diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-setting-wireless.c b/libnm-core/nm-setting-wireless.c
index 7a2a16f74..1731673f9 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-setting-wireless.c
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-setting-wireless.c
@@ -1073,7 +1073,8 @@ get_property (GObject *object, guint prop_id,
 		g_value_take_boxed (value,
 		                      priv->seen_bssids
 		                    ? nm_utils_strv_dup (priv->seen_bssids->pdata,
-		                                         priv->seen_bssids->len)
+		                                         priv->seen_bssids->len,
+		                                         TRUE)
 		                    : NULL);
 		break;
 	case PROP_HIDDEN:
diff --git a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
index 34d5de120..60f1bfaf8 100644
--- a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
+++ b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.c
@@ -2393,6 +2393,10 @@ nm_utils_strv_make_deep_copied_n (const char **strv, gsize len)
  *   is negative or zero (in which case %NULL will be returned).
  * @len: the length of strings in @str. If negative, strv is assumed
  *   to be a NULL terminated array.
+ * @deep_copied: if %TRUE, clones the individual strings. In that case,
+ *   the returned array must be freed with g_strfreev(). Otherwise, the
+ *   strings themself are not copied. You must take care of who owns the
+ *   strings yourself.
  *
  * Like g_strdupv(), with two differences:
  *
@@ -2407,10 +2411,13 @@ nm_utils_strv_make_deep_copied_n (const char **strv, gsize len)
  * array with g_strfreev(). Allowing that would be error prone.
  *
  * Returns: (transfer full): a clone of the strv array. Always
- *   %NULL terminated.
+ *   %NULL terminated. Depending on @deep_copied, the strings are
+ *   cloned or not.
  */
 char **
-nm_utils_strv_dup (gpointer strv, gssize len)
+nm_utils_strv_dup (gpointer strv,
+                   gssize len,
+                   gboolean deep_copied)
 {
 	gsize i, l;
 	char **v;
@@ -2438,7 +2445,10 @@ nm_utils_strv_dup (gpointer strv, gssize len)
 			g_return_val_if_reached (v);
 		}
 
-		v[i] = g_strdup (src[i]);
+		if (deep_copied)
+			v[i] = g_strdup (src[i]);
+		else
+			v[i] = (char *) src[i];
 	}
 	v[l] = NULL;
 	return v;
diff --git a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
index ff1ea17e2..c027769aa 100644
--- a/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
+++ b/shared/nm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
@@ -990,7 +990,9 @@ nm_utils_strv_make_deep_copied_nonnull (const char **strv)
 	return nm_utils_strv_make_deep_copied (strv) ?: g_new0 (char *, 1);
 }
 
-char **nm_utils_strv_dup (gpointer strv, gssize len);
+char **nm_utils_strv_dup (gpointer strv,
+                          gssize len,
+                          gboolean deep_copied);
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
 
diff --git a/src/nm-config-data.c b/src/nm-config-data.c
index 0366a66c6..b5868b7b1 100644
--- a/src/nm-config-data.c
+++ b/src/nm-config-data.c
@@ -1663,7 +1663,7 @@ set_property (GObject *object,
 				specs = g_slist_prepend (specs, spec);
 			}
 
-			priv->no_auto_default.arr = nm_utils_strv_dup (value_arr, j);
+			priv->no_auto_default.arr = nm_utils_strv_dup (value_arr, j, TRUE);
 			priv->no_auto_default.specs = g_slist_reverse (specs);
 		}
 		break;