diff --git a/src/nm-keep-alive.c b/src/nm-keep-alive.c
index 4af6c38ddb..c519ceb756 100644
--- a/src/nm-keep-alive.c
+++ b/src/nm-keep-alive.c
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ typedef struct {
 	bool armed:1;
 	bool disarmed:1;
 
-	bool forced:1;
 	bool alive:1;
 	bool dbus_client_confirmed:1;
 } NMKeepAlivePrivate;
@@ -88,9 +87,6 @@ _is_alive (NMKeepAlive *self)
 		return TRUE;
 	}
 
-	if (priv->forced)
-		return TRUE;
-
 	if (   priv->connection
 	    && NM_FLAGS_HAS (nm_settings_connection_get_flags (priv->connection),
 	                     NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_INT_FLAGS_VISIBLE))
@@ -129,19 +125,6 @@ nm_keep_alive_is_alive (NMKeepAlive *self)
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
-void
-nm_keep_alive_set_forced (NMKeepAlive *self, gboolean forced)
-{
-	NMKeepAlivePrivate *priv = NM_KEEP_ALIVE_GET_PRIVATE (self);
-
-	if (priv->forced != (!!forced)) {
-		priv->forced = forced;
-		_notify_alive (self);
-	}
-}
-
-/*****************************************************************************/
-
 static void
 connection_flags_changed (NMSettingsConnection *connection,
                           NMKeepAlive          *self)
diff --git a/src/nm-keep-alive.h b/src/nm-keep-alive.h
index 72133224cd..160b2adb58 100644
--- a/src/nm-keep-alive.h
+++ b/src/nm-keep-alive.h
@@ -43,9 +43,6 @@ gboolean nm_keep_alive_is_alive (NMKeepAlive *self);
 void nm_keep_alive_arm (NMKeepAlive *self);
 void nm_keep_alive_disarm (NMKeepAlive *self);
 
-void nm_keep_alive_set_forced (NMKeepAlive  *self,
-                               gboolean      forced);
-
 void nm_keep_alive_set_settings_connection_watch_visible (NMKeepAlive         *self,
                                                           NMSettingsConnection *connection);