diff --git a/src/core/nm-dispatcher.c b/src/core/nm-dispatcher.c
index 0abbca73a..16fb7e96b 100644
--- a/src/core/nm-dispatcher.c
+++ b/src/core/nm-dispatcher.c
@@ -247,6 +247,20 @@ dump_ip_to_props(const NML3ConfigData *l3cd, int addr_family, GVariantBuilder *b
     }
     g_variant_builder_add(builder, "{sv}", "addresses", g_variant_builder_end(&int_builder));
 
+    /* We used to send name servers as a entry with key "nameservers" and binary
+     * value. That no longer works because name servers can be URIs. Send the
+     * value as an array of strings.
+     * To avoid problems when the NM and NM-dispatcher version don't match (right
+     * after an upgrade or downgrade), still send the old key in the old format,
+     * and introduce a new key for the new format. */
+    g_variant_builder_init(&int_builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE("as"));
+    strarr = nm_l3_config_data_get_nameservers(l3cd, addr_family, &n);
+    for (i = 0; i < n; i++)
+        g_variant_builder_add(&int_builder, "s", strarr[i]);
+    g_variant_builder_add(builder, "{sv}", "nameservers-full", g_variant_builder_end(&int_builder));
+
+    /* Old format for nameservers. This can be removed in the future when it's
+     * expected that both NM and NM-dispatcher support the new format.*/
     if (IS_IPv4)
         g_variant_builder_init(&int_builder, G_VARIANT_TYPE("au"));
     else
diff --git a/src/nm-dispatcher/nm-dispatcher-utils.c b/src/nm-dispatcher/nm-dispatcher-utils.c
index 6659936f4..030506e94 100644
--- a/src/nm-dispatcher/nm-dispatcher-utils.c
+++ b/src/nm-dispatcher/nm-dispatcher-utils.c
@@ -264,22 +264,43 @@ construct_ip_items(GPtrArray *items, int addr_family, GVariant *ip_config, const
         g_variant_unref(val);
     }
 
-    val = g_variant_lookup_value(ip_config,
-                                 "nameservers",
-                                 addr_family == AF_INET ? G_VARIANT_TYPE("au")
-                                                        : G_VARIANT_TYPE("aay"));
+    /* For name servers, prefer the new key and fall back to the old one. */
+    val = g_variant_lookup_value(ip_config, "nameservers-full", G_VARIANT_TYPE("as"));
     if (val) {
-        gs_strfreev char **v = NULL;
+        nm_auto_unref_ptrarray GPtrArray *arr = NULL;
+        GVariantIter                      iter;
+        const char                       *str;
+
+        arr = g_ptr_array_new_full(g_variant_n_children(val) + 1, NULL);
+        g_variant_iter_init(&iter, val);
+        while (g_variant_iter_next(&iter, "&s", &str)) {
+            g_ptr_array_add(arr, (gpointer) str);
+        }
+        g_ptr_array_add(arr, NULL);
 
-        if (addr_family == AF_INET)
-            v = nm_utils_ip4_dns_from_variant(val);
-        else
-            v = nm_utils_ip6_dns_from_variant(val);
         _items_add_strv(items,
                         prefix,
                         addr_family == AF_INET ? "IP4_NAMESERVERS" : "IP6_NAMESERVERS",
-                        NM_CAST_STRV_CC(v));
+                        (const char *const *) arr->pdata);
         g_variant_unref(val);
+    } else {
+        val = g_variant_lookup_value(ip_config,
+                                     "nameservers",
+                                     addr_family == AF_INET ? G_VARIANT_TYPE("au")
+                                                            : G_VARIANT_TYPE("aay"));
+        if (val) {
+            gs_strfreev char **v = NULL;
+
+            if (addr_family == AF_INET)
+                v = nm_utils_ip4_dns_from_variant(val);
+            else
+                v = nm_utils_ip6_dns_from_variant(val);
+            _items_add_strv(items,
+                            prefix,
+                            addr_family == AF_INET ? "IP4_NAMESERVERS" : "IP6_NAMESERVERS",
+                            NM_CAST_STRV_CC(v));
+            g_variant_unref(val);
+        }
     }
 
     val = g_variant_lookup_value(ip_config, "domains", G_VARIANT_TYPE_STRING_ARRAY);