diff --git a/src/libvirt_remote.syms b/src/libvirt_remote.syms
index cecd71c49e..4e684ef695 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_remote.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_remote.syms
@@ -125,6 +125,7 @@ virNetServerUpdateServices;
 # rpc/virnetserverclient.h
 virNetServerClientAddFilter;
 virNetServerClientClose;
+virNetServerClientCloseLocked;
 virNetServerClientDelayedClose;
 virNetServerClientGetAuth;
 virNetServerClientGetFD;
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ virNetServerClientGetUNIXIdentity;
 virNetServerClientImmediateClose;
 virNetServerClientInit;
 virNetServerClientInitKeepAlive;
-virNetServerClientIsClosed;
+virNetServerClientIsClosedLocked;
 virNetServerClientIsLocal;
 virNetServerClientIsSecure;
 virNetServerClientLocalAddrStringSASL;
@@ -156,7 +157,7 @@ virNetServerClientSetCloseHook;
 virNetServerClientSetDispatcher;
 virNetServerClientSetReadonly;
 virNetServerClientStartKeepAlive;
-virNetServerClientWantClose;
+virNetServerClientWantCloseLocked;
 
 
 # rpc/virnetservermdns.h
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserver.c b/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
index 43f889e2a0..57cbfb59ab 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
@@ -285,8 +285,10 @@ int virNetServerAddClient(virNetServerPtr srv,
         goto error;
     srv->clients[srv->nclients-1] = virObjectRef(client);
 
-    if (virNetServerClientNeedAuth(client))
+    virObjectLock(client);
+    if (virNetServerClientNeedAuthLocked(client))
         virNetServerTrackPendingAuthLocked(srv);
+    virObjectUnlock(client);
 
     virNetServerCheckLimits(srv);
 
@@ -847,6 +849,7 @@ void
 virNetServerProcessClients(virNetServerPtr srv)
 {
     size_t i;
+    virNetServerClientPtr client;
 
     virObjectLock(srv);
 
@@ -855,15 +858,18 @@ virNetServerProcessClients(virNetServerPtr srv)
         /* Coverity 5.3.0 couldn't see that srv->clients is non-NULL
          * if srv->nclients is non-zero.  */
         sa_assert(srv->clients);
-        if (virNetServerClientWantClose(srv->clients[i]))
-            virNetServerClientClose(srv->clients[i]);
-        if (virNetServerClientIsClosed(srv->clients[i])) {
-            virNetServerClientPtr client = srv->clients[i];
 
+        client = srv->clients[i];
+        virObjectLock(client);
+        if (virNetServerClientWantCloseLocked(client))
+            virNetServerClientCloseLocked(client);
+
+        if (virNetServerClientIsClosedLocked(client)) {
             VIR_DELETE_ELEMENT(srv->clients, i, srv->nclients);
 
-            if (virNetServerClientNeedAuth(client))
+            if (virNetServerClientNeedAuthLocked(client))
                 virNetServerTrackCompletedAuthLocked(srv);
+            virObjectUnlock(client);
 
             virNetServerCheckLimits(srv);
 
@@ -872,6 +878,8 @@ virNetServerProcessClients(virNetServerPtr srv)
             virObjectLock(srv);
 
             goto reprocess;
+        } else {
+            virObjectUnlock(client);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
index afe4fb47a2..dee94450df 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
@@ -987,17 +987,15 @@ void virNetServerClientDispose(void *obj)
  * Full free of the client is done later in a safe point
  * where it can be guaranteed it is no longer in use
  */
-void virNetServerClientClose(virNetServerClientPtr client)
+void
+virNetServerClientCloseLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client)
 {
     virNetServerClientCloseFunc cf;
     virKeepAlivePtr ka;
 
-    virObjectLock(client);
     VIR_DEBUG("client=%p", client);
-    if (!client->sock) {
-        virObjectUnlock(client);
+    if (!client->sock)
         return;
-    }
 
     if (client->keepalive) {
         virKeepAliveStop(client->keepalive);
@@ -1048,20 +1046,25 @@ void virNetServerClientClose(virNetServerClientPtr client)
         virObjectUnref(client->sock);
         client->sock = NULL;
     }
-
-    virObjectUnlock(client);
 }
 
 
-bool virNetServerClientIsClosed(virNetServerClientPtr client)
+void
+virNetServerClientClose(virNetServerClientPtr client)
 {
-    bool closed;
     virObjectLock(client);
-    closed = client->sock == NULL ? true : false;
+    virNetServerClientCloseLocked(client);
     virObjectUnlock(client);
-    return closed;
 }
 
+
+bool
+virNetServerClientIsClosedLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client)
+{
+    return client->sock == NULL ? true : false;
+}
+
+
 void virNetServerClientDelayedClose(virNetServerClientPtr client)
 {
     virObjectLock(client);
@@ -1076,13 +1079,11 @@ void virNetServerClientImmediateClose(virNetServerClientPtr client)
     virObjectUnlock(client);
 }
 
-bool virNetServerClientWantClose(virNetServerClientPtr client)
+
+bool
+virNetServerClientWantCloseLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client)
 {
-    bool wantClose;
-    virObjectLock(client);
-    wantClose = client->wantClose;
-    virObjectUnlock(client);
-    return wantClose;
+    return client->wantClose;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.h b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.h
index 1182d53c70..b7752a61fa 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.h
@@ -124,11 +124,12 @@ void virNetServerClientSetDispatcher(virNetServerClientPtr client,
                                      virNetServerClientDispatchFunc func,
                                      void *opaque);
 void virNetServerClientClose(virNetServerClientPtr client);
-bool virNetServerClientIsClosed(virNetServerClientPtr client);
+void virNetServerClientCloseLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client);
+bool virNetServerClientIsClosedLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client);
 
 void virNetServerClientDelayedClose(virNetServerClientPtr client);
 void virNetServerClientImmediateClose(virNetServerClientPtr client);
-bool virNetServerClientWantClose(virNetServerClientPtr client);
+bool virNetServerClientWantCloseLocked(virNetServerClientPtr client);
 
 int virNetServerClientInit(virNetServerClientPtr client);