diff --git a/src/libnm-platform/nm-linux-platform.c b/src/libnm-platform/nm-linux-platform.c
index 40cb439692..4fa63f8065 100644
--- a/src/libnm-platform/nm-linux-platform.c
+++ b/src/libnm-platform/nm-linux-platform.c
@@ -9721,21 +9721,13 @@ constructed(GObject *_object)
           nm_platform_get_use_udev(platform) ? "use" : "no",
           nm_platform_get_cache_tc(platform) ? "use" : "no");
 
-    priv->genl = nl_socket_alloc();
-    g_assert(priv->genl);
-
-    nle = nl_connect(priv->genl, NETLINK_GENERIC);
-    if (nle) {
+    nle = nl_socket_new(&priv->genl, NETLINK_GENERIC);
+    if (nle)
         _LOGE("unable to connect the generic netlink socket \"%s\" (%d)", nm_strerror(nle), -nle);
-        nl_socket_free(priv->genl);
-        priv->genl = NULL;
-    }
 
-    priv->nlh = nl_socket_alloc();
-    g_assert(priv->nlh);
-
-    nle = nl_connect(priv->nlh, NETLINK_ROUTE);
+    nle = nl_socket_new(&priv->nlh, NETLINK_ROUTE);
     g_assert(!nle);
+
     nle = nl_socket_set_passcred(priv->nlh, 1);
     g_assert(!nle);
 
diff --git a/src/libnm-platform/nm-netlink.c b/src/libnm-platform/nm-netlink.c
index 697ae5919d..d7a74c7a0b 100644
--- a/src/libnm-platform/nm-netlink.c
+++ b/src/libnm-platform/nm-netlink.c
@@ -18,6 +18,16 @@
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
+#define nm_assert_sk(sk)                  \
+    G_STMT_START                          \
+    {                                     \
+        const struct nl_sock *_sk = (sk); \
+                                          \
+        nm_assert(_sk);                   \
+        nm_assert(_sk->s_fd >= 0);        \
+    }                                     \
+    G_STMT_END
+
 #define NL_SOCK_PASSCRED     (1 << 1)
 #define NL_MSG_PEEK          (1 << 3)
 #define NL_MSG_PEEK_EXPLICIT (1 << 4)
@@ -879,30 +889,14 @@ genl_ctrl_resolve(struct nl_sock *sk, const char *name)
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
-struct nl_sock *
-nl_socket_alloc(void)
-{
-    struct nl_sock *sk;
-
-    sk = g_slice_new0(struct nl_sock);
-
-    sk->s_fd              = -1;
-    sk->s_local.nl_family = AF_NETLINK;
-    sk->s_peer.nl_family  = AF_NETLINK;
-    sk->s_seq_expect = sk->s_seq_next = time(NULL);
-
-    return sk;
-}
-
 void
 nl_socket_free(struct nl_sock *sk)
 {
     if (!sk)
         return;
 
-    if (sk->s_fd >= 0)
-        nm_close(sk->s_fd);
-    g_slice_free(struct nl_sock, sk);
+    nm_close(sk->s_fd);
+    nm_g_slice_free(sk);
 }
 
 int
@@ -928,8 +922,7 @@ nl_socket_set_passcred(struct nl_sock *sk, int state)
 {
     int err;
 
-    if (sk->s_fd == -1)
-        return -NME_NL_BAD_SOCK;
+    nm_assert_sk(sk);
 
     err = setsockopt(sk->s_fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_PASSCRED, &state, sizeof(state));
     if (err < 0)
@@ -960,8 +953,7 @@ nlmsg_get_dst(struct nl_msg *msg)
 int
 nl_socket_set_nonblocking(const struct nl_sock *sk)
 {
-    if (sk->s_fd == -1)
-        return -NME_NL_BAD_SOCK;
+    nm_assert_sk(sk);
 
     if (fcntl(sk->s_fd, F_SETFL, O_NONBLOCK) < 0)
         return -nm_errno_from_native(errno);
@@ -974,15 +966,14 @@ nl_socket_set_buffer_size(struct nl_sock *sk, int rxbuf, int txbuf)
 {
     int err;
 
+    nm_assert_sk(sk);
+
     if (rxbuf <= 0)
         rxbuf = 32768;
 
     if (txbuf <= 0)
         txbuf = 32768;
 
-    if (sk->s_fd == -1)
-        return -NME_NL_BAD_SOCK;
-
     err = setsockopt(sk->s_fd, SOL_SOCKET, SO_SNDBUF, &txbuf, sizeof(txbuf));
     if (err < 0) {
         return -nm_errno_from_native(errno);
@@ -1002,8 +993,7 @@ nl_socket_add_memberships(struct nl_sock *sk, int group, ...)
     int     err;
     va_list ap;
 
-    if (sk->s_fd == -1)
-        return -NME_NL_BAD_SOCK;
+    nm_assert_sk(sk);
 
     va_start(ap, group);
 
@@ -1032,10 +1022,10 @@ nl_socket_add_memberships(struct nl_sock *sk, int group, ...)
 int
 nl_socket_set_ext_ack(struct nl_sock *sk, gboolean enable)
 {
-    int err, val;
+    int err;
+    int val;
 
-    if (sk->s_fd == -1)
-        return -NME_NL_BAD_SOCK;
+    nm_assert_sk(sk);
 
     val = !!enable;
     err = setsockopt(sk->s_fd, SOL_NETLINK, NETLINK_EXT_ACK, &val, sizeof(val));
@@ -1052,62 +1042,70 @@ nl_socket_disable_msg_peek(struct nl_sock *sk)
     sk->s_flags &= ~NL_MSG_PEEK;
 }
 
+/*****************************************************************************/
+
 int
-nl_connect(struct nl_sock *sk, int protocol)
+nl_socket_new(struct nl_sock **out_sk, int protocol)
 {
-    int                err, nmerr;
-    socklen_t          addrlen;
-    struct sockaddr_nl local = {0};
+    nm_auto_nlsock struct nl_sock *sk = NULL;
+    nm_auto_close int              fd = -1;
+    time_t                         t;
+    int                            err;
+    int                            nmerr;
+    socklen_t                      addrlen;
+    struct sockaddr_nl             local = {0};
 
-    if (sk->s_fd != -1)
-        return -NME_NL_BAD_SOCK;
+    nm_assert(out_sk && !*out_sk);
 
-    sk->s_fd = socket(AF_NETLINK, SOCK_RAW | SOCK_CLOEXEC, protocol);
-    if (sk->s_fd < 0) {
-        nmerr = -nm_errno_from_native(errno);
-        goto errout;
-    }
+    fd = socket(AF_NETLINK, SOCK_RAW | SOCK_CLOEXEC, protocol);
+    if (fd < 0)
+        return -nm_errno_from_native(errno);
+
+    t = time(NULL);
+
+    sk  = g_slice_new(struct nl_sock);
+    *sk = (struct nl_sock){
+        .s_fd = nm_steal_fd(&fd),
+        .s_local =
+            {
+                .nl_pid    = 0,
+                .nl_family = AF_NETLINK,
+                .nl_groups = 0,
+            },
+        .s_peer =
+            {
+                .nl_pid    = 0,
+                .nl_family = AF_NETLINK,
+                .nl_groups = 0,
+            },
+        .s_seq_expect = t,
+        .s_seq_next   = t,
+    };
 
     nmerr = nl_socket_set_buffer_size(sk, 0, 0);
     if (nmerr < 0)
-        goto errout;
-
-    nm_assert(sk->s_local.nl_pid == 0);
+        return nmerr;
 
     err = bind(sk->s_fd, (struct sockaddr *) &sk->s_local, sizeof(sk->s_local));
-    if (err != 0) {
-        nmerr = -nm_errno_from_native(errno);
-        goto errout;
-    }
+    if (err != 0)
+        return -nm_errno_from_native(errno);
 
     addrlen = sizeof(local);
     err     = getsockname(sk->s_fd, (struct sockaddr *) &local, &addrlen);
-    if (err < 0) {
-        nmerr = -nm_errno_from_native(errno);
-        goto errout;
-    }
+    if (err < 0)
+        return -nm_errno_from_native(errno);
 
-    if (addrlen != sizeof(local)) {
-        nmerr = -NME_UNSPEC;
-        goto errout;
-    }
+    if (addrlen != sizeof(local))
+        return -NME_UNSPEC;
 
-    if (local.nl_family != AF_NETLINK) {
-        nmerr = -NME_UNSPEC;
-        goto errout;
-    }
+    if (local.nl_family != AF_NETLINK)
+        return -NME_UNSPEC;
 
     sk->s_local = local;
     sk->s_proto = protocol;
 
+    *out_sk = g_steal_pointer(&sk);
     return 0;
-
-errout:
-    if (sk->s_fd != -1) {
-        close(sk->s_fd);
-        sk->s_fd = -1;
-    }
-    return nmerr;
 }
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/src/libnm-platform/nm-netlink.h b/src/libnm-platform/nm-netlink.h
index 2ac8511393..441a123333 100644
--- a/src/libnm-platform/nm-netlink.h
+++ b/src/libnm-platform/nm-netlink.h
@@ -488,7 +488,7 @@ nlmsg_put(struct nl_msg *n, uint32_t pid, uint32_t seq, int type, int payload, i
 
 struct nl_sock;
 
-struct nl_sock *nl_socket_alloc(void);
+int nl_socket_new(struct nl_sock **out_sk, int protocol);
 
 void nl_socket_free(struct nl_sock *sk);
 
diff --git a/src/libnm-platform/tests/test-nm-platform.c b/src/libnm-platform/tests/test-nm-platform.c
index 9ac69bdeda..9263a6e7d7 100644
--- a/src/libnm-platform/tests/test-nm-platform.c
+++ b/src/libnm-platform/tests/test-nm-platform.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ test_use_symbols(void)
         (void (*)(void)) genlmsg_valid_hdr,
         (void (*)(void)) genlmsg_parse,
         (void (*)(void)) genl_ctrl_resolve,
-        (void (*)(void)) nl_socket_alloc,
+        (void (*)(void)) nl_socket_new,
         (void (*)(void)) nl_socket_free,
         (void (*)(void)) nl_socket_get_fd,
         (void (*)(void)) nl_socket_get_local_port,
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ test_use_symbols(void)
         (void (*)(void)) nl_socket_add_memberships,
         (void (*)(void)) nl_socket_set_ext_ack,
         (void (*)(void)) nl_socket_disable_msg_peek,
-        (void (*)(void)) nl_connect,
         (void (*)(void)) nl_wait_for_ack,
         (void (*)(void)) nl_recvmsgs,
         (void (*)(void)) nl_sendmsg,