diff --git a/libnm/nm-device.c b/libnm/nm-device.c
index 48d0f42b50..44cdc89153 100644
--- a/libnm/nm-device.c
+++ b/libnm/nm-device.c
@@ -1000,6 +1000,9 @@ nm_device_get_type_description (NMDevice *device)
 	NMDevicePrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (device);
 	const char *desc, *typename;
 
+	/* BEWARE: this function should return the same value
+	 * as nm_device_get_type_description() in nm-core. */
+
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_DEVICE (device), NULL);
 
 	if (priv->type_description)
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-generic.c b/src/devices/nm-device-generic.c
index 8b328e07fe..5841d834ff 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-generic.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-generic.c
@@ -54,6 +54,14 @@ get_generic_capabilities (NMDevice *dev)
 		return NM_DEVICE_CAP_NONE;
 }
 
+static const char *
+get_type_description (NMDevice *device)
+{
+	if (NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_GET_PRIVATE (device)->type_description)
+		return NM_DEVICE_GENERIC_GET_PRIVATE (device)->type_description;
+	return NM_DEVICE_CLASS (nm_device_generic_parent_class)->get_type_description (device);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 {
@@ -184,6 +192,7 @@ nm_device_generic_class_init (NMDeviceGenericClass *klass)
 	object_class->set_property = set_property;
 
 	parent_class->get_generic_capabilities = get_generic_capabilities;
+	parent_class->get_type_description = get_type_description;
 	parent_class->check_connection_compatible = check_connection_compatible;
 	parent_class->update_connection = update_connection;
 
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 97e2c847a8..84113c86b2 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -191,6 +191,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	int           ip_ifindex;
 	NMDeviceType  type;
 	char *        type_desc;
+	char *        type_description;
 	NMDeviceCapabilities capabilities;
 	char *        driver;
 	char *        driver_version;
@@ -824,6 +825,34 @@ nm_device_get_type_desc (NMDevice *self)
 	return NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self)->type_desc;
 }
 
+const char *
+nm_device_get_type_description (NMDevice *self)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (self != NULL, NULL);
+
+	/* Beware: this function should return the same
+	 * value as nm_device_get_type_description() in libnm. */
+
+	return NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->get_type_description (self);
+}
+
+static const char *
+get_type_description (NMDevice *self)
+{
+	NMDevicePrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+
+	if (!priv->type_description) {
+		const char *typename;
+
+		typename = G_OBJECT_TYPE_NAME (self);
+		if (g_str_has_prefix (typename, "NMDevice"))
+			typename += 8;
+		priv->type_description = g_ascii_strdown (typename, -1);
+	}
+
+	return priv->type_description;
+}
+
 gboolean
 nm_device_has_carrier (NMDevice *self)
 {
@@ -8788,6 +8817,7 @@ finalize (GObject *object)
 	g_free (priv->driver_version);
 	g_free (priv->firmware_version);
 	g_free (priv->type_desc);
+	g_free (priv->type_description);
 	g_free (priv->dhcp_anycast_address);
 
 	g_hash_table_unref (priv->ip6_saved_properties);
@@ -8805,7 +8835,7 @@ set_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 	NMPlatformLink *platform_device;
 	const char *hw_addr, *p;
 	guint count;
- 
+
 	switch (prop_id) {
 	case PROP_PLATFORM_DEVICE:
 		platform_device = g_value_get_pointer (value);
@@ -9073,6 +9103,7 @@ nm_device_class_init (NMDeviceClass *klass)
 	klass->act_stage4_ip6_config_timeout = act_stage4_ip6_config_timeout;
 	klass->have_any_ready_slaves = have_any_ready_slaves;
 
+	klass->get_type_description = get_type_description;
 	klass->spec_match_list = spec_match_list;
 	klass->can_auto_connect = can_auto_connect;
 	klass->check_connection_compatible = check_connection_compatible;
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.h b/src/devices/nm-device.h
index ad79376f47..424b096528 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.h
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.h
@@ -212,6 +212,8 @@ typedef struct {
 	/* Sync deactivating (in the DISCONNECTED phase) */
 	void			(* deactivate)			(NMDevice *self);
 
+	const char *(*get_type_description) (NMDevice *self);
+
 	NMMatchSpecMatchType (* spec_match_list)   (NMDevice *self, const GSList *specs);
 
 	/* Update the connection with currently configured L2 settings */
@@ -278,6 +280,7 @@ int             nm_device_get_ip_ifindex(NMDevice *dev);
 const char *	nm_device_get_driver	(NMDevice *dev);
 const char *	nm_device_get_driver_version	(NMDevice *dev);
 const char *	nm_device_get_type_desc (NMDevice *dev);
+const char *	nm_device_get_type_description (NMDevice *dev);
 NMDeviceType	nm_device_get_device_type	(NMDevice *dev);
 
 int			nm_device_get_priority (NMDevice *dev);
diff --git a/src/devices/wwan/nm-device-modem.c b/src/devices/wwan/nm-device-modem.c
index c02f5def9b..ca724c046c 100644
--- a/src/devices/wwan/nm-device-modem.c
+++ b/src/devices/wwan/nm-device-modem.c
@@ -372,6 +372,18 @@ get_generic_capabilities (NMDevice *device)
 	return NM_DEVICE_CAP_IS_NON_KERNEL;
 }
 
+static const char *
+get_type_description (NMDevice *device)
+{
+	NMDeviceModemPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_MODEM_GET_PRIVATE (device);
+
+	if (NM_FLAGS_HAS (priv->current_caps, NM_DEVICE_MODEM_CAPABILITY_GSM_UMTS))
+		return "gsm";
+	if (NM_FLAGS_HAS (priv->current_caps, NM_DEVICE_MODEM_CAPABILITY_CDMA_EVDO))
+		return "cdma";
+	return NM_DEVICE_CLASS (nm_device_modem_parent_class)->get_type_description (device);
+}
+
 static gboolean
 check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 {
@@ -741,6 +753,7 @@ nm_device_modem_class_init (NMDeviceModemClass *mclass)
 	object_class->constructed = constructed;
 
 	device_class->get_generic_capabilities = get_generic_capabilities;
+	device_class->get_type_description = get_type_description;
 	device_class->check_connection_compatible = check_connection_compatible;
 	device_class->check_connection_available = check_connection_available;
 	device_class->complete_connection = complete_connection;