diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-setting.c b/libnm-core/nm-setting.c
index ff86fb9082..a8f7668aee 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-setting.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-setting.c
@@ -2037,8 +2037,12 @@ _nm_setting_get_deprecated_virtual_interface_name (NMSetting *setting,
 {
 	NMSettingConnection *s_con;
 
+	if (!connection)
+		return NULL;
+
 	s_con = nm_connection_get_setting_connection (connection);
-	g_return_val_if_fail (s_con != NULL, NULL);
+	if (!s_con)
+		return NULL;
 
 	if (nm_setting_connection_get_interface_name (s_con))
 		return g_variant_new_string (nm_setting_connection_get_interface_name (s_con));