diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-setting-vpn.c b/libnm-core/nm-setting-vpn.c
index 2e68ac9a6..4130412b6 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-setting-vpn.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-setting-vpn.c
@@ -57,6 +57,11 @@ typedef struct {
 	 */
 	char *user_name;
 
+	/* Whether the VPN stays up across link changes, until the user
+	 * explicitly disconnects it.
+	 */
+	gboolean persistent;
+
 	/* The hash table is created at setting object
 	 * init time and should not be replaced.  It is
 	 * a char * -> char * mapping, and both the key
@@ -80,6 +85,7 @@ enum {
 	PROP_0,
 	PROP_SERVICE_TYPE,
 	PROP_USER_NAME,
+	PROP_PERSISTENT,
 	PROP_DATA,
 	PROP_SECRETS,
 
@@ -130,6 +136,20 @@ nm_setting_vpn_get_user_name (NMSettingVpn *setting)
 	return NM_SETTING_VPN_GET_PRIVATE (setting)->user_name;
 }
 
+/**
+ * nm_setting_vpn_get_persistent:
+ * @setting: the #NMSettingVpn
+ *
+ * Returns: the #NMSettingVpn:persistent property of the setting
+ **/
+gboolean
+nm_setting_vpn_get_persistent (NMSettingVpn *setting)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_SETTING_VPN (setting), FALSE);
+
+	return NM_SETTING_VPN_GET_PRIVATE (setting)->persistent;
+}
+
 /**
  * nm_setting_vpn_get_num_data_items:
  * @setting: the #NMSettingVpn
@@ -721,6 +741,9 @@ set_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 		g_free (priv->user_name);
 		priv->user_name = g_value_dup_string (value);
 		break;
+	case PROP_PERSISTENT:
+		priv->persistent = g_value_get_boolean (value);
+		break;
 	case PROP_DATA:
 		g_hash_table_unref (priv->data);
 		priv->data = _nm_utils_copy_strdict (g_value_get_boxed (value));
@@ -749,6 +772,9 @@ get_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 	case PROP_USER_NAME:
 		g_value_set_string (value, nm_setting_vpn_get_user_name (setting));
 		break;
+	case PROP_PERSISTENT:
+		g_value_set_boolean (value, priv->persistent);
+		break;
 	case PROP_DATA:
 		g_value_take_boxed (value, _nm_utils_copy_strdict (priv->data));
 		break;
@@ -814,6 +840,20 @@ nm_setting_vpn_class_init (NMSettingVpnClass *setting_class)
 		                      G_PARAM_READWRITE |
 		                      G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 
+	/**
+	 * NMSettingVpn:persistent:
+	 *
+	 * If the VPN service supports persistence, and this property is %TRUE,
+	 * the VPN will attempt to stay connected across link changes and outages,
+	 * until explicitly disconnected.
+	 **/
+	g_object_class_install_property
+		(object_class, PROP_PERSISTENT,
+		 g_param_spec_boolean (NM_SETTING_VPN_PERSISTENT, "", "",
+		                       FALSE,
+		                       G_PARAM_READWRITE |
+		                       G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
+
 	/**
 	 * NMSettingVpn:data:
 	 *
diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-setting-vpn.h b/libnm-core/nm-setting-vpn.h
index aa4264fdd..487549afa 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-setting-vpn.h
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-setting-vpn.h
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 #define NM_SETTING_VPN_SERVICE_TYPE "service-type"
 #define NM_SETTING_VPN_USER_NAME    "user-name"
+#define NM_SETTING_VPN_PERSISTENT   "persistent"
 #define NM_SETTING_VPN_DATA         "data"
 #define NM_SETTING_VPN_SECRETS      "secrets"
 
@@ -70,6 +71,7 @@ GType nm_setting_vpn_get_type (void);
 NMSetting        *nm_setting_vpn_new               (void);
 const char       *nm_setting_vpn_get_service_type  (NMSettingVpn *setting);
 const char       *nm_setting_vpn_get_user_name     (NMSettingVpn *setting);
+gboolean          nm_setting_vpn_get_persistent    (NMSettingVpn *setting);
 
 guint32           nm_setting_vpn_get_num_data_items (NMSettingVpn *setting);
 void              nm_setting_vpn_add_data_item     (NMSettingVpn *setting,
diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-setting-vpn.c b/libnm-util/nm-setting-vpn.c
index 70f955b01..77c64ce48 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-setting-vpn.c
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-setting-vpn.c
@@ -81,6 +81,11 @@ typedef struct {
 	 */
 	char *user_name;
 
+	/* Whether the VPN stays up across link changes, until the user
+	 * explicitly disconnects it.
+	 */
+	gboolean persistent;
+
 	/* The hash table is created at setting object
 	 * init time and should not be replaced.  It is
 	 * a char * -> char * mapping, and both the key
@@ -104,6 +109,7 @@ enum {
 	PROP_0,
 	PROP_SERVICE_TYPE,
 	PROP_USER_NAME,
+	PROP_PERSISTENT,
 	PROP_DATA,
 	PROP_SECRETS,
 
@@ -154,6 +160,20 @@ nm_setting_vpn_get_user_name (NMSettingVPN *setting)
 	return NM_SETTING_VPN_GET_PRIVATE (setting)->user_name;
 }
 
+/**
+ * nm_setting_vpn_get_persistent:
+ * @setting: the #NMSettingVPN
+ *
+ * Returns: the #NMSettingVPN:persistent property of the setting
+ **/
+gboolean
+nm_setting_vpn_get_persistent (NMSettingVPN *setting)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_SETTING_VPN (setting), FALSE);
+
+	return NM_SETTING_VPN_GET_PRIVATE (setting)->persistent;
+}
+
 /**
  * nm_setting_vpn_get_num_data_items:
  * @setting: the #NMSettingVPN
@@ -744,6 +764,9 @@ set_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 		g_free (priv->user_name);
 		priv->user_name = g_value_dup_string (value);
 		break;
+	case PROP_PERSISTENT:
+		priv->persistent = g_value_get_boolean (value);
+		break;
 	case PROP_DATA:
 		/* Must make a deep copy of the hash table here... */
 		g_hash_table_remove_all (priv->data);
@@ -778,6 +801,9 @@ get_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 	case PROP_USER_NAME:
 		g_value_set_string (value, nm_setting_vpn_get_user_name (setting));
 		break;
+	case PROP_PERSISTENT:
+		g_value_set_boolean (value, priv->persistent);
+		break;
 	case PROP_DATA:
 		g_value_set_boxed (value, priv->data);
 		break;
@@ -843,6 +869,20 @@ nm_setting_vpn_class_init (NMSettingVPNClass *setting_class)
 		                      G_PARAM_READWRITE |
 		                      G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 
+	/**
+	 * NMSettingVPN:persistent:
+	 *
+	 * If the VPN service supports persistence, and this property is %TRUE,
+	 * the VPN will attempt to stay connected across link changes and outages,
+	 * until explicitly disconnected.
+	 **/
+	g_object_class_install_property
+		(object_class, PROP_PERSISTENT,
+		 g_param_spec_boolean (NM_SETTING_VPN_PERSISTENT, "", "",
+		                       FALSE,
+		                       G_PARAM_READWRITE |
+		                       G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
+
 	/**
 	 * NMSettingVPN:data:
 	 *
diff --git a/libnm-util/nm-setting-vpn.h b/libnm-util/nm-setting-vpn.h
index 3eb51ee9d..fbc9fe34f 100644
--- a/libnm-util/nm-setting-vpn.h
+++ b/libnm-util/nm-setting-vpn.h
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@ GQuark nm_setting_vpn_error_quark (void);
 
 #define NM_SETTING_VPN_SERVICE_TYPE "service-type"
 #define NM_SETTING_VPN_USER_NAME    "user-name"
+#define NM_SETTING_VPN_PERSISTENT   "persistent"
 #define NM_SETTING_VPN_DATA         "data"
 #define NM_SETTING_VPN_SECRETS      "secrets"
 
@@ -85,6 +86,7 @@ GType nm_setting_vpn_get_type (void);
 NMSetting        *nm_setting_vpn_new               (void);
 const char       *nm_setting_vpn_get_service_type  (NMSettingVPN *setting);
 const char       *nm_setting_vpn_get_user_name     (NMSettingVPN *setting);
+gboolean          nm_setting_vpn_get_persistent    (NMSettingVPN *setting);
 
 guint32           nm_setting_vpn_get_num_data_items (NMSettingVPN *setting);
 void              nm_setting_vpn_add_data_item     (NMSettingVPN *setting,
diff --git a/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/reader.c b/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/reader.c
index ac7c36ecf..cbd6e49ab 100644
--- a/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/reader.c
+++ b/src/settings/plugins/keyfile/reader.c
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "reader.h"
 #include "common.h"
 #include "utils.h"
+#include "nm-core-internal.h"
 
 /* Some setting properties also contain setting names, such as
  * NMSettingConnection's 'type' property (which specifies the base type of the
@@ -616,7 +617,8 @@ read_hash_of_string (GKeyFile *file, NMSetting *setting, const char *key)
 			continue;
 
 		if (NM_IS_SETTING_VPN (setting)) {
-			if (strcmp (*iter, NM_SETTING_VPN_SERVICE_TYPE) && strcmp (*iter, NM_SETTING_VPN_USER_NAME))
+			/* Add any item that's not a class property to the data hash */
+			if (!g_object_class_find_property (G_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (setting), *iter))
 				nm_setting_vpn_add_data_item (NM_SETTING_VPN (setting), *iter, value);
 		}
 		if (NM_IS_SETTING_BOND (setting)) {