diff --git a/clients/common/nm-client-utils.c b/clients/common/nm-client-utils.c
index fa7b720f4..bf4dcc77f 100644
--- a/clients/common/nm-client-utils.c
+++ b/clients/common/nm-client-utils.c
@@ -399,6 +399,9 @@ nmc_device_reason_to_string (NMDeviceStateReason reason)
 		return _("The device's parent changed");
 	case NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_PARENT_MANAGED_CHANGED:
 		return _("The device parent's management changed");
+
+	case NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_OVSDB_FAILED:
+		return _("OpenVSwitch database connection failed");
 	}
 
 	/* TRANSLATORS: Unknown reason for a device state change (NMDeviceStateReason) */
diff --git a/libnm-core/nm-dbus-interface.h b/libnm-core/nm-dbus-interface.h
index 761854269..7f75c8495 100644
--- a/libnm-core/nm-dbus-interface.h
+++ b/libnm-core/nm-dbus-interface.h
@@ -550,6 +550,7 @@ typedef enum {
  * @NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_NEW_ACTIVATION: New connection activation was enqueued
  * @NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_PARENT_CHANGED: the device's parent changed
  * @NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_PARENT_MANAGED_CHANGED: the device parent's management changed
+ * @NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_OVSDB_FAILED: problem communicating with OpenVSwitch database
  *
  * Device state change reason codes
  */
@@ -617,6 +618,7 @@ typedef enum {
 	NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_NEW_ACTIVATION                 = 60,
 	NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_PARENT_CHANGED                 = 61,
 	NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_PARENT_MANAGED_CHANGED         = 62,
+	NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_OVSDB_FAILED                   = 63,
 } NMDeviceStateReason;
 
 /**
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 4453acae2..04b522f8a 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -646,6 +646,7 @@ NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_DEFINE_STATIC (_reason_to_string, NMDeviceStateReason,
 	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_ITEM (NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_NEW_ACTIVATION,                 "new-activation"),
 	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_ITEM (NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_PARENT_CHANGED,                 "parent-changed"),
 	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_ITEM (NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_PARENT_MANAGED_CHANGED,         "parent-managed-changed"),
+	NM_UTILS_LOOKUP_STR_ITEM (NM_DEVICE_STATE_REASON_OVSDB_FAILED,                   "ovsdb-failed"),
 );
 
 #define reason_to_string(reason) \