diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 28ad98326e..9ca585e6d2 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -13598,16 +13598,15 @@ _nm_device_check_connection_available (NMDevice *self,
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 	if (state < NM_DEVICE_STATE_UNAVAILABLE) {
-		if (NM_FLAGS_ANY (flags, NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST)) {
-			if (!nm_device_get_managed (self, TRUE)) {
-				nm_utils_error_set_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR_CONNECTION_AVAILABLE_UNMANAGED_DEVICE,
-				                            "device is unmanaged");
-				return FALSE;
-			}
-		} else {
+		if (!nm_device_get_managed (self, TRUE)) {
 			if (!nm_device_get_managed (self, FALSE)) {
 				nm_utils_error_set_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR_CONNECTION_AVAILABLE_UNMANAGED_DEVICE,
-				                            "device is unmanaged for interal request");
+				                            "device is strictly unmanaged");
+				return FALSE;
+			}
+			if (!NM_FLAGS_HAS (flags, _NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST_OVERRULE_UNMANAGED)) {
+				nm_utils_error_set_literal (error, NM_UTILS_ERROR_CONNECTION_AVAILABLE_UNMANAGED_DEVICE,
+				                            "device is currently unmanaged");
 				return FALSE;
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.h b/src/devices/nm-device.h
index 0d2122c1c3..8f376b20b4 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.h
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.h
@@ -181,12 +181,20 @@ typedef enum { /*< skip >*/
 	 * visible. */
 	_NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST_IGNORE_AP           = (1L << 2),
 
+	/* a device can be marked as unmanaged for various reasons. Some of these reasons
+	 * are authorative, others not. Non-authoritative reasons can be overruled by
+	 * `nmcli device set $DEVICE managed yes`. Also, for an explicit user activation
+	 * request we may want to consider the device as managed. This flag makes devices
+	 * that are unmanaged appear available. */
+	_NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST_OVERRULE_UNMANAGED  = (1L << 3),
+
 	/* a collection of flags, that are commonly set for an explict user-request. */
 	NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST                      = _NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST
 	                                                                    | _NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST_WAITING_CARRIER
-	                                                                    | _NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST_IGNORE_AP,
+	                                                                    | _NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST_IGNORE_AP
+	                                                                    | _NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST_OVERRULE_UNMANAGED,
 
-	NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_ALL                                   = (1L << 3) - 1,
+	NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_ALL                                   = (1L << 4) - 1,
 } NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags;
 
 struct _NMDevicePrivate;