diff --git a/src/libvirt_probes.d b/src/libvirt_probes.d
index 3b138a9adf..807239fe82 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_probes.d
+++ b/src/libvirt_probes.d
@@ -77,9 +77,7 @@ provider libvirt {
 
 	# file: src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
 	# prefix: rpc
-	probe rpc_keepalive_new(void *ka, void *client, int refs);
-	probe rpc_keepalive_ref(void *ka, void *client, int refs);
-	probe rpc_keepalive_free(void *ka, void *client, int refs);
+	probe rpc_keepalive_new(void *ka, void *client);
 	probe rpc_keepalive_start(void *ka, void *client, int interval, int count);
 	probe rpc_keepalive_stop(void *ka, void *client);
 	probe rpc_keepalive_send(void *ka, void *client, int prog, int vers, int proc);
diff --git a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
index ffb059e4b8..7ff125efad 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.c
@@ -35,7 +35,8 @@
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_RPC
 
 struct _virKeepAlive {
-    int refs;
+    virObject object;
+
     virMutex lock;
 
     int interval;
@@ -52,6 +53,21 @@ struct _virKeepAlive {
 };
 
 
+static virClassPtr virKeepAliveClass;
+static void virKeepAliveDispose(void *obj);
+
+static int virKeepAliveOnceInit(void)
+{
+    if (!(virKeepAliveClass = virClassNew("virKeepAlive",
+                                          sizeof(virKeepAlive),
+                                          virKeepAliveDispose)))
+        return -1;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+VIR_ONCE_GLOBAL_INIT(virKeepAlive)
+
 static void
 virKeepAliveLock(virKeepAlivePtr ka)
 {
@@ -165,7 +181,7 @@ virKeepAliveTimer(int timer ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, void *opaque)
     if (!dead && !msg)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    ka->refs++;
+    virObjectRef(ka);
     virKeepAliveUnlock(ka);
 
     if (dead) {
@@ -176,20 +192,13 @@ virKeepAliveTimer(int timer ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED, void *opaque)
     }
 
     virKeepAliveLock(ka);
-    ka->refs--;
+    virObjectUnref(ka);
 
 cleanup:
     virKeepAliveUnlock(ka);
 }
 
 
-static void
-virKeepAliveTimerFree(void *opaque)
-{
-    virKeepAliveFree(opaque);
-}
-
-
 virKeepAlivePtr
 virKeepAliveNew(int interval,
                 unsigned int count,
@@ -202,17 +211,17 @@ virKeepAliveNew(int interval,
 
     VIR_DEBUG("client=%p, interval=%d, count=%u", client, interval, count);
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(ka) < 0) {
-        virReportOOMError();
+    if (virKeepAliveInitialize() < 0)
+        return NULL;
+
+    if (!(ka = virObjectNew(virKeepAliveClass)))
         return NULL;
-    }
 
     if (virMutexInit(&ka->lock) < 0) {
         VIR_FREE(ka);
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    ka->refs = 1;
     ka->interval = interval;
     ka->count = count;
     ka->countToDeath = count;
@@ -223,44 +232,20 @@ virKeepAliveNew(int interval,
     ka->freeCB = freeCB;
 
     PROBE(RPC_KEEPALIVE_NEW,
-          "ka=%p client=%p refs=%d",
-          ka, ka->client, ka->refs);
+          "ka=%p client=%p",
+          ka, ka->client);
 
     return ka;
 }
 
 
 void
-virKeepAliveRef(virKeepAlivePtr ka)
+virKeepAliveDispose(void *obj)
 {
-    virKeepAliveLock(ka);
-    ka->refs++;
-    PROBE(RPC_KEEPALIVE_REF,
-          "ka=%p client=%p refs=%d",
-          ka, ka->client, ka->refs);
-    virKeepAliveUnlock(ka);
-}
-
-
-void
-virKeepAliveFree(virKeepAlivePtr ka)
-{
-    if (!ka)
-        return;
-
-    virKeepAliveLock(ka);
-    PROBE(RPC_KEEPALIVE_FREE,
-          "ka=%p client=%p refs=%d",
-          ka, ka->client, ka->refs);
-
-    if (--ka->refs > 0) {
-        virKeepAliveUnlock(ka);
-        return;
-    }
+    virKeepAlivePtr ka = obj;
 
     virMutexDestroy(&ka->lock);
     ka->freeCB(ka->client);
-    VIR_FREE(ka);
 }
 
 
@@ -311,12 +296,12 @@ virKeepAliveStart(virKeepAlivePtr ka,
         timeout = ka->interval - delay;
     ka->intervalStart = now - (ka->interval - timeout);
     ka->timer = virEventAddTimeout(timeout * 1000, virKeepAliveTimer,
-                                   ka, virKeepAliveTimerFree);
+                                   ka, virObjectFreeCallback);
     if (ka->timer < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     /* the timer now has another reference to this object */
-    ka->refs++;
+    virObjectRef(ka);
     ret = 0;
 
 cleanup:
diff --git a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.h b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.h
index 52e1d046e6..0f77f340b3 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virkeepalive.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virkeepalive.h
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 # define __VIR_KEEPALIVE_H__
 
 # include "virnetmessage.h"
+# include "virobject.h"
 
 typedef int (*virKeepAliveSendFunc)(void *client, virNetMessagePtr msg);
 typedef void (*virKeepAliveDeadFunc)(void *client);
@@ -42,9 +43,6 @@ virKeepAlivePtr virKeepAliveNew(int interval,
                                 ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(4)
                                 ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(5) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(6);
 
-void virKeepAliveRef(virKeepAlivePtr ka);
-void virKeepAliveFree(virKeepAlivePtr ka);
-
 int virKeepAliveStart(virKeepAlivePtr ka,
                       int interval,
                       unsigned int count);
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
index 58c80e2ba0..6d8c1327cc 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetclient.c
@@ -361,7 +361,7 @@ error:
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(wakeupFD[1]);
     if (ka) {
         virKeepAliveStop(ka);
-        virKeepAliveFree(ka);
+        virObjectUnref(ka);
     }
     virNetClientFree(client);
     return NULL;
@@ -551,7 +551,7 @@ virNetClientCloseLocked(virNetClientPtr client)
 
         if (ka) {
             virKeepAliveStop(ka);
-            virKeepAliveFree(ka);
+            virObjectUnref(ka);
         }
         if (closeCb)
             closeCb(client, closeReason, closeOpaque);
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
index 471cca0f8e..3a6439da29 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverclient.c
@@ -629,7 +629,7 @@ void virNetServerClientClose(virNetServerClientPtr client)
         client->keepalive = NULL;
         client->refs++;
         virNetServerClientUnlock(client);
-        virKeepAliveFree(ka);
+        virObjectUnref(ka);
         virNetServerClientLock(client);
         client->refs--;
     }
@@ -1199,7 +1199,7 @@ cleanup:
     virNetServerClientUnlock(client);
     if (ka)
         virKeepAliveStop(ka);
-    virKeepAliveFree(ka);
+    virObjectUnref(ka);
 
     return ret;
 }