diff --git a/src/settings/nm-secret-agent.c b/src/settings/nm-secret-agent.c
index a9c32d7b3..ba9f88be3 100644
--- a/src/settings/nm-secret-agent.c
+++ b/src/settings/nm-secret-agent.c
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 
 #include "nm-glib-aux/nm-dbus-aux.h"
 #include "nm-dbus-interface.h"
-#include "nm-dbus-manager.h"
 #include "nm-core-internal.h"
 #include "nm-auth-subject.h"
 #include "nm-simple-connection.h"
@@ -51,14 +50,9 @@ typedef struct {
 	NMSecretAgentCapabilities capabilities;
 	GSList *permissions;
 	GDBusProxy *proxy;
-	NMDBusManager *bus_mgr;
 	GDBusConnection *connection;
 	CList requests;
-	union {
-		gulong obj_signal;
-		guint dbus_signal;
-	} on_disconnected_id;
-	bool connection_is_private:1;
+	guint on_disconnected_id;
 } NMSecretAgentPrivate;
 
 struct _NMSecretAgent {
@@ -617,33 +611,10 @@ nm_secret_agent_delete_secrets (NMSecretAgent *self,
 static void
 _on_disconnected_cleanup (NMSecretAgentPrivate *priv)
 {
-	if (priv->connection_is_private) {
-		nm_clear_g_signal_handler (priv->bus_mgr,
-		                           &priv->on_disconnected_id.obj_signal);
-	} else {
-		nm_clear_g_dbus_connection_signal (priv->connection,
-		                                   &priv->on_disconnected_id.dbus_signal);
-	}
-
+	nm_clear_g_dbus_connection_signal (priv->connection,
+	                                   &priv->on_disconnected_id);
 	g_clear_object (&priv->connection);
 	g_clear_object (&priv->proxy);
-	g_clear_object (&priv->bus_mgr);
-}
-
-static void
-_on_disconnected_private_connection (NMDBusManager *mgr,
-                                     GDBusConnection *connection,
-                                     NMSecretAgent *self)
-{
-	NMSecretAgentPrivate *priv = NM_SECRET_AGENT_GET_PRIVATE (self);
-
-	if (priv->connection != connection)
-		return;
-
-	_LOGt ("private connection disconnected");
-
-	_on_disconnected_cleanup (priv);
-	g_signal_emit (self, signals[DISCONNECTED], 0);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -693,6 +664,7 @@ nm_secret_agent_new (GDBusMethodInvocation *context,
 	char buf_caps[150];
 	gulong uid;
 	GDBusConnection *connection;
+	gs_free_error GError *error = NULL;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (context != NULL, NULL);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_AUTH_SUBJECT (subject), NULL);
@@ -715,15 +687,12 @@ nm_secret_agent_new (GDBusMethodInvocation *context,
 
 	priv = NM_SECRET_AGENT_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 
-	priv->bus_mgr = g_object_ref (nm_dbus_manager_get ());
 	priv->connection = g_object_ref (connection);
-	priv->connection_is_private = !!nm_dbus_manager_connection_get_private_name (priv->bus_mgr, connection);
 
-	_LOGT ("constructed: %s, owner=%s%s%s (%s), private-connection=%d, unique-name=%s%s%s, capabilities=%s",
+	_LOGT ("constructed: %s, owner=%s%s%s (%s), unique-name=%s%s%s, capabilities=%s",
 	       (description = _create_description (dbus_owner, identifier, uid)),
 	       NM_PRINT_FMT_QUOTE_STRING (owner_username),
 	       nm_auth_subject_to_string (subject, buf_subject, sizeof (buf_subject)),
-	       priv->connection_is_private,
 	       NM_PRINT_FMT_QUOTE_STRING (g_dbus_connection_get_unique_name (priv->connection)),
 	       _capabilities_to_string (capabilities, buf_caps, sizeof (buf_caps)));
 
@@ -734,28 +703,29 @@ nm_secret_agent_new (GDBusMethodInvocation *context,
 	priv->capabilities = capabilities;
 	priv->subject = g_object_ref (subject);
 
-	priv->proxy = nm_dbus_manager_new_proxy (priv->bus_mgr,
-	                                         priv->connection,
-	                                         G_TYPE_DBUS_PROXY,
-	                                         priv->dbus_owner,
-	                                         NM_DBUS_PATH_SECRET_AGENT,
-	                                         NM_DBUS_INTERFACE_SECRET_AGENT);
-
-	/* we cannot subscribe to notify::g-name-owner because that doesn't work
-	 * for unique names and it doesn't work for private connections. */
-	if (priv->connection_is_private) {
-		priv->on_disconnected_id.obj_signal = g_signal_connect (priv->bus_mgr,
-		                                                        NM_DBUS_MANAGER_PRIVATE_CONNECTION_DISCONNECTED,
-		                                                        G_CALLBACK (_on_disconnected_private_connection),
-		                                                        self);
-	} else {
-		priv->on_disconnected_id.dbus_signal = nm_dbus_connection_signal_subscribe_name_owner_changed (priv->connection,
-		                                                                                               priv->dbus_owner,
-		                                                                                               _on_disconnected_name_owner_changed,
-		                                                                                               self,
-		                                                                                               NULL);
+	priv->proxy = g_dbus_proxy_new_sync (priv->connection,
+	                                       G_DBUS_PROXY_FLAGS_DO_NOT_LOAD_PROPERTIES
+	                                     | G_DBUS_PROXY_FLAGS_DO_NOT_CONNECT_SIGNALS,
+	                                     NULL,
+	                                     priv->dbus_owner,
+	                                     NM_DBUS_PATH_SECRET_AGENT,
+	                                     NM_DBUS_INTERFACE_SECRET_AGENT,
+	                                     NULL,
+	                                     &error);
+	if (!priv->proxy) {
+		_LOGW ("could not create proxy for %s on connection %s: %s",
+		       NM_DBUS_INTERFACE_SECRET_AGENT,
+		       priv->dbus_owner,
+		       error->message);
+		g_clear_error (&error);
 	}
 
+	priv->on_disconnected_id = nm_dbus_connection_signal_subscribe_name_owner_changed (priv->connection,
+	                                                                                   priv->dbus_owner,
+	                                                                                   _on_disconnected_name_owner_changed,
+	                                                                                   self,
+	                                                                                   NULL);
+
 	return self;
 }
 
@@ -823,4 +793,3 @@ nm_secret_agent_class_init (NMSecretAgentClass *config_class)
 	                  g_cclosure_marshal_VOID__VOID,
 	                  G_TYPE_NONE, 0);
 }
-