diff --git a/Makefile.am b/Makefile.am
index cda6437ccf..ca819b4634 100644
--- a/Makefile.am
+++ b/Makefile.am
@@ -1,20 +1,20 @@
-SUBDIRS = marshallers
-
-SUBDIRS += \
-	   libnm-util \
-	   libnm-glib \
-	   src \
-	   include \
-	   introspection \
-	   callouts \
-	   system-settings \
-	   tools \
-	   policy \
-	   initscript \
-	   test \
-	   po \
-	   man \
-	   docs
+SUBDIRS = \
+	marshallers \
+	libnm-util \
+	libnm-glib \
+	src \
+	include \
+	introspection \
+	callouts \
+	system-settings \
+	tools \
+	policy \
+	initscript \
+	test \
+	po \
+	man \
+	docs \
+	examples
 
 EXTRA_DIST = \
 	CONTRIBUTING \
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 124f47c713..6c70b458cf 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -494,6 +494,8 @@ docs/Makefile
 docs/libnm-glib/Makefile
 docs/libnm-util/Makefile
 NetworkManager.pc
+examples/Makefile
+examples/python/Makefile
 ])
 AC_OUTPUT
 
diff --git a/examples/Makefile.am b/examples/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..c2ddf781cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+SUBDIRS=python
diff --git a/examples/python/Makefile.am b/examples/python/Makefile.am
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a64727a7fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/python/Makefile.am
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+EXTRA_DIST = \
+	nm-state.py \
+	add-system-connection.py
+
diff --git a/examples/python/add-system-connection.py b/examples/python/add-system-connection.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e9fbe4e6f1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/python/add-system-connection.py
@@ -0,0 +1,31 @@
+#!/bin/env python
+
+import dbus
+
+s_wired = dbus.Dictionary({'duplex': 'full'})
+s_con = dbus.Dictionary({
+            'type': '802-3-ethernet',
+            'uuid': '7371bb78-c1f7-42a3-a9db-5b9566e8ca07',
+            'id': 'MyConnection'})
+
+addr1 = dbus.Array([dbus.UInt32(50462986L), dbus.UInt32(0L), dbus.UInt32(16908554L)], signature=dbus.Signature('u'))
+s_ip4 = dbus.Dictionary({
+            'addresses': dbus.Array([addr1], signature=dbus.Signature('au')),
+            'method': 'manual'})
+
+s_ip6 = dbus.Dictionary({'method': 'ignore'})
+
+con = dbus.Dictionary({
+    '802-3-ethernet': s_wired,
+    'connection': s_con,
+    'ipv4': s_ip4,
+    'ipv6': s_ip6})
+
+
+bus = dbus.SystemBus()
+
+proxy = bus.get_object("org.freedesktop.NetworkManagerSystemSettings", "/org/freedesktop/NetworkManagerSettings")
+settings = dbus.Interface(proxy, "org.freedesktop.NetworkManagerSettings")
+
+settings.AddConnection(con)
+
diff --git a/examples/python/nm-state.py b/examples/python/nm-state.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..86aa321906
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/python/nm-state.py
@@ -0,0 +1,52 @@
+#!/bin/env python
+
+import dbus
+
+bus = dbus.SystemBus()
+
+proxy = bus.get_object("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager", "/org/freedesktop/NetworkManager")
+manager = dbus.Interface(proxy, "org.freedesktop.NetworkManager")
+
+# Get device-specific state
+devices = manager.GetDevices()
+for d in devices:
+    dev_proxy = bus.get_object("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager", d)
+    prop_iface = dbus.Interface(dev_proxy, "org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties")
+
+    # Get the device's current state and interface name
+    state = prop_iface.Get("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.Device", "State")
+    name = prop_iface.Get("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.Device", "Interface")
+
+    # and print them out
+    if state == 8:   # activated
+        print "Device %s is activated" % name
+    else:
+        print "Device %s is not activated" % name
+
+
+# Get active connection state
+manager_prop_iface = dbus.Interface(proxy, "org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties")
+active = manager_prop_iface.Get("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager", "ActiveConnections")
+for a in active:
+    ac_proxy = bus.get_object("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager", a)
+    prop_iface = dbus.Interface(ac_proxy, "org.freedesktop.DBus.Properties")
+    state = prop_iface.Get("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.ActiveConnection", "State")
+
+    # Connections in NM are a collection of settings that describe everything
+    # needed to connect to a specific network.  Lets get those details so we
+    # can find the user-readable name of the connection.
+    con_path = prop_iface.Get("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.ActiveConnection", "Connection")
+    con_service = prop_iface.Get("org.freedesktop.NetworkManager.ActiveConnection", "ServiceName")
+
+    # ask the provider of the connection for its details
+    service_proxy = bus.get_object(con_service, con_path)
+    con_iface = dbus.Interface(service_proxy, "org.freedesktop.NetworkManagerSettings.Connection")
+    con_details = con_iface.GetSettings()
+    con_name = con_details['connection']['id']
+
+    if state == 2:   # activated
+        print "Connection '%s' is activated" % con_name
+    else:
+        print "Connection '%s' is activating" % con_name
+
+