diff --git a/clients/cli/connections.c b/clients/cli/connections.c
index 7994305f40..fe8aff39cf 100644
--- a/clients/cli/connections.c
+++ b/clients/cli/connections.c
@@ -6954,7 +6954,7 @@ property_edit_submenu (NmCli *nmc,
 			 */
 			if (cmdsub == NMC_EDITOR_SUB_CMD_SET) {
 				nmc_property_get_gvalue (curr_setting, prop_name, &prop_g_value);
-				nmc_property_set_default_value (curr_setting, prop_name);
+				nmc_setting_reset_property (nmc->client, curr_setting, prop_name, NULL);
 			}
 
 			set_result = nmc_setting_set_property (nmc->client, curr_setting, prop_name, prop_val_user, &tmp_err);
@@ -6978,7 +6978,7 @@ property_edit_submenu (NmCli *nmc,
 			                              prop_name);
 
 			nmc_property_get_gvalue (curr_setting, prop_name, &prop_g_value);
-			nmc_property_set_default_value (curr_setting, prop_name);
+			nmc_setting_reset_property (nmc->client, curr_setting, prop_name, NULL);
 
 			if (!nmc_setting_set_property (nmc->client, curr_setting, prop_name, prop_val_user, &tmp_err)) {
 				g_print (_("Error: failed to set '%s' property: %s\n"), prop_name, tmp_err->message);
diff --git a/clients/cli/settings.c b/clients/cli/settings.c
index 5dbfab82a2..78a61832bb 100644
--- a/clients/cli/settings.c
+++ b/clients/cli/settings.c
@@ -543,8 +543,18 @@ nmc_setting_set_property (NMClient *client, NMSetting *setting, const char *prop
 		goto out_fail_read_only;
 
 	if (!value) {
+		nm_auto_unset_gvalue GValue gvalue = G_VALUE_INIT;
+		GParamSpec *param_spec;
+
 		/* No value argument sets default value */
-		nmc_property_set_default_value (setting, prop);
+
+		/* FIXME: this only works with GObject based properties. */
+		param_spec = g_object_class_find_property (G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (G_OBJECT (setting)), prop);
+		if (param_spec) {
+			g_value_init (&gvalue, G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (param_spec));
+			g_param_value_set_default (param_spec, &gvalue);
+			g_object_set_property (G_OBJECT (setting), prop, &gvalue);
+		}
 		return TRUE;
 	}
 
@@ -575,20 +585,6 @@ out_fail_read_only:
 	return FALSE;
 }
 
-void
-nmc_property_set_default_value (NMSetting *setting, const char *prop)
-{
-	GValue value = G_VALUE_INIT;
-	GParamSpec *param_spec;
-
-	param_spec = g_object_class_find_property (G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (G_OBJECT (setting)), prop);
-	if (param_spec) {
-		g_value_init (&value, G_PARAM_SPEC_VALUE_TYPE (param_spec));
-		g_param_value_set_default (param_spec, &value);
-		g_object_set_property (G_OBJECT (setting), prop, &value);
-	}
-}
-
 gboolean
 nmc_setting_remove_property_option (NMSetting *setting,
                                     const char *prop,
diff --git a/clients/cli/settings.h b/clients/cli/settings.h
index d3ea8f780f..931ecdfe08 100644
--- a/clients/cli/settings.h
+++ b/clients/cli/settings.h
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ gboolean    nmc_setting_remove_property_option (NMSetting *setting,
                                                 const char *value,
                                                 GError **error);
 
-void nmc_property_set_default_value (NMSetting *setting, const char *prop);
-
 gboolean nmc_property_get_gvalue (NMSetting *setting, const char *prop, GValue *value);
 gboolean nmc_property_set_gvalue (NMSetting *setting, const char *prop, GValue *value);