diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_blockjob.c b/src/qemu/qemu_blockjob.c
index c7b7bfc944..ef71d8f0f9 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_blockjob.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_blockjob.c
@@ -42,14 +42,37 @@
 VIR_LOG_INIT("qemu.qemu_blockjob");
 
 
-void
-qemuBlockJobDataFree(qemuBlockJobDataPtr job)
+static virClassPtr qemuBlockJobDataClass;
+
+
+static void
+qemuBlockJobDataDispose(void *obj)
 {
-    if (!job)
-        return;
+    qemuBlockJobDataPtr job = obj;
 
     VIR_FREE(job->errmsg);
-    VIR_FREE(job);
+}
+
+
+static int
+qemuBlockJobDataOnceInit(void)
+{
+    if (!VIR_CLASS_NEW(qemuBlockJobData, virClassForObject()))
+        return -1;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+VIR_ONCE_GLOBAL_INIT(qemuBlockJobData)
+
+qemuBlockJobDataPtr
+qemuBlockJobDataNew(void)
+{
+    if (qemuBlockJobDataInitialize() < 0)
+        return NULL;
+
+    return virObjectNew(qemuBlockJobDataClass);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_blockjob.h b/src/qemu/qemu_blockjob.h
index 1785414172..fc794d3d0b 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_blockjob.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_blockjob.h
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ typedef struct _qemuBlockJobData qemuBlockJobData;
 typedef qemuBlockJobData *qemuBlockJobDataPtr;
 
 struct _qemuBlockJobData {
+    virObject parent;
+
     bool started;
     int type;
     int status;
@@ -37,8 +39,7 @@ struct _qemuBlockJobData {
     bool synchronous; /* API call is waiting for this job */
 };
 
-void
-qemuBlockJobDataFree(qemuBlockJobDataPtr job);
+qemuBlockJobDataPtr qemuBlockJobDataNew(void);
 
 int qemuBlockJobUpdateDisk(virDomainObjPtr vm,
                            int asyncJob,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index aa8fe11147..7030aa448e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ qemuDomainDiskPrivateNew(void)
     if (!(priv = virObjectNew(qemuDomainDiskPrivateClass)))
         return NULL;
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(priv->blockjob) < 0) {
+    if (!(priv->blockjob = qemuBlockJobDataNew())) {
         virObjectUnref(priv);
         priv = NULL;
     }
@@ -1079,7 +1079,7 @@ qemuDomainDiskPrivateDispose(void *obj)
     virStorageSourceFree(priv->migrSource);
     VIR_FREE(priv->qomName);
     VIR_FREE(priv->nodeCopyOnRead);
-    qemuBlockJobDataFree(priv->blockjob);
+    virObjectUnref(priv->blockjob);
 }
 
 static virClassPtr qemuDomainStorageSourcePrivateClass;