unsaved
 	                                      ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED
-	                                      : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
+	                                      : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED,
 	                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 	                                    NULL,
 	                                    NULL)) {
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-plugin.c b/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-plugin.c
index 6fc7981cbc..8332358f9f 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-plugin.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/ifnet/nms-ifnet-plugin.c
@@ -271,7 +271,7 @@ reload_connections (NMSettingsPlugin *config)
 				/* Update existing connection with new settings */
 				if (!nm_settings_connection_update (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (old),
 				                                    NM_CONNECTION (new),
-				                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
+				                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED,
 				                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 				                                    "ifnet-update",
 				                                    &error)) {
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-connection.c b/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-connection.c
index 5a6d8a76e7..5f72a9fabe 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-connection.c
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ nms_keyfile_connection_new (NMConnection *source,
 	                                    tmp,
 	                                    update_unsaved
 	                                      ? NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_UNSAVED
-	                                      : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
+	                                      : NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED,
 	                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 	                                    NULL,
 	                                    error)) {
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-plugin.c b/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-plugin.c
index 19ebbea8fc..cb5f2c9f06 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-plugin.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/nms-keyfile-plugin.c
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ update_connection (NMSKeyfilePlugin *self,
 
 			if (!nm_settings_connection_update (NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION (connection_by_uuid),
 			                                    NM_CONNECTION (connection_new),
-			                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP,
+			                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_PERSIST_MODE_KEEP_SAVED,
 			                                    NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_COMMIT_REASON_NONE,
 			                                    "keyfile-update",
 			                                    &local)) {