diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 4c1199ca37..071ebaa4e1 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -1784,6 +1784,7 @@ virDomainDiskDefFree(virDomainDiskDefPtr def)
     VIR_FREE(def->dst);
     virStorageSourceFree(def->mirror);
     VIR_FREE(def->wwn);
+    VIR_FREE(def->driverName);
     VIR_FREE(def->vendor);
     VIR_FREE(def->product);
     VIR_FREE(def->domain_name);
@@ -1848,7 +1849,7 @@ virDomainDiskEmptySource(virDomainDiskDefPtr def)
 const char *
 virDomainDiskGetDriver(const virDomainDiskDef *def)
 {
-    return def->src->driverName;
+    return def->driverName;
 }
 
 
@@ -1856,11 +1857,11 @@ int
 virDomainDiskSetDriver(virDomainDiskDefPtr def, const char *name)
 {
     int ret;
-    char *tmp = def->src->driverName;
+    char *tmp = def->driverName;
 
-    ret = VIR_STRDUP(def->src->driverName, name);
+    ret = VIR_STRDUP(def->driverName, name);
     if (ret < 0)
-        def->src->driverName = tmp;
+        def->driverName = tmp;
     else
         VIR_FREE(tmp);
     return ret;
@@ -9137,7 +9138,7 @@ virDomainDiskDefDriverParseXML(virDomainDiskDefPtr def,
     char *tmp = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
 
-    def->src->driverName = virXMLPropString(cur, "name");
+    def->driverName = virXMLPropString(cur, "name");
 
     if ((tmp = virXMLPropString(cur, "cache")) &&
         (def->cachemode = virDomainDiskCacheTypeFromString(tmp)) < 0) {
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 99355532f3..3c7eccb8ca 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -644,6 +644,8 @@ struct _virDomainDiskDef {
 
     virDomainBlockIoTuneInfo blkdeviotune;
 
+    char *driverName;
+
     char *serial;
     char *wwn;
     char *vendor;
diff --git a/src/util/virstoragefile.c b/src/util/virstoragefile.c
index 67b9ec71ac..531540ac91 100644
--- a/src/util/virstoragefile.c
+++ b/src/util/virstoragefile.c
@@ -2048,7 +2048,6 @@ virStorageSourceCopy(const virStorageSource *src,
 
     if (VIR_STRDUP(ret->path, src->path) < 0 ||
         VIR_STRDUP(ret->volume, src->volume) < 0 ||
-        VIR_STRDUP(ret->driverName, src->driverName) < 0 ||
         VIR_STRDUP(ret->relPath, src->relPath) < 0 ||
         VIR_STRDUP(ret->backingStoreRaw, src->backingStoreRaw) < 0 ||
         VIR_STRDUP(ret->snapshot, src->snapshot) < 0 ||
@@ -2135,10 +2134,6 @@ virStorageSourceInitChainElement(virStorageSourcePtr newelem,
         virStorageSourceSeclabelsCopy(newelem, old) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!newelem->driverName &&
-        VIR_STRDUP(newelem->driverName, old->driverName) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     newelem->shared = old->shared;
     newelem->readonly = old->readonly;
 
@@ -2266,7 +2261,6 @@ virStorageSourceClear(virStorageSourcePtr def)
     VIR_FREE(def->snapshot);
     VIR_FREE(def->configFile);
     virStorageSourcePoolDefFree(def->srcpool);
-    VIR_FREE(def->driverName);
     virBitmapFree(def->features);
     VIR_FREE(def->compat);
     virStorageEncryptionFree(def->encryption);
diff --git a/src/util/virstoragefile.h b/src/util/virstoragefile.h
index 596746ccb7..d129e81978 100644
--- a/src/util/virstoragefile.h
+++ b/src/util/virstoragefile.h
@@ -246,7 +246,6 @@ struct _virStorageSource {
 
     virObjectPtr privateData;
 
-    char *driverName;
     int format; /* virStorageFileFormat in domain backing chains, but
                  * pool-specific enum for storage volumes */
     virBitmapPtr features;