diff --git a/libnm/nm-client.c b/libnm/nm-client.c
index 1eae24db9..c7fa8ce80 100644
--- a/libnm/nm-client.c
+++ b/libnm/nm-client.c
@@ -882,12 +882,18 @@ nm_client_save_hostname (NMClient *client,
                          GError **error)
 {
 	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_CLIENT (client), FALSE);
+	g_return_val_if_fail (!cancellable || G_IS_CANCELLABLE (cancellable), FALSE);
 
-	if (!_nm_client_check_nm_running (client, error))
-		return FALSE;
-
-	return nm_remote_settings_save_hostname (NM_CLIENT_GET_PRIVATE (client)->settings,
-	                                         hostname, cancellable, error);
+	return _nm_object_dbus_call_sync_void (client,
+	                                       cancellable,
+	                                       NM_DBUS_PATH_SETTINGS,
+	                                       NM_DBUS_INTERFACE_SETTINGS,
+	                                       "SaveHostname",
+	                                       g_variant_new ("(s)", hostname ?: ""),
+	                                       G_DBUS_CALL_FLAGS_NONE,
+	                                       NM_DBUS_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_MSEC,
+	                                       TRUE,
+	                                       error);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/libnm/nm-remote-settings.c b/libnm/nm-remote-settings.c
index b941bde69..573c89561 100644
--- a/libnm/nm-remote-settings.c
+++ b/libnm/nm-remote-settings.c
@@ -394,27 +394,6 @@ nm_remote_settings_add_connection2 (NMRemoteSettings *self,
 	}
 }
 
-gboolean
-nm_remote_settings_save_hostname (NMRemoteSettings *settings,
-                                  const char *hostname,
-                                  GCancellable *cancellable,
-                                  GError **error)
-{
-	NMRemoteSettingsPrivate *priv;
-	gboolean ret;
-
-	g_return_val_if_fail (NM_IS_REMOTE_SETTINGS (settings), FALSE);
-
-	priv = NM_REMOTE_SETTINGS_GET_PRIVATE (settings);
-
-	ret = nmdbus_settings_call_save_hostname_sync (priv->proxy,
-	                                               hostname ?: "",
-	                                               cancellable, error);
-	if (error && *error)
-		g_dbus_error_strip_remote_error (*error);
-	return ret;
-}
-
 static void
 save_hostname_cb (GObject *proxy,
                   GAsyncResult *result,
diff --git a/libnm/nm-remote-settings.h b/libnm/nm-remote-settings.h
index 0d391e5fb..2ac2e64e6 100644
--- a/libnm/nm-remote-settings.h
+++ b/libnm/nm-remote-settings.h
@@ -75,12 +75,6 @@ void nm_remote_settings_add_connection2 (NMRemoteSettings *self,
                                          NMRemoteSettingAddConnection2Callback callback,
                                          gpointer user_data);
 
-_NM_DEPRECATED_SYNC_METHOD_INTERNAL
-gboolean nm_remote_settings_save_hostname        (NMRemoteSettings *settings,
-                                                  const char *hostname,
-                                                  GCancellable *cancellable,
-                                                  GError **error);
-
 void     nm_remote_settings_save_hostname_async  (NMRemoteSettings *settings,
                                                   const char *hostname,
                                                   GCancellable *cancellable,