diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c b/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
index 5c61d4766c..0465ae36b2 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-infiniband.c
@@ -250,6 +250,12 @@ create_and_realize (NMDevice *device,
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
+	if (!parent) {
+		g_set_error (error, NM_DEVICE_ERROR, NM_DEVICE_ERROR_FAILED,
+		             "InfiniBand partitions can not be created without a parent interface");
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
 	if (!NM_IS_DEVICE_INFINIBAND (parent)) {
 		g_set_error (error, NM_DEVICE_ERROR, NM_DEVICE_ERROR_FAILED,
 		             "Parent interface %s must be an InfiniBand interface",
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c b/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
index 1360517440..c431fe891c 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-macvlan.c
@@ -223,6 +223,12 @@ create_and_realize (NMDevice *device,
 	s_macvlan = nm_connection_get_setting_macvlan (connection);
 	g_assert (s_macvlan);
 
+	if (!parent) {
+		g_set_error (error, NM_DEVICE_ERROR, NM_DEVICE_ERROR_FAILED,
+		             "MACVLAN devices can not be created without a parent interface");
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
 	parent_ifindex = nm_device_get_ifindex (parent);
 	g_warn_if_fail (parent_ifindex > 0);
 
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c b/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
index ef30bbeb74..eb6527de8e 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-vlan.c
@@ -222,6 +222,12 @@ create_and_realize (NMDevice *device,
 	s_vlan = nm_connection_get_setting_vlan (connection);
 	g_assert (s_vlan);
 
+	if (!parent) {
+		g_set_error (error, NM_DEVICE_ERROR, NM_DEVICE_ERROR_FAILED,
+		             "VLAN devices can not be created without a parent interface");
+		return FALSE;
+	}
+
 	if (!nm_device_supports_vlans (parent)) {
 		g_set_error (error, NM_DEVICE_ERROR, NM_DEVICE_ERROR_FAILED,
 		             "no support for VLANs on interface %s of type %s",