diff --git a/src/util/virfile.c b/src/util/virfile.c
index 970d4bd234..442d2fab96 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.c
+++ b/src/util/virfile.c
@@ -2927,13 +2927,12 @@ int virDirRead(DIR *dirp, struct dirent **ent, const char *name)
     return !!*ent;
 }
 
-void virDirClose(DIR **dirp)
+void virDirClose(DIR *dirp)
 {
-    if (!*dirp)
+    if (!dirp)
         return;
 
-    closedir(*dirp); /* exempt from syntax-check */
-    *dirp = NULL;
+    closedir(dirp); /* exempt from syntax-check */
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/util/virfile.h b/src/util/virfile.h
index 09488398c5..6fde4f88ca 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.h
+++ b/src/util/virfile.h
@@ -269,9 +269,9 @@ int virDirOpenQuiet(DIR **dirp, const char *dirname)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 int virDirRead(DIR *dirp, struct dirent **ent, const char *dirname)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
-void virDirClose(DIR **dirp)
+void virDirClose(DIR *dirp)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
-#define VIR_DIR_CLOSE(dir)  virDirClose(&(dir))
+#define VIR_DIR_CLOSE(dir)  virDirClose(dir)
 
 int virFileMakePath(const char *path) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 int virFileMakePathWithMode(const char *path,