diff --git a/dbus/org.freedesktop.UPower.Device.xml b/dbus/org.freedesktop.UPower.Device.xml
index f286aa7..17781c5 100644
--- a/dbus/org.freedesktop.UPower.Device.xml
+++ b/dbus/org.freedesktop.UPower.Device.xml
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ method return sender=:1.386 -> dest=:1.477 reply_serial=2
             Refreshes the data collected from the power source.
           </doc:para>
         </doc:description>
-        <doc:permission>Callers need the org.freedesktop.upower.refresh-power-source authorization</doc:permission>
+        <doc:permission>Callers will need to make sure that the daemon was started in debug mode</doc:permission>
         <doc:errors>
           <doc:error name="&ERROR_GENERAL;">if an error occured while refreshing</doc:error>
         </doc:errors>
diff --git a/libupower-glib/up-device.c b/libupower-glib/up-device.c
index db0149f..d8978c4 100644
--- a/libupower-glib/up-device.c
+++ b/libupower-glib/up-device.c
@@ -408,7 +408,8 @@ up_device_to_text (UpDevice *device)
  * @error: a #GError, or %NULL.
  *
  * Refreshes properties on the device.
- * This function is normally not required.
+ * This function is normally not required and will only return without
+ * an error if the daemon was started in debug mode.
  *
  * Return value: #TRUE for success, else #FALSE and @error is used
  *
diff --git a/src/up-device.c b/src/up-device.c
index 74f809f..0bfca03 100644
--- a/src/up-device.c
+++ b/src/up-device.c
@@ -400,6 +400,21 @@ up_device_register_device (UpDevice *device)
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
+/**
+ * up_device_refresh:
+ *
+ * Return %TRUE on success, %FALSE if we failed to refresh or no data
+ **/
+static gboolean
+up_device_refresh (UpExportedDevice *skeleton,
+		   GDBusMethodInvocation *invocation,
+		   UpDevice *device)
+{
+	up_device_refresh_internal (device);
+	up_exported_device_complete_refresh (skeleton, invocation);
+	return TRUE;
+}
+
 /**
  * up_device_coldplug:
  *
@@ -416,6 +431,9 @@ up_device_coldplug (UpDevice *device)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (UP_IS_DEVICE (device), FALSE);
 
 	native_path = up_native_get_native_path (device->priv->native);
+	if (up_daemon_get_debug (device->priv->daemon))
+		g_signal_connect (device, "handle-refresh",
+				  G_CALLBACK (up_device_refresh), device);
 	up_exported_device_set_native_path (UP_EXPORTED_DEVICE (device), native_path);
 
 	/* coldplug source */
@@ -581,21 +599,6 @@ out:
 	return TRUE;
 }
 
-/**
- * up_device_refresh:
- *
- * Return %TRUE on success, %FALSE if we failed to refresh or no data
- **/
-static gboolean
-up_device_refresh (UpExportedDevice *skeleton,
-		   GDBusMethodInvocation *invocation,
-		   UpDevice *device)
-{
-	up_device_refresh_internal (device);
-	up_exported_device_complete_refresh (skeleton, invocation);
-	return TRUE;
-}
-
 /**
  * up_device_register_display_device:
  **/
@@ -685,8 +688,6 @@ up_device_init (UpDevice *device)
 			  G_CALLBACK (up_device_get_history), device);
 	g_signal_connect (device, "handle-get-statistics",
 			  G_CALLBACK (up_device_get_statistics), device);
-	g_signal_connect (device, "handle-refresh",
-			  G_CALLBACK (up_device_refresh), device);
 }
 
 /**