diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 918f81470b..22f8a8267f 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2040,6 +2040,7 @@ virFirewallDZoneExists;
 
 
 # util/virfirmware.h
+virFirmwareFree;
 virFirmwareFreeList;
 virFirmwareParse;
 virFirmwareParseList;
diff --git a/src/util/virfirmware.c b/src/util/virfirmware.c
index f41e000447..b4747bd346 100644
--- a/src/util/virfirmware.c
+++ b/src/util/virfirmware.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 VIR_LOG_INIT("util.firmware");
 
 
-static void
+void
 virFirmwareFree(virFirmwarePtr firmware)
 {
     if (!firmware)
diff --git a/src/util/virfirmware.h b/src/util/virfirmware.h
index ed59f34102..30bcd21fa4 100644
--- a/src/util/virfirmware.h
+++ b/src/util/virfirmware.h
@@ -31,6 +31,11 @@ struct _virFirmware {
 };
 
 
+void
+virFirmwareFree(virFirmwarePtr firmware);
+
+VIR_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_FUNC(virFirmware, virFirmwareFree);
+
 void
 virFirmwareFreeList(virFirmwarePtr *firmwares, size_t nfirmwares);