diff --git a/src/devices/bluetooth/nm-device-bt.c b/src/devices/bluetooth/nm-device-bt.c
index 7b1b3fde5..8a89cc83d 100644
--- a/src/devices/bluetooth/nm-device-bt.c
+++ b/src/devices/bluetooth/nm-device-bt.c
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 static gboolean
 check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
                             NMConnection *connection,
-                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
                             const char *specific_object)
 {
 	NMDeviceBtPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_BT_GET_PRIVATE (device);
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
index 8cad44f5c..ae3059de3 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bond.c
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ is_available (NMDevice *dev)
 static gboolean
 check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
                             NMConnection *connection,
-                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
                             const char *specific_object)
 {
 	/* Connections are always available because the carrier state is determined
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
index 53d5bef33..92c29387c 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device-bridge.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ is_available (NMDevice *dev)
 static gboolean
 check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
                             NMConnection *connection,
-                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
                             const char *specific_object)
 {
 	/* Connections are always available because the carrier state is determined
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.c b/src/devices/nm-device.c
index 26476dd73..af32e9379 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.c
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.c
@@ -6927,7 +6927,7 @@ nm_device_connection_is_available (NMDevice *self,
 	}
 
 	if (   is_default_unmanaged
-	    && NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available (self, connection, FALSE, NULL)) {
+	    && NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available (self, connection, NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_NONE, NULL)) {
 		/* default-unmanaged  devices in UNMANAGED state have no available connections
 		 * so we must manually check whether the connection is available here. */
 		return TRUE;
@@ -6935,7 +6935,7 @@ nm_device_connection_is_available (NMDevice *self,
 
 	if (   for_user_activation_request
 	    && NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available_has_user_override
-	    && NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available (self, connection, TRUE, NULL)) {
+	    && NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available (self, connection, NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST, NULL)) {
 		/* Connections for an explicit user activation request might only be available after
 		 * additional checking.
 		 *
@@ -6970,7 +6970,7 @@ _try_add_available_connection (NMDevice *self, NMConnection *connection)
 		return FALSE;
 
 	if (nm_device_check_connection_compatible (self, connection)) {
-		if (NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available (self, connection, FALSE, NULL)) {
+		if (NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available (self, connection, NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_NONE, NULL)) {
 			g_hash_table_add (NM_DEVICE_GET_PRIVATE (self)->available_connections,
 			                  g_object_ref (connection));
 			return TRUE;
@@ -6988,7 +6988,7 @@ _del_available_connection (NMDevice *self, NMConnection *connection)
 static gboolean
 check_connection_available (NMDevice *self,
                             NMConnection *connection,
-                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
                             const char *specific_object)
 {
 	/* Connections which require a network connection are not available when
@@ -7050,7 +7050,7 @@ nm_device_get_available_connections (NMDevice *self, const char *specific_object
 			 * compatible with it.
 			 */
 			if (   !specific_object
-			    || NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available (self, connection, FALSE, specific_object))
+			    || NM_DEVICE_GET_CLASS (self)->check_connection_available (self, connection, NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_NONE, specific_object))
 				g_ptr_array_add (array, connection);
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/src/devices/nm-device.h b/src/devices/nm-device.h
index 2a1ac54bb..98fc032f1 100644
--- a/src/devices/nm-device.h
+++ b/src/devices/nm-device.h
@@ -86,6 +86,19 @@ G_BEGIN_DECLS
 
 typedef enum NMActStageReturn NMActStageReturn;
 
+/* These flags affect whether a connection is considered available on a device
+ * (check_connection_available()). The flags should have the meaning of relaxing
+ * a condition, so that adding a flag might make a connection available that would
+ * not be available otherwise. Adding a flag should never make a connection
+ * not available if it would be available otherwise. */
+typedef enum {
+	NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_NONE                                  = 0,
+	NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST                      = (1L << 0),
+
+	__NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_ALL,
+	NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_ALL                                   = (((__NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_ALL - 1) << 1) - 1),
+} NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags;
+
 struct _NMDevice {
 	GObject parent;
 };
@@ -138,14 +151,15 @@ typedef struct {
 	 * is checked against the object defined by @specific_object, if given.
 	 * Returns TRUE if the connection is available; FALSE if not.
 	 *
-	 * If @for_user_activation_request, a connection might be considered
-	 * available under additional circumstances. That means, if a connection
-	 * is available for an internal, non-user request, it also must be available
-	 * for an external, user request.
+	 * The passed @flags affect whether a connection is considered
+	 * available or not. Adding more flags, means the connection is
+	 * *more* available.
+	 *
+	 * Specifying @specific_object can only reduce the availability of a connection.
 	 */
 	gboolean    (* check_connection_available) (NMDevice *self,
 	                                            NMConnection *connection,
-	                                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+	                                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
 	                                            const char *specific_object);
 
 	gboolean    check_connection_available_has_user_override;
diff --git a/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c b/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
index 34d181229..bddcdcc61 100644
--- a/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
+++ b/src/devices/team/nm-device-team.c
@@ -84,7 +84,7 @@ is_available (NMDevice *device)
 static gboolean
 check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
                             NMConnection *connection,
-                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
                             const char *specific_object)
 {
 	/* Connections are always available because the carrier state is determined
diff --git a/src/devices/wifi/nm-device-wifi.c b/src/devices/wifi/nm-device-wifi.c
index 0f1e7d48e..a17fca991 100644
--- a/src/devices/wifi/nm-device-wifi.c
+++ b/src/devices/wifi/nm-device-wifi.c
@@ -866,7 +866,7 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 static gboolean
 check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
                             NMConnection *connection,
-                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
                             const char *specific_object)
 {
 	NMDeviceWifiPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_WIFI_GET_PRIVATE (device);
@@ -877,6 +877,9 @@ check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
 	s_wifi = nm_connection_get_setting_wireless (connection);
 	g_return_val_if_fail (s_wifi, FALSE);
 
+	/* a connection that is available for a certain @specific_object, MUST
+	 * also be available in general (without @specific_object). */
+
 	if (specific_object) {
 		NMAccessPoint *ap;
 
@@ -900,7 +903,7 @@ check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
 	 * activating but the network isn't available let the device recheck
 	 * availability.
 	 */
-	if (nm_setting_wireless_get_hidden (s_wifi) || for_user_activation_request)
+	if (nm_setting_wireless_get_hidden (s_wifi) || NM_FLAGS_HAS (flags, NM_DEVICE_CHECK_CON_AVAILABLE_FOR_USER_REQUEST))
 		return TRUE;
 
 	/* check if its visible */
diff --git a/src/devices/wimax/nm-device-wimax.c b/src/devices/wimax/nm-device-wimax.c
index a7f63fdc9..261118696 100644
--- a/src/devices/wimax/nm-device-wimax.c
+++ b/src/devices/wimax/nm-device-wimax.c
@@ -334,13 +334,16 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 static gboolean
 check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
                             NMConnection *connection,
-                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
                             const char *specific_object)
 {
 	NMDeviceWimaxPrivate *priv = NM_DEVICE_WIMAX_GET_PRIVATE (device);
 	const GSList *ns_iter = NULL;
 	NMWimaxNsp *nsp;
 
+	/* a connection that is available for a certain @specific_object, MUST
+	 * also be available in general (without @specific_object). */
+
 	if (specific_object) {
 		nsp = get_nsp_by_path (NM_DEVICE_WIMAX (device), specific_object);
 		return nsp ? nm_wimax_nsp_check_compatible (nsp, connection) : FALSE;
diff --git a/src/devices/wwan/nm-device-modem.c b/src/devices/wwan/nm-device-modem.c
index 7046e72b6..f210240cd 100644
--- a/src/devices/wwan/nm-device-modem.c
+++ b/src/devices/wwan/nm-device-modem.c
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ check_connection_compatible (NMDevice *device, NMConnection *connection)
 static gboolean
 check_connection_available (NMDevice *device,
                             NMConnection *connection,
-                            gboolean for_user_activation_request,
+                            NMDeviceCheckConAvailableFlags flags,
                             const char *specific_object)
 {
 	NMDeviceModem *self = NM_DEVICE_MODEM (device);