diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 319def8861..af7a67bc72 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -8079,8 +8079,6 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     int ret = -1;
     unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE |
                                VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ABI_UPDATE;
-    virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps = NULL;
-    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
     virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg = NULL;
     virCapsPtr caps = NULL;
 
@@ -8097,8 +8095,6 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (!(vm = qemuDomObjFromDomain(dom)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    priv = vm->privateData;
-
     if (virDomainAttachDeviceFlagsEnsureACL(dom->conn, vm->def, flags) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
@@ -8125,11 +8121,6 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
             goto endjob;
     }
 
-    if (priv->qemuCaps)
-        qemuCaps = virObjectRef(priv->qemuCaps);
-    else if (!(qemuCaps = virQEMUCapsCacheLookup(driver->qemuCapsCache, vm->def->emulator)))
-        goto endjob;
-
     if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG) {
         /* Make a copy for updated domain. */
         vmdef = virDomainObjCopyPersistentDef(vm, caps, driver->xmlopt);
@@ -8178,7 +8169,6 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     qemuDomainObjEndJob(driver, vm);
 
  cleanup:
-    virObjectUnref(qemuCaps);
     virDomainDefFree(vmdef);
     if (dev != dev_copy)
         virDomainDeviceDefFree(dev_copy);
@@ -8331,8 +8321,6 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev = NULL, dev_copy = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
     unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_VALIDATE;
-    virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps = NULL;
-    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
     virQEMUDriverConfigPtr cfg = NULL;
     virCapsPtr caps = NULL;
 
@@ -8347,8 +8335,6 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (!(vm = qemuDomObjFromDomain(dom)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    priv = vm->privateData;
-
     if (virDomainDetachDeviceFlagsEnsureACL(dom->conn, vm->def, flags) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
@@ -8379,11 +8365,6 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
             goto endjob;
     }
 
-    if (priv->qemuCaps)
-        qemuCaps = virObjectRef(priv->qemuCaps);
-    else if (!(qemuCaps = virQEMUCapsCacheLookup(driver->qemuCapsCache, vm->def->emulator)))
-        goto endjob;
-
     if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG) {
         /* Make a copy for updated domain. */
         vmdef = virDomainObjCopyPersistentDef(vm, caps, driver->xmlopt);
@@ -8431,7 +8412,6 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     qemuDomainObjEndJob(driver, vm);
 
  cleanup:
-    virObjectUnref(qemuCaps);
     virDomainDefFree(vmdef);
     if (dev != dev_copy)
         virDomainDeviceDefFree(dev_copy);