diff --git a/src/core/nm-l3cfg.c b/src/core/nm-l3cfg.c
index fb48b860b..abeef3df7 100644
--- a/src/core/nm-l3cfg.c
+++ b/src/core/nm-l3cfg.c
@@ -4960,7 +4960,7 @@ next:
     }
 
 out:
-    nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(self->priv.netns, TAG, FALSE);
+    nm_netns_watcher_remove_dirty(self->priv.netns, TAG);
 }
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
@@ -5841,12 +5841,8 @@ finalize(GObject *object)
     gboolean changed;
 
     if (self->priv.netns) {
-        nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(self->priv.netns,
-                                    _NETNS_WATCHER_IP_ADDR_TAG(self, AF_INET),
-                                    TRUE);
-        nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(self->priv.netns,
-                                    _NETNS_WATCHER_IP_ADDR_TAG(self, AF_INET6),
-                                    TRUE);
+        nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(self->priv.netns, _NETNS_WATCHER_IP_ADDR_TAG(self, AF_INET));
+        nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(self->priv.netns, _NETNS_WATCHER_IP_ADDR_TAG(self, AF_INET6));
     }
 
     nm_prioq_destroy(&self->priv.p->failedobj_prioq);
diff --git a/src/core/nm-netns.c b/src/core/nm-netns.c
index 420d01e4b..57dbe9c5c 100644
--- a/src/core/nm-netns.c
+++ b/src/core/nm-netns.c
@@ -1369,8 +1369,8 @@ nm_netns_watcher_remove_handle(NMNetns *self, NMNetnsWatcherHandle *handle)
         g_object_unref(self);
 }
 
-void
-nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(NMNetns *self, gconstpointer tag, gboolean all)
+static void
+watcher_remove(NMNetns *self, gconstpointer tag, gboolean all)
 {
     NMNetnsPrivate       *priv;
     WatcherByTag         *watcher_by_tag;
@@ -1420,6 +1420,21 @@ nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(NMNetns *self, gconstpointer tag, gboolean all)
     }
 }
 
+void
+nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(NMNetns *self, gconstpointer tag)
+{
+    watcher_remove(self, tag, TRUE);
+}
+
+/* Similar to nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(), but removes only watchers
+ * that were marked as "dirty" in a previous call of this function and were
+ * not added back via nm_netns_watcher_add() in the meantime. */
+void
+nm_netns_watcher_remove_dirty(NMNetns *self, gconstpointer tag)
+{
+    watcher_remove(self, tag, FALSE);
+}
+
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/core/nm-netns.h b/src/core/nm-netns.h
index 7725ae79b..43e9c7818 100644
--- a/src/core/nm-netns.h
+++ b/src/core/nm-netns.h
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ void nm_netns_watcher_add(NMNetns                  *self,
                           NMNetnsWatcherCallback    callback,
                           gpointer                  user_data);
 
-void
-nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(NMNetns *self, gconstpointer tag, gboolean all /* or only dirty */);
+void nm_netns_watcher_remove_all(NMNetns *self, gconstpointer tag);
+void nm_netns_watcher_remove_dirty(NMNetns *self, gconstpointer tag);
 
 #endif /* __NM_NETNS_H__ */