diff --git a/src/conf/storage_conf.c b/src/conf/storage_conf.c
index 52656e59f4..4126451c3b 100644
--- a/src/conf/storage_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/storage_conf.c
@@ -1884,14 +1884,33 @@ virStoragePoolLoadAllConfigs(virStoragePoolObjListPtr pools,
 }
 
 int
-virStoragePoolObjSaveDef(virStorageDriverStatePtr driver,
-                         virStoragePoolObjPtr pool,
+virStoragePoolSaveConfig(const char *configFile,
                          virStoragePoolDefPtr def)
 {
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
     char *xml;
     int ret = -1;
 
+    if (!(xml = virStoragePoolDefFormat(def))) {
+        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
+                       _("failed to generate XML"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
+    virUUIDFormat(def->uuid, uuidstr);
+    ret = virXMLSaveFile(configFile,
+                         virXMLPickShellSafeComment(def->name, uuidstr),
+                         "pool-edit", xml);
+    VIR_FREE(xml);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+int
+virStoragePoolObjSaveDef(virStorageDriverStatePtr driver,
+                         virStoragePoolObjPtr pool,
+                         virStoragePoolDefPtr def)
+{
     if (!pool->configFile) {
         if (virFileMakePath(driver->configDir) < 0) {
             virReportSystemError(errno,
@@ -1912,19 +1931,7 @@ virStoragePoolObjSaveDef(virStorageDriverStatePtr driver,
         }
     }
 
-    if (!(xml = virStoragePoolDefFormat(def))) {
-        virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
-                       _("failed to generate XML"));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
-    virUUIDFormat(def->uuid, uuidstr);
-    ret = virXMLSaveFile(pool->configFile,
-                         virXMLPickShellSafeComment(def->name, uuidstr),
-                         "pool-edit", xml);
-    VIR_FREE(xml);
-
-    return ret;
+    return virStoragePoolSaveConfig(pool->configFile, def);
 }
 
 int
diff --git a/src/conf/storage_conf.h b/src/conf/storage_conf.h
index a9b5bdb9b6..67145a00b6 100644
--- a/src/conf/storage_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/storage_conf.h
@@ -360,6 +360,8 @@ virStoragePoolObjPtr
 virStoragePoolObjAssignDef(virStoragePoolObjListPtr pools,
                            virStoragePoolDefPtr def);
 
+int virStoragePoolSaveConfig(const char *configDir,
+                             virStoragePoolDefPtr def);
 int virStoragePoolObjSaveDef(virStorageDriverStatePtr driver,
                              virStoragePoolObjPtr pool,
                              virStoragePoolDefPtr def);
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index b8f35e87f7..0864618b06 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -753,6 +753,7 @@ virStoragePoolObjLock;
 virStoragePoolObjRemove;
 virStoragePoolObjSaveDef;
 virStoragePoolObjUnlock;
+virStoragePoolSaveConfig;
 virStoragePoolSourceAdapterTypeFromString;
 virStoragePoolSourceAdapterTypeToString;
 virStoragePoolSourceClear;