diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index a8b517382a..3883d04c42 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -1638,7 +1638,7 @@ virDomainDiskSetFormat(virDomainDiskDefPtr def, int format)
 }
 
 
-static virDomainControllerDefPtr
+virDomainControllerDefPtr
 virDomainControllerDefNew(virDomainControllerType type)
 {
     virDomainControllerDefPtr def;
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index c2fa3b8100..fb872d4bb7 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2563,6 +2563,8 @@ virDomainDiskDefPtr virDomainDiskFindByBusAndDst(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                                  int bus,
                                                  char *dst);
 void virDomainControllerDefFree(virDomainControllerDefPtr def);
+virDomainControllerDefPtr
+virDomainControllerDefNew(virDomainControllerType type);
 void virDomainFSDefFree(virDomainFSDefPtr def);
 void virDomainActualNetDefFree(virDomainActualNetDefPtr def);
 void virDomainNetDefFree(virDomainNetDefPtr def);
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index a057a1e830..48b28c486f 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -186,6 +186,7 @@ virDomainClockOffsetTypeToString;
 virDomainConfigFile;
 virDomainControllerAliasFind;
 virDomainControllerDefFree;
+virDomainControllerDefNew;
 virDomainControllerFind;
 virDomainControllerFindByType;
 virDomainControllerInsert;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_parse_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_parse_command.c
index 577651bbdb..7ce90f926d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_parse_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_parse_command.c
@@ -2351,13 +2351,11 @@ qemuParseCommandLine(virCapsPtr caps,
             /* ignore, generted on the fly */
         } else if (STREQ(arg, "-usb")) {
             virDomainControllerDefPtr ctldef;
-            if (VIR_ALLOC(ctldef) < 0)
+            ctldef = virDomainControllerDefNew(VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_USB);
+            if (!ctldef)
                 goto error;
-            ctldef->type = VIR_DOMAIN_CONTROLLER_TYPE_USB;
-            ctldef->idx = 0;
-            ctldef->model = -1;
             if (virDomainControllerInsert(def, ctldef) < 0) {
-                VIR_FREE(ctldef);
+                virDomainControllerDefFree(ctldef);
                 goto error;
             }
         } else if (STREQ(arg, "-pidfile")) {