diff --git a/src/nm-config.c b/src/nm-config.c
index 6cd5328ab7..36dec1a1bc 100644
--- a/src/nm-config.c
+++ b/src/nm-config.c
@@ -1008,7 +1008,8 @@ init_sync (GInitable *initable, GCancellable *cancellable, GError **error)
 	else
 		priv->no_auto_default_file = g_strdup (DEFAULT_NO_AUTO_DEFAULT_FILE);
 
-	priv->plugins = g_key_file_get_string_list (keyfile, NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN, "plugins", NULL, NULL);
+	priv->plugins = _nm_utils_strv_cleanup (g_key_file_get_string_list (keyfile, NM_CONFIG_KEYFILE_GROUP_MAIN, "plugins", NULL, NULL),
+	                                        TRUE, TRUE, TRUE);
 	if (!priv->plugins)
 		priv->plugins = g_new0 (char *, 1);
 
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings.c b/src/settings/nm-settings.c
index 9e4c441fbc..cb3b6b4386 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings.c
@@ -685,17 +685,13 @@ load_plugins (NMSettings *self, const char **plugins, GError **error)
 		GModule *plugin;
 		gs_free char *full_name = NULL;
 		gs_free char *path = NULL;
-		gs_free char *pname = NULL;
+		const char *pname;
 		GObject *obj;
 		GObject * (*factory_func) (void);
 		struct stat st;
 		int errsv;
 
-		pname = g_strdup (*iter);
-		g_strstrip (pname);
-
-		if (!*pname)
-			continue;
+		pname = *iter;
 
 		if (!*pname || strchr (pname, '/')) {
 			LOG (LOGL_WARN, "ignore invalid plugin \"%s\"", pname);