diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c b/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
index ffaa094cb9..2a461543b0 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
@@ -286,30 +286,6 @@ is_available (NMDevice *device, NMDeviceCheckDevAvailableFlags flags)
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
-static gboolean
-match_hwaddr (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection, gboolean fail_if_no_hwaddr)
-{
-	NMSettingWired *s_wired;
-	NMDevice *parent_device;
-	const char *setting_mac;
-	const char *parent_mac;
-
-	s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
-	if (!s_wired)
-		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
-
-	setting_mac = nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired);
-	if (!setting_mac)
-		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
-
-	parent_device = nm_device_parent_get_device (device);
-	if (!parent_device)
-		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
-
-	parent_mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (parent_device);
-	return parent_mac && nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (setting_mac, -1, parent_mac, -1);
-}
-
 static gboolean
 check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 {
@@ -343,7 +319,7 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 				return FALSE;
 		} else {
 			/* Parent could be a MAC address in an NMSettingWired */
-			if (!match_hwaddr (device, connection, TRUE))
+			if (!nm_device_match_hwaddr (device, connection, TRUE))
 				return FALSE;
 		}
 	}
@@ -380,7 +356,7 @@ complete_connection (NMDevice *device,
 	 * settings, then there's not enough information to complete the setting.
 	 */
 	if (   !nm_setting_macvlan_get_parent (s_macvlan)
-	    && !match_hwaddr (device, connection, TRUE)) {
+	    && !nm_device_match_hwaddr (device, connection, TRUE)) {
 		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_DEVICE_ERROR, NM_DEVICE_ERROR_INVALID_CONNECTION,
 		                     "The 'macvlan' setting had no interface name, parent, or hardware address.");
 		return FALSE;
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-private.h b/src/devices/nm-device-private.h
index f3c301d48e..416ae845c8 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-private.h
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-private.h
@@ -133,5 +133,8 @@ gboolean _nm_device_hash_check_invalid_keys (GHashTable *hash, const char *setti
 	_nm_device_hash_check_invalid_keys (hash, setting_name, error, ((const char *[]) { __VA_ARGS__, NULL }))
 
 gboolean nm_device_match_parent (NMDevice *device, const char *parent);
+gboolean nm_device_match_hwaddr (NMDevice *device,
+                                 NMConnection *connection,
+                                 gboolean fail_if_no_hwaddr);
 
 #endif	/* NM_DEVICE_PRIVATE_H */
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c b/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
index 0badfd2852..06f19c408c 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
@@ -314,30 +314,6 @@ is_available (NMDevice *device, NMDeviceCheckDevAvailableFlags flags)
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
-static gboolean
-match_hwaddr (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection, gboolean fail_if_no_hwaddr)
-{
-	NMSettingWired *s_wired;
-	NMDevice *parent_device;
-	const char *setting_mac;
-	const char *parent_mac;
-
-	s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
-	if (!s_wired)
-		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
-
-	setting_mac = nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired);
-	if (!setting_mac)
-		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
-
-	parent_device = nm_device_parent_get_device (device);
-	if (!parent_device)
-		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
-
-	parent_mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (parent_device);
-	return parent_mac && nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (setting_mac, -1, parent_mac, -1);
-}
-
 static gboolean
 check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 {
@@ -364,7 +340,7 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 				return FALSE;
 		} else {
 			/* Parent could be a MAC address in an NMSettingWired */
-			if (!match_hwaddr (device, connection, TRUE))
+			if (!nm_device_match_hwaddr (device, connection, TRUE))
 				return FALSE;
 		}
 	}
@@ -413,7 +389,7 @@ complete_connection (NMDevice *device,
 	 * settings, then there's not enough information to complete the setting.
 	 */
 	if (   !nm_setting_vlan_get_parent (s_vlan)
-	    && !match_hwaddr (device, connection, TRUE)) {
+	    && !nm_device_match_hwaddr (device, connection, TRUE)) {
 		g_set_error_literal (error, NM_DEVICE_ERROR, NM_DEVICE_ERROR_INVALID_CONNECTION,
 		                     "The 'vlan' setting had no interface name, parent, or hardware address.");
 		return FALSE;
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 76b7e28b40..71cdead330 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -4422,6 +4422,32 @@ nm_device_match_parent (NMDevice *self, const char *parent)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+gboolean
+nm_device_match_hwaddr (NMDevice *device,
+                        NMConnection *connection,
+                        gboolean fail_if_no_hwaddr)
+{
+	NMSettingWired *s_wired;
+	NMDevice *parent_device;
+	const char *setting_mac;
+	const char *parent_mac;
+
+	s_wired = nm_connection_get_setting_wired (connection);
+	if (!s_wired)
+		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
+
+	setting_mac = nm_setting_wired_get_mac_address (s_wired);
+	if (!setting_mac)
+		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
+
+	parent_device = nm_device_parent_get_device (device);
+	if (!parent_device)
+		return !fail_if_no_hwaddr;
+
+	parent_mac = nm_device_get_permanent_hw_address (parent_device);
+	return parent_mac && nm_utils_hwaddr_matches (setting_mac, -1, parent_mac, -1);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *self, NMConnection *connection)
 {