diff --git a/src/core/main.c b/src/core/main.c
index 4c436a631..4c7de6cd3 100644
--- a/src/core/main.c
+++ b/src/core/main.c
@@ -508,6 +508,9 @@ main(int argc, char *argv[])
     nm_log_dbg(LOGD_CORE, "setting up local loopback");
     nm_platform_link_change_flags(NM_PLATFORM_GET, 1, IFF_UP, TRUE);
 
+    if (!nm_dbus_manager_request_name_sync(nm_dbus_manager_get()))
+        goto done;
+
     success = TRUE;
 
     if (configure_and_quit == FALSE) {
diff --git a/src/core/nm-dbus-manager.c b/src/core/nm-dbus-manager.c
index 5ecd9fe68..0bde5971d 100644
--- a/src/core/nm-dbus-manager.c
+++ b/src/core/nm-dbus-manager.c
@@ -1421,6 +1421,11 @@ nm_dbus_manager_request_name_sync(NMDBusManager *self)
 
     priv = NM_DBUS_MANAGER_GET_PRIVATE(self);
 
+    if (priv->objmgr_registration_id == 0) {
+        /* Do nothing. We're presumably in the configure-and-quit mode. */
+        return TRUE;
+    }
+
     g_return_val_if_fail(G_IS_DBUS_CONNECTION(priv->main_dbus_connection), FALSE);
 
     ret = g_dbus_connection_call_sync(
@@ -1499,9 +1504,6 @@ nm_dbus_manager_setup(NMDBusManager *self)
 
     _LOGD("D-Bus connection created and ObjectManager object registered");
 
-    if (!nm_dbus_manager_request_name_sync(self))
-        return FALSE;
-
     return TRUE;
 }