diff --git a/providers/base/bin/wifi_nmcli_test.py b/providers/base/bin/wifi_nmcli_test.py
index 31affc98bb..82b3ec6a44 100755
--- a/providers/base/bin/wifi_nmcli_test.py
+++ b/providers/base/bin/wifi_nmcli_test.py
@@ -98,6 +98,18 @@ def turn_down_nm_connections():
             continue
         uuid = value["uuid"]
         print("Turn down connection", name)
+        # Re-check this specific UUID's state right before calling down
+        # to handle the race condition where a connection becomes inactive
+        # between the initial query and this point (e.g. another connection
+        # was brought down first, causing NM to deactivate this one too).
+        check_cmd = "nmcli -t -f GENERAL.STATE c show {}".format(uuid)
+        print_cmd(check_cmd)
+        current_state = sp.check_output(
+            shlex.split(check_cmd), universal_newlines=True
+        ).strip()
+        if current_state != "GENERAL.STATE:activated":
+            print("WARN: {} is no longer active, skipping".format(name))
+            continue
         cmd = "nmcli c down {}".format(uuid)
         print_cmd(cmd)
         sp.check_call(shlex.split(cmd))
diff --git a/providers/base/tests/test_wifi_nmcli_test.py b/providers/base/tests/test_wifi_nmcli_test.py
index 26683277c0..fd5a23d1db 100644
--- a/providers/base/tests/test_wifi_nmcli_test.py
+++ b/providers/base/tests/test_wifi_nmcli_test.py
@@ -140,15 +140,21 @@ def test_connection_activation_fails_due_to_exception(
 
 
 class TestTurnDownNmConnections(unittest.TestCase):
-    @patch("wifi_nmcli_test.sp.call")
+    @patch("wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_output")
+    @patch("wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_call")
     @patch("wifi_nmcli_test._get_nm_wireless_connections", return_value={})
     def test_no_connections_to_turn_down(
-        self, get_connections_mock, sp_call_mock
+        self, get_connections_mock, sp_check_call_mock, sp_check_output_mock
     ):
         turn_down_nm_connections()
         self.assertEqual(get_connections_mock.call_count, 1)
-        sp_call_mock.assert_not_called()
+        sp_check_output_mock.assert_not_called()
+        sp_check_call_mock.assert_not_called()
 
+    @patch(
+        "wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_output",
+        return_value="GENERAL.STATE:activated",
+    )
     @patch("wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_call")
     @patch(
         "wifi_nmcli_test._get_nm_wireless_connections",
@@ -158,30 +164,60 @@ def test_no_connections_to_turn_down(
         },
     )
     def test_turn_down_single_connection(
-        self, get_connections_mock, sp_check_call_mock
+        self, get_connections_mock, sp_check_call_mock, sp_check_output_mock
     ):
         turn_down_nm_connections()
-        self.assertEqual(get_connections_mock.call_count, 1)
+        sp_check_output_mock.assert_called_once_with(
+            "nmcli -t -f GENERAL.STATE c show uuid1".split(),
+            universal_newlines=True,
+        )
         sp_check_call_mock.assert_called_once_with(
             "nmcli c down uuid1".split()
         )
 
+    @patch(
+        "wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_output",
+        return_value="GENERAL.STATE:deactivated",
+    )
+    @patch("wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_call")
+    @patch(
+        "wifi_nmcli_test._get_nm_wireless_connections",
+        return_value={"Wireless1": {"uuid": "uuid1", "state": "activated"}},
+    )
+    def test_turn_down_connection_already_inactive(
+        self, get_connections_mock, sp_check_call_mock, sp_check_output_mock
+    ):
+        # UUID state re-check shows connection already inactive — skip down
+        turn_down_nm_connections()
+        sp_check_output_mock.assert_called_once_with(
+            "nmcli -t -f GENERAL.STATE c show uuid1".split(),
+            universal_newlines=True,
+        )
+        sp_check_call_mock.assert_not_called()
+
+    @patch(
+        "wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_output",
+        return_value="GENERAL.STATE:activated",
+    )
     @patch("wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_call")
     @patch(
         "wifi_nmcli_test._get_nm_wireless_connections",
         return_value={"Wireless1": {"uuid": "uuid1", "state": "activated"}},
     )
     def test_turn_down_single_connection_with_exception(
-        self, get_connections_mock, sp_check_call_mock
+        self, get_connections_mock, sp_check_call_mock, sp_check_output_mock
     ):
-        sp_check_call_mock.side_effect = subprocess.CalledProcessError("", 1)
+        sp_check_call_mock.side_effect = subprocess.CalledProcessError(1, "")
         with self.assertRaises(subprocess.CalledProcessError):
             turn_down_nm_connections()
-        self.assertEqual(get_connections_mock.call_count, 1)
         sp_check_call_mock.assert_called_once_with(
             "nmcli c down uuid1".split()
         )
 
+    @patch(
+        "wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_output",
+        return_value="GENERAL.STATE:activated",
+    )
     @patch("wifi_nmcli_test.sp.check_call")
     @patch(
         "wifi_nmcli_test._get_nm_wireless_connections",
@@ -191,10 +227,11 @@ def test_turn_down_single_connection_with_exception(
         },
     )
     def test_turn_down_multiple_connections(
-        self, get_connections_mock, sp_check_call_mock
+        self, get_connections_mock, sp_check_call_mock, sp_check_output_mock
     ):
         turn_down_nm_connections()
-        self.assertEqual(get_connections_mock.call_count, 1)
+        # one UUID state check per activated connection
+        self.assertEqual(sp_check_output_mock.call_count, 2)
         calls = [
             call("nmcli c down uuid1".split()),
             call("nmcli c down uuid2".split()),