diff --git a/src/core/dns/nm-dns-manager.c b/src/core/dns/nm-dns-manager.c
index 535646930c..231ef72f49 100644
--- a/src/core/dns/nm-dns-manager.c
+++ b/src/core/dns/nm-dns-manager.c
@@ -1948,7 +1948,7 @@ plugin_skip:;
     }
 
     /* signal that DNS resolution configs were changed */
-    if ((do_update || caching || force_emit) && result == SR_SUCCESS)
+    if ((caching || force_emit) && result == SR_SUCCESS)
         g_signal_emit(self, signals[CONFIG_CHANGED], 0);
 
     nm_clear_pointer(&priv->config_variant, g_variant_unref);
@@ -1964,6 +1964,16 @@ plugin_skip:;
     return TRUE;
 }
 
+gboolean
+nm_dns_manager_is_unmanaged(NMDnsManager *self)
+{
+    NMDnsManagerPrivate *priv = NM_DNS_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE(self);
+
+    return NM_IN_SET(priv->rc_manager,
+                     NM_DNS_MANAGER_RESOLV_CONF_MAN_UNMANAGED,
+                     NM_DNS_MANAGER_RESOLV_CONF_MAN_IMMUTABLE);
+}
+
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
 gboolean
diff --git a/src/core/dns/nm-dns-manager.h b/src/core/dns/nm-dns-manager.h
index 42f9dec588..9b8c2972b4 100644
--- a/src/core/dns/nm-dns-manager.h
+++ b/src/core/dns/nm-dns-manager.h
@@ -148,4 +148,6 @@ char *nmtst_dns_create_resolv_conf(const char *const *searches,
                                    const char *const *nameservers,
                                    const char *const *options);
 
+gboolean nm_dns_manager_is_unmanaged(NMDnsManager *self);
+
 #endif /* __NETWORKMANAGER_DNS_MANAGER_H__ */
diff --git a/src/core/nm-policy.c b/src/core/nm-policy.c
index efdb06360f..1cf6b3398d 100644
--- a/src/core/nm-policy.c
+++ b/src/core/nm-policy.c
@@ -2635,11 +2635,13 @@ dns_config_changed(NMDnsManager *dns_manager, gpointer user_data)
     if (priv->updating_dns)
         return;
 
-    nm_manager_for_each_device (priv->manager, device, tmp_lst) {
-        nm_device_clear_dns_lookup_data(device, "DNS configuration changed");
-    }
+    if (!nm_dns_manager_is_unmanaged(dns_manager)) {
+        nm_manager_for_each_device (priv->manager, device, tmp_lst) {
+            nm_device_clear_dns_lookup_data(device, "DNS configuration changed");
+        }
 
-    update_system_hostname(self, "DNS configuration changed");
+        update_system_hostname(self, "DNS configuration changed");
+    }
 }
 
 static void