diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
index 9285dfbfa5..fae0f025db 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings-connection.c
@@ -96,6 +96,8 @@ enum {
 static guint signals[LAST_SIGNAL] = { 0 };
 
 typedef struct {
+	gboolean removed;
+
 	NMAgentManager *agent_mgr;
 	guint session_changed_id;
 
@@ -1743,6 +1745,12 @@ impl_settings_connection_clear_secrets (NMSettingsConnection *self,
 void
 nm_settings_connection_signal_remove (NMSettingsConnection *self)
 {
+	NMSettingsConnectionPrivate *priv = NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+
+	if (priv->removed)
+		g_return_if_reached ();
+	priv->removed = TRUE;
+
 	/* Emit removed first */
 	g_signal_emit_by_name (self, NM_SETTINGS_CONNECTION_REMOVED);
 
diff --git a/src/settings/nm-settings.c b/src/settings/nm-settings.c
index 60f98948d5..9ba0e218c0 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-settings.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-settings.c
@@ -808,6 +808,11 @@ static void
 connection_removed (NMSettingsConnection *connection, gpointer user_data)
 {
 	NMSettings *self = NM_SETTINGS (user_data);
+	NMSettingsPrivate *priv = NM_SETTINGS_GET_PRIVATE (self);
+	const char *cpath = nm_connection_get_path (NM_CONNECTION (connection));
+
+	if (!g_hash_table_lookup (priv->connections, cpath))
+		g_return_if_reached ();
 
 	g_object_ref (connection);
 
@@ -823,8 +828,7 @@ connection_removed (NMSettingsConnection *connection, gpointer user_data)
 	g_signal_handlers_disconnect_by_func (connection, G_CALLBACK (connection_ready_changed), self);
 
 	/* Forget about the connection internally */
-	g_hash_table_remove (NM_SETTINGS_GET_PRIVATE (user_data)->connections,
-	                     (gpointer) nm_connection_get_path (NM_CONNECTION (connection)));
+	g_hash_table_remove (priv->connections, (gpointer) cpath);
 
 	/* Notify D-Bus */
 	g_signal_emit (self, signals[CONNECTION_REMOVED], 0, connection);