diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-private.h b/src/devices/nm-device-private.h
index c85cb969b..a91bb422f 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-private.h
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-private.h
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@ enum NMActStageReturn {
 	NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_POSTPONE,    /* Long-running operation in progress */
 	NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_WAIT,        /* Not ready to start stage; wait */
 	NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_STOP,        /* Activation not wanted */
-	NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_FINISH       /* Activation stage done; nothing to do */
 };
 
 #define NM_DEVICE_CAP_NONSTANDARD_CARRIER 0x80000000
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index b776a24dc..790a4a93c 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -5995,7 +5995,7 @@ dhcp6_start (NMDevice *self, gboolean wait_for_ll, NMDeviceStateReason *reason)
 		}
 
 		/* success; already have the LL address; kick off DHCP */
-		g_assert (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS || ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_FINISH);
+		g_assert (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS);
 	}
 
 	if (!dhcp6_start_with_link_ready (self, connection)) {
@@ -6182,7 +6182,7 @@ linklocal6_start (NMDevice *self)
 
 	if (   priv->ip6_config
 	    && nm_ip6_config_get_address_first_nontentative (priv->ip6_config, TRUE))
-		return NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_FINISH;
+		return NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS;
 
 	connection = nm_device_get_applied_connection (self);
 	g_assert (connection);
@@ -6507,7 +6507,7 @@ addrconf6_start (NMDevice *self, NMSettingIP6ConfigPrivacy use_tempaddr)
 	}
 
 	/* success; already have the LL address; kick off router discovery */
-	g_assert (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS || ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_FINISH);
+	g_assert (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS);
 	return addrconf6_start_with_link_ready (self);
 }
 
@@ -6797,8 +6797,6 @@ act_stage3_ip6_config_start (NMDevice *self,
 	} else if (strcmp (method, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_MANUAL) == 0) {
 		/* New blank config */
 		*out_config = nm_ip6_config_new (nm_device_get_ip_ifindex (self));
-		g_assert (*out_config);
-
 		ret = NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS;
 	} else
 		_LOGW (LOGD_IP6, "unhandled IPv6 config method '%s'; will fail", method);
@@ -6841,14 +6839,19 @@ nm_device_activate_stage3_ip4_start (NMDevice *self)
 	_set_ip_state (self, AF_INET, IP_CONF);
 	ret = NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->act_stage3_ip4_config_start (self, &ip4_config, &reason);
 	if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS) {
-		g_assert (ip4_config);
-		nm_device_activate_schedule_ip4_config_result (self, ip4_config);
-		g_object_unref (ip4_config);
+		if (!ip4_config) {
+			/* Early finish, nothing more to do */
+			_set_ip_state (self, AF_INET, IP_DONE);
+			check_ip_done (self);
+		} else {
+			nm_device_activate_schedule_ip4_config_result (self, ip4_config);
+			g_object_unref (ip4_config);
+		}
 	} else if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_FAILURE) {
 		nm_device_state_changed (self, NM_DEVICE_STATE_FAILED, reason);
 		return FALSE;
 	} else if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_STOP) {
-		/* Early finish */
+		/* Activation not wanted */
 		_set_ip_state (self, AF_INET, IP_FAIL);
 	} else if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_WAIT) {
 		/* Wait for something to try IP config again */
@@ -6878,23 +6881,24 @@ nm_device_activate_stage3_ip6_start (NMDevice *self)
 	_set_ip_state (self, AF_INET6, IP_CONF);
 	ret = NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->act_stage3_ip6_config_start (self, &ip6_config, &reason);
 	if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS) {
-		g_assert (ip6_config);
-		/* Here we get a static IPv6 config, like for Shared where it's
-		 * autogenerated or from modems where it comes from ModemManager.
-		 */
-		g_warn_if_fail (priv->ac_ip6_config == NULL);
-		priv->ac_ip6_config = ip6_config;
-		nm_device_activate_schedule_ip6_config_result (self);
+		if (!ip6_config) {
+			/* Early finish, nothing more to do */
+			_set_ip_state (self, AF_INET6, IP_DONE);
+			check_ip_done (self);
+		} else {
+			/* Here we get a static IPv6 config, like for Shared where it's
+			 * autogenerated or from modems where it comes from ModemManager.
+			 */
+			g_warn_if_fail (priv->ac_ip6_config == NULL);
+			priv->ac_ip6_config = ip6_config;
+			nm_device_activate_schedule_ip6_config_result (self);
+		}
 	} else if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_FAILURE) {
 		nm_device_state_changed (self, NM_DEVICE_STATE_FAILED, reason);
 		return FALSE;
 	} else if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_STOP) {
 		/* Activation not wanted */
 		_set_ip_state (self, AF_INET6, IP_FAIL);
-	} else if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_FINISH) {
-		/* Early finish, nothing more to do */
-		_set_ip_state (self, AF_INET6, IP_DONE);
-		check_ip_done (self);
 	} else if (ret == NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_WAIT) {
 		/* Wait for something to try IP config again */
 		_set_ip_state (self, AF_INET6, IP_WAIT);