diff --git a/src/nm-dhcp4-config.c b/src/nm-dhcp4-config.c
index 1aed32d9b..00b9949b3 100644
--- a/src/nm-dhcp4-config.c
+++ b/src/nm-dhcp4-config.c
@@ -104,8 +104,6 @@ nm_dhcp4_config_init (NMDhcp4Config *self)
 {
 	NMDhcp4ConfigPrivate *priv = NM_DHCP4_CONFIG_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 
-	nm_exported_object_export (NM_EXPORTED_OBJECT (self));
-
 	priv->options = g_variant_new_array (G_VARIANT_TYPE ("{sv}"), NULL, 0);
 	g_variant_ref_sink (priv->options);
 }
@@ -145,6 +143,7 @@ nm_dhcp4_config_class_init (NMDhcp4ConfigClass *config_class)
 	g_type_class_add_private (config_class, sizeof (NMDhcp4ConfigPrivate));
 
 	exported_object_class->export_path = NM_DBUS_PATH "/DHCP4Config/%u";
+	exported_object_class->export_on_construction = TRUE;
 
 	/* virtual methods */
 	object_class->get_property = get_property;
diff --git a/src/nm-dhcp6-config.c b/src/nm-dhcp6-config.c
index 485583927..8aa8c2e07 100644
--- a/src/nm-dhcp6-config.c
+++ b/src/nm-dhcp6-config.c
@@ -104,8 +104,6 @@ nm_dhcp6_config_init (NMDhcp6Config *self)
 {
 	NMDhcp6ConfigPrivate *priv = NM_DHCP6_CONFIG_GET_PRIVATE (self);
 
-	nm_exported_object_export (NM_EXPORTED_OBJECT (self));
-
 	priv->options = g_variant_new_array (G_VARIANT_TYPE ("{sv}"), NULL, 0);
 	g_variant_ref_sink (priv->options);
 }
@@ -145,6 +143,7 @@ nm_dhcp6_config_class_init (NMDhcp6ConfigClass *config_class)
 	g_type_class_add_private (config_class, sizeof (NMDhcp6ConfigPrivate));
 
 	exported_object_class->export_path = NM_DBUS_PATH "/DHCP6Config/%u";
+	exported_object_class->export_on_construction = TRUE;
 
 	/* virtual methods */
 	object_class->get_property = get_property;
diff --git a/src/nm-exported-object.c b/src/nm-exported-object.c
index bdf409ad1..07caa3a20 100644
--- a/src/nm-exported-object.c
+++ b/src/nm-exported-object.c
@@ -29,6 +29,10 @@
 
 static GHashTable *prefix_counters;
 
+#if NM_MORE_ASSERTS >= 2
+#define _ASSERT_NO_EARLY_EXPORT
+#endif
+
 G_DEFINE_ABSTRACT_TYPE_WITH_CODE (NMExportedObject, nm_exported_object, G_TYPE_OBJECT,
                                   prefix_counters = g_hash_table_new (g_str_hash, g_str_equal);
                                   )
@@ -41,6 +45,10 @@ typedef struct {
 
 	GVariantBuilder pending_notifies;
 	guint notify_idle_id;
+
+#ifdef _ASSERT_NO_EARLY_EXPORT
+	gboolean _constructed;
+#endif
 } NMExportedObjectPrivate;
 
 #define NM_EXPORTED_OBJECT_GET_PRIVATE(o) (G_TYPE_INSTANCE_GET_PRIVATE ((o), NM_TYPE_EXPORTED_OBJECT, NMExportedObjectPrivate))
@@ -490,6 +498,10 @@ nm_exported_object_export (NMExportedObject *self)
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!priv->path, priv->path);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (!priv->bus_mgr, NULL);
 
+#ifdef _ASSERT_NO_EARLY_EXPORT
+	nm_assert (priv->_constructed);
+#endif
+
 	class_export_path = NM_EXPORTED_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (self)->export_path;
 	p = strchr (class_export_path, '%');
 	if (p) {
@@ -731,6 +743,23 @@ nm_exported_object_notify (GObject *object, GParamSpec *pspec)
 		priv->notify_idle_id = g_idle_add (idle_emit_properties_changed, object);
 }
 
+static void
+constructed (GObject *object)
+{
+	NMExportedObjectClass *klass;
+
+	G_OBJECT_CLASS (nm_exported_object_parent_class)->constructed (object);
+
+#ifdef _ASSERT_NO_EARLY_EXPORT
+	NM_EXPORTED_OBJECT_GET_PRIVATE (object)->_constructed = TRUE;
+#endif
+
+	klass = NM_EXPORTED_OBJECT_GET_CLASS (object);
+
+	if (klass->export_on_construction)
+		nm_exported_object_export ((NMExportedObject *) object);
+}
+
 static void
 nm_exported_object_dispose (GObject *object)
 {
@@ -752,6 +781,7 @@ nm_exported_object_class_init (NMExportedObjectClass *klass)
 
 	g_type_class_add_private (object_class, sizeof (NMExportedObjectPrivate));
 
+	object_class->constructed = constructed;
 	object_class->notify = nm_exported_object_notify;
 	object_class->dispose = nm_exported_object_dispose;
 }
diff --git a/src/nm-exported-object.h b/src/nm-exported-object.h
index 65f0eb656..0b952b837 100644
--- a/src/nm-exported-object.h
+++ b/src/nm-exported-object.h
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ typedef struct {
 	GObjectClass parent;
 
 	const char *export_path;
+	char export_on_construction;
 } NMExportedObjectClass;
 
 GType nm_exported_object_get_type (void);