diff --git a/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagernetworkinformationbackend.cpp b/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagernetworkinformationbackend.cpp
index 6ee84e06f8d..2d0d602ba0a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagernetworkinformationbackend.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagernetworkinformationbackend.cpp
@@ -167,6 +167,8 @@ private:
 
 QNetworkManagerNetworkInformationBackend::QNetworkManagerNetworkInformationBackend()
 {
+    if (!iface.isValid())
+        return;
     auto updateReachability = [this](QNetworkManagerInterface::NMState newState) {
         setReachability(reachabilityFromNMState(newState));
     };
diff --git a/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagerservice.cpp b/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagerservice.cpp
index 3a64c1892ca..30cfffbe9de 100644
--- a/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagerservice.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagerservice.cpp
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ bool QNetworkManagerInterfaceBase::networkManagerAvailable()
 QNetworkManagerInterface::QNetworkManagerInterface(QObject *parent)
     : QNetworkManagerInterfaceBase(parent)
 {
-    if (!isValid())
+    if (!QDBusAbstractInterface::isValid())
         return;
 
     PropertiesDBusInterface managerPropertiesInterface(
@@ -51,13 +51,15 @@ QNetworkManagerInterface::QNetworkManagerInterface(QObject *parent)
     argumentList << NM_DBUS_INTERFACE ""_L1;
     QDBusPendingReply<QVariantMap> propsReply = managerPropertiesInterface.callWithArgumentList(
             QDBus::Block, "GetAll"_L1, argumentList);
-    if (!propsReply.isError()) {
-        propertyMap = propsReply.value();
-    } else {
-        qWarning() << "propsReply" << propsReply.error().message();
+    if (propsReply.isError()) {
+        validDBusConnection = false;
+        if (auto error = propsReply.error(); error.type() != QDBusError::AccessDenied)
+            qWarning() << "Failed to query NetworkManager properties:" << error.message();
+        return;
     }
+    propertyMap = propsReply.value();
 
-    QDBusConnection::systemBus().connect(NM_DBUS_SERVICE ""_L1, NM_DBUS_PATH ""_L1,
+    validDBusConnection = QDBusConnection::systemBus().connect(NM_DBUS_SERVICE ""_L1, NM_DBUS_PATH ""_L1,
             DBUS_PROPERTIES_INTERFACE""_L1, "PropertiesChanged"_L1, this,
             SLOT(setProperties(QString, QMap<QString, QVariant>, QList<QString>)));
 }
diff --git a/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagerservice.h b/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagerservice.h
index 9ca862d3988..c58a18d9bb0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagerservice.h
+++ b/src/plugins/networkinformation/networkmanager/qnetworkmanagerservice.h
@@ -136,6 +136,8 @@ public:
     NMDeviceType deviceType() const;
     NMMetered meteredState() const;
 
+    bool isValid() const { return QDBusAbstractInterface::isValid() && validDBusConnection; }
+
 Q_SIGNALS:
     void stateChanged(NMState);
     void connectivityChanged(NMConnectivityState);
@@ -155,6 +157,7 @@ private:
     std::optional<QDBusObjectPath> primaryConnectionDevicePath() const;
 
     QVariantMap propertyMap;
+    bool validDBusConnection = true;
 };
 
 class PropertiesDBusInterface : public QDBusAbstractInterface