diff --git a/src/nm-config.c b/src/nm-config.c
index 49b61d5bd7..558dab7aec 100644
--- a/src/nm-config.c
+++ b/src/nm-config.c
@@ -2479,8 +2479,8 @@ nm_config_device_state_write (int ifindex,
 }
 
 void
-nm_config_device_state_prune_unseen (GHashTable *preserve_ifindexes,
-                                     NMPlatform *preserve_in_platform)
+nm_config_device_state_prune_stale (GHashTable *preserve_ifindexes,
+                                    NMPlatform *preserve_in_platform)
 {
 	GDir *dir;
 	const char *fn;
diff --git a/src/nm-config.h b/src/nm-config.h
index 048d64f41f..b4478ceb04 100644
--- a/src/nm-config.h
+++ b/src/nm-config.h
@@ -258,8 +258,8 @@ gboolean nm_config_device_state_write (int ifindex,
                                        const char *next_server,
                                        const char *root_path);
 
-void nm_config_device_state_prune_unseen (GHashTable *preserve_ifindexes,
-                                          NMPlatform *preserve_in_platform);
+void nm_config_device_state_prune_stale (GHashTable *preserve_ifindexes,
+                                         NMPlatform *preserve_in_platform);
 
 const GHashTable *nm_config_device_state_get_all (NMConfig *self);
 const NMConfigDeviceStateData *nm_config_device_state_get (NMConfig *self,
diff --git a/src/nm-manager.c b/src/nm-manager.c
index b9a1b5bbcf..90a1562b5e 100644
--- a/src/nm-manager.c
+++ b/src/nm-manager.c
@@ -6567,7 +6567,7 @@ nm_manager_write_device_state_all (NMManager *self)
 		}
 	}
 
-	nm_config_device_state_prune_unseen (preserve_ifindexes, NULL);
+	nm_config_device_state_prune_stale (preserve_ifindexes, NULL);
 }
 
 static gboolean