diff --git a/contrib/scripts/checkpatch.pl b/contrib/scripts/checkpatch.pl
index c535fd0a93..d1bc6c69c2 100755
--- a/contrib/scripts/checkpatch.pl
+++ b/contrib/scripts/checkpatch.pl
@@ -191,7 +191,7 @@ complain ("This gtk-doc annotation looks wrong") if $line =~ /\*.*\( *(transfer-
 complain ("Prefer nm_assert() or g_return*() to g_assert*()") if $line =~ /g_assert/ and (not $filename =~ /\/tests\//) and (not $filename =~ /\/nm-test-/);
 complain ("Use gs_free_error with GError variables") if $line =~ /\bgs_free\b +GError *\*/;
 complain ("Don't use strcmp/g_strcmp0 unless you need to sort. Consider nm_streq()/nm_streq0(),NM_IN_STRSET() for testing equality") if $line =~ /\b(strcmp|g_strcmp0)\b/;
-complain ("Don't use API that uses the numeric source id. Instead, use GSource and API like nm_g_idle_add_source(), nm_clear_g_source_inst(), etc.") if $line =~ /\b(g_idle_add|g_idle_add_full|g_timeout_add|g_timeout_add_seconds|g_source_remove|nm_clear_g_source)\b/;
+complain ("Don't use API that uses the numeric source id. Instead, use GSource and API like nm_g_idle_add(), nm_g_idle_add_source(), nm_clear_g_source_inst(), etc.") if $line =~ /\b(g_idle_add|g_idle_add_full|g_timeout_add|g_timeout_add_seconds|g_source_remove|nm_clear_g_source)\b/;
 #complain ("Use spaces instead of tabs") if $line =~ /\t/;
 
 # Further on we process stuff without comments.
diff --git a/src/libnm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h b/src/libnm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
index e8c282d8a2..8d12f05ef5 100644
--- a/src/libnm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
+++ b/src/libnm-glib-aux/nm-shared-utils.h
@@ -1725,6 +1725,20 @@ nm_g_source_attach(GSource *source, GMainContext *context)
     return source;
 }
 
+static inline void
+nm_g_idle_add(GSourceFunc func, gpointer user_data)
+{
+    /* g_idle_add() is discouraged because it relies on the guint source ids.
+     *
+     * Usually, you would want to use nm_g_idle_add_source() which returns a GSource*
+     * instance.
+     *
+     * However, if you don't care to ever call g_source_remove() on the source id, then
+     * g_idle_add() is fine. But our checkpatch script would complain about it. nm_g_idle_add(),
+     * is the solution because it intentionally ignores the guint source id. */
+    g_idle_add(func, user_data);
+}
+
 static inline GSource *
 nm_g_idle_add_source(GSourceFunc func, gpointer user_data)
 {