diff --git a/tools/virsh-checkpoint.c b/tools/virsh-checkpoint.c
index 9aeb8a5e7e..7151e2b182 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-checkpoint.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-checkpoint.c
@@ -81,6 +81,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_checkpoint_create[] = {
     VIRSH_COMMON_OPT_DOMAIN_FULL(VIR_CONNECT_LIST_DOMAINS_ACTIVE),
     {.name = "xmlfile",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .positional = true,
      .completer = virshCompletePathLocalExisting,
      .help = N_("domain checkpoint XML")
     },
diff --git a/tools/virsh-snapshot.c b/tools/virsh-snapshot.c
index 6c8194d67f..b47733d05b 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-snapshot.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-snapshot.c
@@ -109,6 +109,7 @@ static const vshCmdOptDef opts_snapshot_create[] = {
     VIRSH_COMMON_OPT_DOMAIN_FULL(0),
     {.name = "xmlfile",
      .type = VSH_OT_STRING,
+     .positional = true,
      .completer = virshCompletePathLocalExisting,
      .help = N_("domain snapshot XML")
     },