diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 1067e80e14..1ba40b6f5d 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ test-*.trs
 /clients/cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup
 /clients/cloud-setup/nm-cloud-setup.service
 /clients/cloud-setup/tests/test-cloud-setup-general
-/clients/nm-online
 /clients/tui/nmtui
 
 /data/NetworkManager.service
@@ -163,6 +162,8 @@ test-*.trs
 /src/libnmc-setting/settings-docs.h
 /src/libnmc-setting/tests/test-libnmc-setting
 
+/src/nm-online/nm-online
+
 /clients/cli/generate-docs-nm-settings-nmcli
 /clients/cli/generate-docs-nm-settings-nmcli.xml
 
@@ -291,6 +292,7 @@ test-*.trs
 /clients/common/tests/test-clients-common
 /clients/common/tests/test-general
 /clients/common/tests/test-libnm-core-aux
+/clients/nm-online
 /dispatcher/nm-avahi-autoipd.action
 /dispatcher/nm-dispatcher
 /dispatcher/nmdbus-dispatcher.*
diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index ab4b176573..5cd624ff1e 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -4575,12 +4575,12 @@ EXTRA_DIST += \
 	$(NULL)
 
 ###############################################################################
-# clients
+# src/nm-online
 ###############################################################################
 
-bin_PROGRAMS += clients/nm-online
+bin_PROGRAMS += src/nm-online/nm-online
 
-clients_nm_online_CPPFLAGS = \
+src_nm_online_nm_online_CPPFLAGS = \
 	$(dflt_cppflags) \
 	-I$(srcdir)/src \
 	-I$(builddir)/src \
@@ -4591,12 +4591,12 @@ clients_nm_online_CPPFLAGS = \
 	$(GLIB_CFLAGS) \
 	$(NULL)
 
-clients_nm_online_LDFLAGS = \
+src_nm_online_nm_online_LDFLAGS = \
 	-Wl,--version-script="$(srcdir)/linker-script-binary.ver" \
 	$(SANITIZER_EXEC_LDFLAGS) \
 	$(NULL)
 
-clients_nm_online_LDADD = \
+src_nm_online_nm_online_LDADD = \
 	src/libnm-client-impl/libnm.la \
 	src/libnm-client-aux-extern/libnm-client-aux-extern.la \
 	src/libnm-glib-aux/libnm-glib-aux.la \
@@ -4605,11 +4605,14 @@ clients_nm_online_LDADD = \
 	$(GLIB_LIBS) \
 	$(NULL)
 
-$(clients_nm_online_OBJECTS): $(src_libnm_core_public_mkenums_h)
-$(clients_nm_online_OBJECTS): $(src_libnm_client_public_mkenums_h)
+$(src_nm_online_nm_online_OBJECTS): $(src_libnm_core_public_mkenums_h)
+$(src_nm_online_nm_online_OBJECTS): $(src_libnm_client_public_mkenums_h)
 
-EXTRA_DIST += \
-	clients/meson.build
+EXTRA_DIST += src/nm-online/meson.build
+
+###############################################################################
+
+EXTRA_DIST += clients/meson.build
 
 ###############################################################################
 # src/libnmc-base
diff --git a/clients/meson.build b/clients/meson.build
index 3a401c31d4..32bd2d8c8b 100644
--- a/clients/meson.build
+++ b/clients/meson.build
@@ -1,23 +1,5 @@
 # SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
 
-executable(
-  'nm-online',
-  'nm-online' + '.c',
-  dependencies: [
-    libnm_dep,
-    glib_dep,
-  ],
-  link_with: [
-    libnm_client_aux_extern,
-    libnm_glib_aux,
-    libnm_std_aux,
-    libc_siphash,
-  ],
-  link_args: ldflags_linker_script_binary,
-  link_depends: linker_script_binary,
-  install: true,
-)
-
 subdir('cli')
 
 if enable_nmtui
diff --git a/po/POTFILES.in b/po/POTFILES.in
index 754e5a47cb..73235c059f 100644
--- a/po/POTFILES.in
+++ b/po/POTFILES.in
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ clients/cli/polkit-agent.c
 clients/cli/settings.c
 clients/cli/utils.c
 clients/cli/utils.h
-clients/nm-online.c
 clients/tui/nm-editor-utils.c
 clients/tui/nmt-connect-connection-list.c
 clients/tui/nmt-device-entry.c
@@ -183,3 +182,4 @@ src/libnmc-setting/nm-meta-setting-access.c
 src/libnmc-setting/nm-meta-setting-desc.c
 src/libnmc-setting/settings-docs.h.in
 src/libnmt-newt/nmt-newt-utils.c
+src/nm-online/nm-online.c
diff --git a/src/meson.build b/src/meson.build
index 4c6d3ced0f..b3c6ae99f4 100644
--- a/src/meson.build
+++ b/src/meson.build
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ subdir('libnmc-setting')
 subdir('libnmt-newt')
 subdir('core')
 subdir('nm-dispatcher')
+subdir('nm-online')
 subdir('contrib')
 
 if enable_tests
diff --git a/src/nm-online/meson.build b/src/nm-online/meson.build
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..415bb29fdf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/nm-online/meson.build
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# SPDX-License-Identifier: LGPL-2.1-or-later
+
+executable(
+  'nm-online',
+  'nm-online' + '.c',
+  dependencies: [
+    libnm_dep,
+    glib_dep,
+  ],
+  link_with: [
+    libnm_client_aux_extern,
+    libnm_glib_aux,
+    libnm_std_aux,
+    libc_siphash,
+  ],
+  link_args: ldflags_linker_script_binary,
+  link_depends: linker_script_binary,
+  install: true,
+)
diff --git a/clients/nm-online.c b/src/nm-online/nm-online.c
similarity index 100%
rename from clients/nm-online.c
rename to src/nm-online/nm-online.c
diff --git a/tools/test-build.sh b/tools/test-build.sh
index 0ae9a58620..4060aa18f3 100755
--- a/tools/test-build.sh
+++ b/tools/test-build.sh
@@ -31,15 +31,15 @@ build_out_of_tree() {
 TARGETS=("$@")
 if [ "${#TARGETS}" -lt 1 ]; then
     TARGETS=(
-        src/core/NetworkManager
-        src/core/nm-iface-helper
-        src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-helper
-        dispatcher/nm-dispatcher
-        clients/nm-online
         clients/cli/nmcli
         clients/tui/nmtui
-        src/core/platform/tests/monitor
+        dispatcher/nm-dispatcher
+        src/core/NetworkManager
+        src/core/dhcp/nm-dhcp-helper
         src/core/ndisc/tests/test-ndisc-linux
+        src/core/nm-iface-helper
+        src/core/platform/tests/monitor
+        src/nm-online/nm-online
         $(git grep -h '\.l\?a\>' Makefile.am | sed 's/[a-zA-Z.0-9_-/]\+/\n\0\n/g' | sort -u | grep '\.l\?a$')
     )
 fi