diff --git a/src/conf/domain_audit.c b/src/conf/domain_audit.c
index 1e667af73c..4afc220199 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_audit.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_audit.c
@@ -68,38 +68,6 @@ virDomainAuditGetRdev(const char *path ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 #endif
 
 
-static const char *
-virDomainAuditChardevPath(virDomainChrSourceDefPtr chr)
-{
-    if (!chr)
-        return NULL;
-
-    switch ((virDomainChrType) chr->type) {
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PTY:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_DEV:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_FILE:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PIPE:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_NMDM:
-        return chr->data.file.path;
-
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_UNIX:
-        return chr->data.nix.path;
-
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_TCP:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_UDP:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_NULL:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_VC:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_STDIO:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_SPICEVMC:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_SPICEPORT:
-    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_LAST:
-        return NULL;
-    }
-
-    return NULL;
-}
-
-
 static void
 virDomainAuditGenericDev(virDomainObjPtr vm,
                          const char *type,
@@ -178,8 +146,8 @@ virDomainAuditChardev(virDomainObjPtr vm,
         newsrc = newDef->source;
 
     virDomainAuditGenericDev(vm, "chardev",
-                             virDomainAuditChardevPath(oldsrc),
-                             virDomainAuditChardevPath(newsrc),
+                             virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(oldsrc),
+                             virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(newsrc),
                              reason, success);
 }
 
@@ -218,7 +186,7 @@ virDomainAuditSmartcard(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 
         case VIR_DOMAIN_SMARTCARD_TYPE_PASSTHROUGH:
             virDomainAuditGenericDev(vm, "smartcard", NULL,
-                                     virDomainAuditChardevPath(def->data.passthru),
+                                     virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(def->data.passthru),
                                      reason, success);
             break;
 
@@ -264,7 +232,7 @@ virDomainAuditRNG(virDomainObjPtr vm,
             break;
 
         case VIR_DOMAIN_RNG_BACKEND_EGD:
-            newsrcpath = virDomainAuditChardevPath(newDef->source.chardev);
+            newsrcpath = virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(newDef->source.chardev);
             break;
 
         case VIR_DOMAIN_RNG_BACKEND_LAST:
@@ -279,7 +247,7 @@ virDomainAuditRNG(virDomainObjPtr vm,
             break;
 
         case VIR_DOMAIN_RNG_BACKEND_EGD:
-            oldsrcpath = virDomainAuditChardevPath(oldDef->source.chardev);
+            oldsrcpath = virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(oldDef->source.chardev);
             break;
 
         case VIR_DOMAIN_RNG_BACKEND_LAST:
@@ -982,7 +950,7 @@ virDomainAuditShmem(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 {
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
     char *vmname = virAuditEncode("vm", vm->def->name);
-    const char *srcpath = virDomainAuditChardevPath(&def->server.chr);
+    const char *srcpath = virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(&def->server.chr);
     const char *virt = virDomainVirtTypeToString(vm->def->virtType);
     char *shmpath = NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 59771e48ba..570cc5c931 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -2039,6 +2039,39 @@ virDomainNetDefFree(virDomainNetDefPtr def)
     VIR_FREE(def);
 }
 
+
+const char *
+virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(virDomainChrSourceDefPtr chr)
+{
+    if (!chr)
+        return NULL;
+
+    switch ((virDomainChrType) chr->type) {
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PTY:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_DEV:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_FILE:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PIPE:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_NMDM:
+        return chr->data.file.path;
+
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_UNIX:
+        return chr->data.nix.path;
+
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_TCP:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_UDP:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_NULL:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_VC:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_STDIO:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_SPICEVMC:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_SPICEPORT:
+    case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_LAST:
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+
 void ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1)
 virDomainChrSourceDefClear(virDomainChrSourceDefPtr def)
 {
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index a9b079cf29..1baf854532 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -3284,6 +3284,8 @@ int virDomainDefFindDevice(virDomainDefPtr def,
                            virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev,
                            bool reportError);
 
+const char *virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(virDomainChrSourceDefPtr chr);
+
 void virDomainChrSourceDefClear(virDomainChrSourceDefPtr def);
 
 char *virDomainObjGetMetadata(virDomainObjPtr vm,
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 6331f1a734..3f94521df0 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -208,6 +208,7 @@ virDomainChrSerialTargetTypeToString;
 virDomainChrSourceDefClear;
 virDomainChrSourceDefCopy;
 virDomainChrSourceDefFree;
+virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath;
 virDomainChrSpicevmcTypeFromString;
 virDomainChrSpicevmcTypeToString;
 virDomainChrTcpProtocolTypeFromString;