diff --git a/src/esx/esx_driver.c b/src/esx/esx_driver.c
index d9f53f7418..b3f19481c3 100644
--- a/src/esx/esx_driver.c
+++ b/src/esx/esx_driver.c
@@ -3489,6 +3489,7 @@ esxDomainSetAutostart(virDomainPtr domain, int autostart)
     esxVI_AutoStartPowerInfo *powerInfoList = NULL;
     esxVI_AutoStartPowerInfo *powerInfo = NULL;
     esxVI_AutoStartPowerInfo *newPowerInfo = NULL;
+    bool newPowerInfo_isAppended = false;
 
     if (esxVI_EnsureSession(priv->primary) < 0) {
         return -1;
@@ -3546,9 +3547,7 @@ esxDomainSetAutostart(virDomainPtr domain, int autostart)
     if (esxVI_AutoStartPowerInfo_Alloc(&newPowerInfo) < 0 ||
         esxVI_Int_Alloc(&newPowerInfo->startOrder) < 0 ||
         esxVI_Int_Alloc(&newPowerInfo->startDelay) < 0 ||
-        esxVI_Int_Alloc(&newPowerInfo->stopDelay) < 0 ||
-        esxVI_AutoStartPowerInfo_AppendToList(&spec->powerInfo,
-                                              newPowerInfo) < 0) {
+        esxVI_Int_Alloc(&newPowerInfo->stopDelay) < 0) {
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
@@ -3560,6 +3559,13 @@ esxDomainSetAutostart(virDomainPtr domain, int autostart)
     newPowerInfo->stopDelay->value = -1; /* use system default */
     newPowerInfo->stopAction = (char *)"none";
 
+    if (esxVI_AutoStartPowerInfo_AppendToList(&spec->powerInfo,
+                                              newPowerInfo) < 0) {
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    newPowerInfo_isAppended = true;
+
     if (esxVI_ReconfigureAutostart
           (priv->primary,
            priv->primary->hostSystem->configManager->autoStartManager,
@@ -3581,6 +3587,10 @@ esxDomainSetAutostart(virDomainPtr domain, int autostart)
     esxVI_AutoStartDefaults_Free(&defaults);
     esxVI_AutoStartPowerInfo_Free(&powerInfoList);
 
+    if (!newPowerInfo_isAppended) {
+        esxVI_AutoStartPowerInfo_Free(&newPowerInfo);
+    }
+
     return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/esx/esx_vi.c b/src/esx/esx_vi.c
index 42e0976fe4..5b5ab696d0 100644
--- a/src/esx/esx_vi.c
+++ b/src/esx/esx_vi.c
@@ -1882,7 +1882,9 @@ esxVI_LookupObjectContentByType(esxVI_Context *ctx,
 {
     int result = -1;
     esxVI_ObjectSpec *objectSpec = NULL;
+    bool objectSpec_isAppended = false;
     esxVI_PropertySpec *propertySpec = NULL;
+    bool propertySpec_isAppended = false;
     esxVI_PropertyFilterSpec *propertyFilterSpec = NULL;
 
     if (objectContentList == NULL || *objectContentList != NULL) {
@@ -1951,10 +1953,20 @@ esxVI_LookupObjectContentByType(esxVI_Context *ctx,
 
     if (esxVI_PropertyFilterSpec_Alloc(&propertyFilterSpec) < 0 ||
         esxVI_PropertySpec_AppendToList(&propertyFilterSpec->propSet,
-                                        propertySpec) < 0 ||
-        esxVI_ObjectSpec_AppendToList(&propertyFilterSpec->objectSet,
-                                      objectSpec) < 0 ||
-        esxVI_RetrieveProperties(ctx, propertyFilterSpec,
+                                        propertySpec) < 0) {
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    propertySpec_isAppended = true;
+
+    if (esxVI_ObjectSpec_AppendToList(&propertyFilterSpec->objectSet,
+                                      objectSpec) < 0) {
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    objectSpec_isAppended = true;
+
+    if (esxVI_RetrieveProperties(ctx, propertyFilterSpec,
                                  objectContentList) < 0) {
         goto cleanup;
     }
@@ -1994,13 +2006,24 @@ esxVI_LookupObjectContentByType(esxVI_Context *ctx,
      * Remove values given by the caller from the data structures to prevent
      * them from being freed by the call to esxVI_PropertyFilterSpec_Free().
      */
-    objectSpec->obj = NULL;
-    objectSpec->selectSet = NULL;
+    if (objectSpec != NULL) {
+        objectSpec->obj = NULL;
+        objectSpec->selectSet = NULL;
+    }
+
     if (propertySpec != NULL) {
         propertySpec->type = NULL;
         propertySpec->pathSet = NULL;
     }
 
+    if (!objectSpec_isAppended) {
+        esxVI_ObjectSpec_Free(&objectSpec);
+    }
+
+    if (!propertySpec_isAppended) {
+        esxVI_PropertySpec_Free(&propertySpec);
+    }
+
     esxVI_PropertyFilterSpec_Free(&propertyFilterSpec);
 
     return result;
@@ -3885,7 +3908,9 @@ esxVI_WaitForTaskCompletion(esxVI_Context *ctx,
 {
     int result = -1;
     esxVI_ObjectSpec *objectSpec = NULL;
+    bool objectSpec_isAppended = false;
     esxVI_PropertySpec *propertySpec = NULL;
+    bool propertySpec_isAppended = false;
     esxVI_PropertyFilterSpec *propertyFilterSpec = NULL;
     esxVI_ManagedObjectReference *propertyFilter = NULL;
     char *version = NULL;
@@ -3927,10 +3952,20 @@ esxVI_WaitForTaskCompletion(esxVI_Context *ctx,
                                        "info.state") < 0 ||
         esxVI_PropertyFilterSpec_Alloc(&propertyFilterSpec) < 0 ||
         esxVI_PropertySpec_AppendToList(&propertyFilterSpec->propSet,
-                                        propertySpec) < 0 ||
-        esxVI_ObjectSpec_AppendToList(&propertyFilterSpec->objectSet,
-                                      objectSpec) < 0 ||
-        esxVI_CreateFilter(ctx, propertyFilterSpec, esxVI_Boolean_True,
+                                        propertySpec) < 0) {
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    propertySpec_isAppended = true;
+
+    if (esxVI_ObjectSpec_AppendToList(&propertyFilterSpec->objectSet,
+                                      objectSpec) < 0) {
+        goto cleanup;
+    }
+
+    objectSpec_isAppended = true;
+
+    if (esxVI_CreateFilter(ctx, propertyFilterSpec, esxVI_Boolean_True,
                            &propertyFilter) < 0) {
         goto cleanup;
     }
@@ -4066,6 +4101,14 @@ esxVI_WaitForTaskCompletion(esxVI_Context *ctx,
         propertySpec->type = NULL;
     }
 
+    if (!objectSpec_isAppended) {
+        esxVI_ObjectSpec_Free(&objectSpec);
+    }
+
+    if (!propertySpec_isAppended) {
+        esxVI_PropertySpec_Free(&propertySpec);
+    }
+
     esxVI_PropertyFilterSpec_Free(&propertyFilterSpec);
     esxVI_ManagedObjectReference_Free(&propertyFilter);
     VIR_FREE(version);