diff --git a/src/datatypes.c b/src/datatypes.c
index da6ec371f4..3e1d809b40 100644
--- a/src/datatypes.c
+++ b/src/datatypes.c
@@ -184,6 +184,86 @@ virConnectCloseCallbackDataDispose(void *obj)
     virObjectUnlock(cb);
 }
 
+void virConnectCloseCallbackDataRegister(virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr close,
+                                         virConnectPtr conn,
+                                         virConnectCloseFunc cb,
+                                         void *opaque,
+                                         virFreeCallback freecb)
+{
+    virObjectLock(close);
+
+    if (close->callback != NULL) {
+        VIR_WARN("Attempt to register callback on armed"
+                 " close callback object %p", close);
+        goto cleanup;
+        return;
+    }
+
+    close->conn = conn;
+    virObjectRef(close->conn);
+    close->callback = cb;
+    close->opaque = opaque;
+    close->freeCallback = freecb;
+
+ cleanup:
+
+    virObjectUnlock(close);
+}
+
+void virConnectCloseCallbackDataUnregister(virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr close,
+                                           virConnectCloseFunc cb)
+{
+    virObjectLock(close);
+
+    if (close->callback != cb) {
+        VIR_WARN("Attempt to unregister different callback on "
+                 " close callback object %p", close);
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    close->callback = NULL;
+    if (close->freeCallback)
+        close->freeCallback(close->opaque);
+    close->freeCallback = NULL;
+    virObjectUnref(close->conn);
+
+ cleanup:
+
+    virObjectUnlock(close);
+}
+
+void virConnectCloseCallbackDataCall(virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr close,
+                                     int reason)
+{
+    virObjectLock(close);
+
+    if (!close->callback)
+        goto exit;
+
+    VIR_DEBUG("Triggering connection close callback %p reason=%d, opaque=%p",
+              close->callback, reason, close->opaque);
+    close->callback(close->conn, reason, close->opaque);
+
+    if (close->freeCallback)
+        close->freeCallback(close->opaque);
+    close->callback = NULL;
+    close->freeCallback = NULL;
+
+ exit:
+    virObjectUnlock(close);
+}
+
+virConnectCloseFunc
+virConnectCloseCallbackDataGetCallback(virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr close)
+{
+    virConnectCloseFunc cb;
+
+    virObjectLock(close);
+    cb = close->callback;
+    virObjectUnlock(close);
+
+    return cb;
+}
 
 /**
  * virGetDomain:
diff --git a/src/datatypes.h b/src/datatypes.h
index 31c636ca6c..238317a9e3 100644
--- a/src/datatypes.h
+++ b/src/datatypes.h
@@ -639,4 +639,17 @@ virAdmConnectPtr virAdmConnectNew(void);
 
 virAdmServerPtr virAdmGetServer(virAdmConnectPtr conn,
                                 const char *name);
+
+void virConnectCloseCallbackDataRegister(virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr close,
+                                         virConnectPtr conn,
+                                         virConnectCloseFunc cb,
+                                         void *opaque,
+                                         virFreeCallback freecb);
+void virConnectCloseCallbackDataUnregister(virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr close,
+                                           virConnectCloseFunc cb);
+void virConnectCloseCallbackDataCall(virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr close,
+                                     int reason);
+virConnectCloseFunc
+virConnectCloseCallbackDataGetCallback(virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr close);
+
 #endif /* __VIR_DATATYPES_H__ */
diff --git a/src/libvirt-host.c b/src/libvirt-host.c
index 9c88426ec4..ced6a549a2 100644
--- a/src/libvirt-host.c
+++ b/src/libvirt-host.c
@@ -1216,35 +1216,25 @@ virConnectRegisterCloseCallback(virConnectPtr conn,
     virResetLastError();
 
     virCheckConnectReturn(conn, -1);
-
-    virObjectRef(conn);
-
     virObjectLock(conn);
-    virObjectLock(conn->closeCallback);
 
     virCheckNonNullArgGoto(cb, error);
 
-    if (conn->closeCallback->callback) {
+    if (virConnectCloseCallbackDataGetCallback(conn->closeCallback) != NULL) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID, "%s",
                        _("A close callback is already registered"));
         goto error;
     }
 
-    conn->closeCallback->conn = conn;
-    conn->closeCallback->callback = cb;
-    conn->closeCallback->opaque = opaque;
-    conn->closeCallback->freeCallback = freecb;
+    virConnectCloseCallbackDataRegister(conn->closeCallback, conn, cb,
+                                        opaque, freecb);
 
-    virObjectUnlock(conn->closeCallback);
     virObjectUnlock(conn);
-
     return 0;
 
  error:
-    virObjectUnlock(conn->closeCallback);
     virObjectUnlock(conn);
     virDispatchError(conn);
-    virObjectUnref(conn);
     return -1;
 }
 
@@ -1271,31 +1261,22 @@ virConnectUnregisterCloseCallback(virConnectPtr conn,
     virResetLastError();
 
     virCheckConnectReturn(conn, -1);
-
     virObjectLock(conn);
-    virObjectLock(conn->closeCallback);
 
     virCheckNonNullArgGoto(cb, error);
 
-    if (conn->closeCallback->callback != cb) {
+    if (virConnectCloseCallbackDataGetCallback(conn->closeCallback) != cb) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID, "%s",
                        _("A different callback was requested"));
         goto error;
     }
 
-    conn->closeCallback->callback = NULL;
-    if (conn->closeCallback->freeCallback)
-        conn->closeCallback->freeCallback(conn->closeCallback->opaque);
-    conn->closeCallback->freeCallback = NULL;
+    virConnectCloseCallbackDataUnregister(conn->closeCallback, cb);
 
-    virObjectUnlock(conn->closeCallback);
     virObjectUnlock(conn);
-    virObjectUnref(conn);
-
     return 0;
 
  error:
-    virObjectUnlock(conn->closeCallback);
     virObjectUnlock(conn);
     virDispatchError(conn);
     return -1;
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_driver.c b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
index 7cf61cf562..e0cf33fdc3 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_driver.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
@@ -535,21 +535,8 @@ remoteClientCloseFunc(virNetClientPtr client ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                       int reason,
                       void *opaque)
 {
-    virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr cbdata = opaque;
-
-    virObjectLock(cbdata);
-
-    if (cbdata->callback) {
-        VIR_DEBUG("Triggering connection close callback %p reason=%d, opaque=%p",
-                  cbdata->callback, reason, cbdata->opaque);
-        cbdata->callback(cbdata->conn, reason, cbdata->opaque);
-
-        if (cbdata->freeCallback)
-            cbdata->freeCallback(cbdata->opaque);
-        cbdata->callback = NULL;
-        cbdata->freeCallback = NULL;
-    }
-    virObjectUnlock(cbdata);
+    virConnectCloseCallbackDataCall((virConnectCloseCallbackDataPtr)opaque,
+                                    reason);
 }
 
 /* helper macro to ease extraction of arguments from the URI */