diff --git a/src/NetworkManagerUtils.c b/src/NetworkManagerUtils.c
index 2ea3f771b..db627091e 100644
--- a/src/NetworkManagerUtils.c
+++ b/src/NetworkManagerUtils.c
@@ -610,27 +610,48 @@ value_hash_add_object_property (GHashTable *hash,
 gboolean
 nm_utils_do_sysctl (const char *path, const char *value)
 {
-	int fd, len, nwrote, total;
+	int fd, len, nwrote, tries;
+	char *actual;
+
+	g_return_val_if_fail (path != NULL, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (value != NULL, FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (value[0], FALSE);
 
 	fd = open (path, O_WRONLY | O_TRUNC);
-	if (fd == -1)
+	if (fd == -1) {
+		nm_log_warn (LOGD_CORE, "sysctl: failed to open '%s': (%d) %s",
+		             path, errno, strerror (errno));
 		return FALSE;
+	}
 
-	len = strlen (value);
-	total = 0;
-	do {
-		nwrote = write (fd, value + total, len - total);
+	nm_log_dbg (LOGD_CORE, "sysctl: setting '%s' to '%s'", path, value);
+
+	/* Most sysfs and sysctl options don't care about a trailing CR, while some
+	 * (like infiniband) do.  So always add the CR.  Also, neither sysfs nor
+	 * sysctl support partial writes so the CR must be added to the string we're
+	 * about to write.
+	 */
+	actual = g_strdup_printf ("%s\n", value);
+
+	/* Try to write the entire value three times if a partial write occurs */
+	len = strlen (actual);
+	for (tries = 0, nwrote = 0; tries < 3 && nwrote != len; tries++) {
+		nwrote = write (fd, actual, len);
 		if (nwrote == -1) {
 			if (errno == EINTR)
 				continue;
-			close (fd);
-			return FALSE;
+			break;
 		}
-		total += nwrote;
-	} while (total < len);
+	}
+	g_free (actual);
+
+	if (nwrote != len) {
+		nm_log_warn (LOGD_CORE, "sysctl: failed to set '%s' to '%s': (%d) %s",
+		             path, value, errno, strerror (errno));
+	}
 
 	close (fd);
-	return TRUE;
+	return (nwrote == len);
 }
 
 gboolean
diff --git a/src/ip6-manager/nm-ip6-manager.c b/src/ip6-manager/nm-ip6-manager.c
index 4432aa5c4..490e9574b 100644
--- a/src/ip6-manager/nm-ip6-manager.c
+++ b/src/ip6-manager/nm-ip6-manager.c
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ nm_ip6_device_destroy (NMIP6Device *device)
 	/* reset the saved IPv6 value */
 	if (device->disable_ip6_save_valid) {
 		nm_utils_do_sysctl (device->disable_ip6_path,
-		                    device->disable_ip6_save ? "1\n" : "0\n");
+		                    device->disable_ip6_save ? "1" : "0");
 	}
 
 	if (device->finish_addrconf_id)
@@ -1399,10 +1399,10 @@ nm_ip6_manager_prepare_interface (NMIP6Manager *manager,
 	/* Establish target state and turn router advertisement acceptance on or off */
 	if (!strcmp (method, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_LINK_LOCAL)) {
 		device->target_state = NM_IP6_DEVICE_GOT_LINK_LOCAL;
-		nm_utils_do_sysctl (accept_ra_path, "0\n");
+		nm_utils_do_sysctl (accept_ra_path, "0");
 	} else {
 		device->target_state = NM_IP6_DEVICE_GOT_ADDRESS;
-		nm_utils_do_sysctl (accept_ra_path, "2\n");
+		nm_utils_do_sysctl (accept_ra_path, "2");
 	}
 
 	return TRUE;
@@ -1447,9 +1447,9 @@ nm_ip6_manager_begin_addrconf (NMIP6Manager *manager, int ifindex)
 	 * new RAs; there doesn't seem to be a better way to do this right now.
 	 */
 	if (device->target_state >= NM_IP6_DEVICE_GOT_ADDRESS) {
-		nm_utils_do_sysctl (device->disable_ip6_path, "1\n");
+		nm_utils_do_sysctl (device->disable_ip6_path, "1");
 		g_usleep (200);
-		nm_utils_do_sysctl (device->disable_ip6_path, "0\n");
+		nm_utils_do_sysctl (device->disable_ip6_path, "0");
 	}
 
 	device->ip6flags_poll_id = g_timeout_add_seconds (1, poll_ip6_flags, priv->monitor);
diff --git a/src/nm-device-infiniband.c b/src/nm-device-infiniband.c
index 42187a66f..b2915f9ee 100644
--- a/src/nm-device-infiniband.c
+++ b/src/nm-device-infiniband.c
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ act_stage1_prepare (NMDevice *dev, NMDeviceStateReason *reason)
 	NMConnection *connection;
 	NMSettingInfiniband *s_infiniband;
 	const char *transport_mode;
-	char *mode_path, *mode_value;
+	char *mode_path;
 	gboolean ok;
 
 	g_return_val_if_fail (reason != NULL, NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_FAILURE);
@@ -215,9 +215,7 @@ act_stage1_prepare (NMDevice *dev, NMDeviceStateReason *reason)
 		}
 	}
 
-	mode_value = g_strdup_printf ("%s\n", transport_mode);
-	ok = nm_utils_do_sysctl (mode_path, mode_value);
-	g_free (mode_value);
+	ok = nm_utils_do_sysctl (mode_path, transport_mode);
 	g_free (mode_path);
 
 	if (!ok) {
diff --git a/src/nm-device.c b/src/nm-device.c
index 64e8b728b..27a2d2c4e 100644
--- a/src/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/nm-device.c
@@ -2373,7 +2373,7 @@ act_stage3_ip6_config_start (NMDevice *self,
 	} else if (ip6_method_matches (connection, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_DHCP)) {
 		/* Router advertisements shouldn't be used in pure DHCP mode */
 		if (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path)
-			nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path, "0\n");
+			nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path, "0");
 
 		priv->dhcp6_mode = IP6_DHCP_OPT_MANAGED;
 		ret = dhcp6_start (self, connection, priv->dhcp6_mode, reason);
@@ -2381,7 +2381,7 @@ act_stage3_ip6_config_start (NMDevice *self,
 		/* reset the saved RA value when ipv6 is ignored */
 		if (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path) {
 			nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path,
-			                    priv->ip6_accept_ra_save ? "1\n" : "0\n");
+			                    priv->ip6_accept_ra_save ? "1" : "0");
 		}
 		ret = NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_STOP;
 	} else if (ip6_method_matches (connection, NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_METHOD_MANUAL)) {
@@ -2391,7 +2391,7 @@ act_stage3_ip6_config_start (NMDevice *self,
 
 		/* Router advertisements shouldn't be used in manual mode */
 		if (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path)
-			nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path, "0\n");
+			nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path, "0");
 		ret = NM_ACT_STAGE_RETURN_SUCCESS;
 	} else {
 		nm_log_warn (LOGD_IP6, "(%s): unhandled IPv6 config method; will fail",
@@ -2417,13 +2417,13 @@ act_stage3_ip6_config_start (NMDevice *self,
 	switch (ip6_privacy) {
 	case NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_PRIVACY_UNKNOWN:
 	case NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_PRIVACY_DISABLED:
-		ip6_privacy_str = "0\n";
+		ip6_privacy_str = "0";
 	break;
 	case NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_PRIVACY_PREFER_PUBLIC_ADDR:
-		ip6_privacy_str = "1\n";
+		ip6_privacy_str = "1";
 	break;
 	case NM_SETTING_IP6_CONFIG_PRIVACY_PREFER_TEMP_ADDR:
-		ip6_privacy_str = "2\n";
+		ip6_privacy_str = "2";
 	break;
 	}
 	if (priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_path)
@@ -2753,13 +2753,13 @@ share_init (void)
 	                    NULL };
 	char **iter;
 
-	if (!nm_utils_do_sysctl ("/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward", "1\n")) {
+	if (!nm_utils_do_sysctl ("/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_forward", "1")) {
 		nm_log_err (LOGD_SHARING, "Error starting IP forwarding: (%d) %s",
 					errno, strerror (errno));
 		return FALSE;
 	}
 
-	if (!nm_utils_do_sysctl ("/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_dynaddr", "1\n")) {
+	if (!nm_utils_do_sysctl ("/proc/sys/net/ipv4/ip_dynaddr", "1")) {
 		nm_log_err (LOGD_SHARING, "error starting IP forwarding: (%d) %s",
 					errno, strerror (errno));
 	}
@@ -3273,11 +3273,11 @@ nm_device_deactivate (NMDevice *self, NMDeviceStateReason reason)
 
 	/* Turn off router advertisements until they are needed */
 	if (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path)
-		nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path, "0\n");
+		nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path, "0");
 
 	/* Turn off IPv6 privacy extensions */
 	if (priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_path)
-		nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_path, "0\n");
+		nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_path, "0");
 
 	/* Call device type-specific deactivation */
 	if (NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->deactivate)
@@ -3846,7 +3846,7 @@ dispose (GObject *object)
 	/* reset the saved RA value */
 	if (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path) {
 		nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path,
-		                    priv->ip6_accept_ra_save ? "1\n" : "0\n");
+		                    priv->ip6_accept_ra_save ? "1" : "0");
 	}
 	g_free (priv->ip6_accept_ra_path);
 
@@ -3854,7 +3854,7 @@ dispose (GObject *object)
 	if (priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_path) {
 		char tmp[16];
 
-		snprintf (tmp, sizeof (tmp), "%d\n", priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_save);
+		snprintf (tmp, sizeof (tmp), "%d", priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_save);
 		nm_utils_do_sysctl (priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_path, tmp);
 	}
 	g_free (priv->ip6_privacy_tempaddr_path);