diff --git a/src/conf/virinterfaceobj.c b/src/conf/virinterfaceobj.c
index a2ef7f4581..dd861515fa 100644
--- a/src/conf/virinterfaceobj.c
+++ b/src/conf/virinterfaceobj.c
@@ -39,6 +39,10 @@ struct _virInterfaceObj {
     virInterfaceDefPtr def; /* The interface definition */
 };
 
+struct _virInterfaceObjList {
+    size_t count;
+    virInterfaceObjPtr *objs;
+};
 
 /* virInterfaceObj manipulation */
 
@@ -91,6 +95,17 @@ virInterfaceObjSetActive(virInterfaceObjPtr obj,
 
 
 /* virInterfaceObjList manipulation */
+virInterfaceObjListPtr
+virInterfaceObjListNew(void)
+{
+    virInterfaceObjListPtr interfaces;
+
+    if (VIR_ALLOC(interfaces) < 0)
+        return NULL;
+    return interfaces;
+}
+
+
 int
 virInterfaceObjFindByMACString(virInterfaceObjListPtr interfaces,
                                const char *mac,
@@ -149,50 +164,50 @@ virInterfaceObjListFree(virInterfaceObjListPtr interfaces)
 
     for (i = 0; i < interfaces->count; i++)
         virInterfaceObjFree(interfaces->objs[i]);
-
     VIR_FREE(interfaces->objs);
-    interfaces->count = 0;
+    VIR_FREE(interfaces);
 }
 
 
-int
-virInterfaceObjListClone(virInterfaceObjListPtr src,
-                         virInterfaceObjListPtr dest)
+virInterfaceObjListPtr
+virInterfaceObjListClone(virInterfaceObjListPtr interfaces)
 {
-    int ret = -1;
     size_t i;
     unsigned int cnt;
+    virInterfaceObjListPtr dest;
 
-    if (!src || !dest)
-        goto cleanup;
+    if (!interfaces)
+        return NULL;
 
-    virInterfaceObjListFree(dest); /* start with an empty list */
-    cnt = src->count;
+    if (!(dest = virInterfaceObjListNew()))
+        return NULL;
+
+    cnt = interfaces->count;
     for (i = 0; i < cnt; i++) {
-        virInterfaceObjPtr srcobj = src->objs[i];
+        virInterfaceObjPtr srcobj = interfaces->objs[i];
         virInterfaceDefPtr backup;
         virInterfaceObjPtr obj;
         char *xml = virInterfaceDefFormat(srcobj->def);
 
         if (!xml)
-            goto cleanup;
+            goto error;
 
-        if ((backup = virInterfaceDefParseString(xml)) == NULL) {
+        if (!(backup = virInterfaceDefParseString(xml))) {
             VIR_FREE(xml);
-            goto cleanup;
+            goto error;
         }
 
         VIR_FREE(xml);
-        if ((obj = virInterfaceObjAssignDef(dest, backup)) == NULL)
-            goto cleanup;
+        if (!(obj = virInterfaceObjAssignDef(dest, backup)))
+            goto error;
         virInterfaceObjUnlock(obj); /* locked by virInterfaceObjAssignDef */
     }
 
-    ret = cnt;
- cleanup:
-    if ((ret < 0) && dest)
-       virInterfaceObjListFree(dest);
-    return ret;
+    return dest;
+
+ error:
+    virInterfaceObjListFree(dest);
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/conf/virinterfaceobj.h b/src/conf/virinterfaceobj.h
index 79b6fc95dc..19c4947f2f 100644
--- a/src/conf/virinterfaceobj.h
+++ b/src/conf/virinterfaceobj.h
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ typedef virInterfaceObj *virInterfaceObjPtr;
 
 typedef struct _virInterfaceObjList virInterfaceObjList;
 typedef virInterfaceObjList *virInterfaceObjListPtr;
-struct _virInterfaceObjList {
-    size_t count;
-    virInterfaceObjPtr *objs;
-};
 
 virInterfaceDefPtr
 virInterfaceObjGetDef(virInterfaceObjPtr obj);
@@ -42,6 +38,9 @@ void
 virInterfaceObjSetActive(virInterfaceObjPtr obj,
                          bool active);
 
+virInterfaceObjListPtr
+virInterfaceObjListNew(void);
+
 int
 virInterfaceObjFindByMACString(virInterfaceObjListPtr interfaces,
                                const char *mac,
@@ -57,9 +56,8 @@ virInterfaceObjFree(virInterfaceObjPtr obj);
 void
 virInterfaceObjListFree(virInterfaceObjListPtr vms);
 
-int
-virInterfaceObjListClone(virInterfaceObjListPtr src,
-                         virInterfaceObjListPtr dest);
+virInterfaceObjListPtr
+virInterfaceObjListClone(virInterfaceObjListPtr interfaces);
 
 virInterfaceObjPtr
 virInterfaceObjAssignDef(virInterfaceObjListPtr interfaces,
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 092972810a..bdf4eeb976 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -918,6 +918,7 @@ virInterfaceObjGetNames;
 virInterfaceObjIsActive;
 virInterfaceObjListClone;
 virInterfaceObjListFree;
+virInterfaceObjListNew;
 virInterfaceObjLock;
 virInterfaceObjNumOfInterfaces;
 virInterfaceObjRemove;
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 1b6063a0f5..7cf0d43b17 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ struct _testDriver {
     virMutex lock;
 
     virNodeInfo nodeInfo;
-    virInterfaceObjList ifaces;
+    virInterfaceObjListPtr ifaces;
     bool transaction_running;
-    virInterfaceObjList backupIfaces;
+    virInterfaceObjListPtr backupIfaces;
     virStoragePoolObjList pools;
     virNodeDeviceObjList devs;
     int numCells;
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ testDriverFree(testDriverPtr driver)
     virObjectUnref(driver->domains);
     virNodeDeviceObjListFree(&driver->devs);
     virObjectUnref(driver->networks);
-    virInterfaceObjListFree(&driver->ifaces);
+    virInterfaceObjListFree(driver->ifaces);
     virStoragePoolObjListFree(&driver->pools);
     virObjectUnref(driver->eventState);
     virMutexUnlock(&driver->lock);
@@ -416,6 +416,7 @@ testDriverNew(void)
 
     if (!(ret->xmlopt = virDomainXMLOptionNew(NULL, NULL, &ns)) ||
         !(ret->eventState = virObjectEventStateNew()) ||
+        !(ret->ifaces = virInterfaceObjListNew()) ||
         !(ret->domains = virDomainObjListNew()) ||
         !(ret->networks = virNetworkObjListNew()))
         goto error;
@@ -1020,7 +1021,7 @@ testParseInterfaces(testDriverPtr privconn,
         if (!def)
             goto error;
 
-        if (!(obj = virInterfaceObjAssignDef(&privconn->ifaces, def))) {
+        if (!(obj = virInterfaceObjAssignDef(privconn->ifaces, def))) {
             virInterfaceDefFree(def);
             goto error;
         }
@@ -3630,7 +3631,7 @@ testInterfaceObjFindByName(testDriverPtr privconn,
     virInterfaceObjPtr obj;
 
     testDriverLock(privconn);
-    obj = virInterfaceObjFindByName(&privconn->ifaces, name);
+    obj = virInterfaceObjFindByName(privconn->ifaces, name);
     testDriverUnlock(privconn);
 
     if (!obj)
@@ -3649,7 +3650,7 @@ testConnectNumOfInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn)
     int ninterfaces;
 
     testDriverLock(privconn);
-    ninterfaces = virInterfaceObjNumOfInterfaces(&privconn->ifaces, true);
+    ninterfaces = virInterfaceObjNumOfInterfaces(privconn->ifaces, true);
     testDriverUnlock(privconn);
     return ninterfaces;
 }
@@ -3664,7 +3665,7 @@ testConnectListInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn,
     int nnames;
 
     testDriverLock(privconn);
-    nnames = virInterfaceObjGetNames(&privconn->ifaces, true, names, maxnames);
+    nnames = virInterfaceObjGetNames(privconn->ifaces, true, names, maxnames);
     testDriverUnlock(privconn);
 
     return nnames;
@@ -3678,7 +3679,7 @@ testConnectNumOfDefinedInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn)
     int ninterfaces;
 
     testDriverLock(privconn);
-    ninterfaces = virInterfaceObjNumOfInterfaces(&privconn->ifaces, false);
+    ninterfaces = virInterfaceObjNumOfInterfaces(privconn->ifaces, false);
     testDriverUnlock(privconn);
     return ninterfaces;
 }
@@ -3693,7 +3694,7 @@ testConnectListDefinedInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn,
     int nnames;
 
     testDriverLock(privconn);
-    nnames = virInterfaceObjGetNames(&privconn->ifaces, false, names, maxnames);
+    nnames = virInterfaceObjGetNames(privconn->ifaces, false, names, maxnames);
     testDriverUnlock(privconn);
 
     return nnames;
@@ -3731,7 +3732,7 @@ testInterfaceLookupByMACString(virConnectPtr conn,
     virInterfacePtr ret = NULL;
 
     testDriverLock(privconn);
-    ifacect = virInterfaceObjFindByMACString(&privconn->ifaces, mac, &obj, 1);
+    ifacect = virInterfaceObjFindByMACString(privconn->ifaces, mac, &obj, 1);
     testDriverUnlock(privconn);
 
     if (ifacect == 0) {
@@ -3789,8 +3790,7 @@ testInterfaceChangeBegin(virConnectPtr conn,
 
     privconn->transaction_running = true;
 
-    if (virInterfaceObjListClone(&privconn->ifaces,
-                                 &privconn->backupIfaces) < 0)
+    if (!(privconn->backupIfaces = virInterfaceObjListClone(privconn->ifaces)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     ret = 0;
@@ -3818,7 +3818,7 @@ testInterfaceChangeCommit(virConnectPtr conn,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    virInterfaceObjListFree(&privconn->backupIfaces);
+    virInterfaceObjListFree(privconn->backupIfaces);
     privconn->transaction_running = false;
 
     ret = 0;
@@ -3848,11 +3848,9 @@ testInterfaceChangeRollback(virConnectPtr conn,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    virInterfaceObjListFree(&privconn->ifaces);
-    privconn->ifaces.count = privconn->backupIfaces.count;
-    privconn->ifaces.objs = privconn->backupIfaces.objs;
-    privconn->backupIfaces.count = 0;
-    privconn->backupIfaces.objs = NULL;
+    virInterfaceObjListFree(privconn->ifaces);
+    privconn->ifaces = privconn->backupIfaces;
+    privconn->backupIfaces = NULL;
 
     privconn->transaction_running = false;
 
@@ -3903,7 +3901,7 @@ testInterfaceDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn,
     if ((def = virInterfaceDefParseString(xmlStr)) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if ((obj = virInterfaceObjAssignDef(&privconn->ifaces, def)) == NULL)
+    if ((obj = virInterfaceObjAssignDef(privconn->ifaces, def)) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
     def = NULL;
     objdef = virInterfaceObjGetDef(obj);
@@ -3928,7 +3926,7 @@ testInterfaceUndefine(virInterfacePtr iface)
     if (!(obj = testInterfaceObjFindByName(privconn, iface->name)))
         return -1;
 
-    virInterfaceObjRemove(&privconn->ifaces, obj);
+    virInterfaceObjRemove(privconn->ifaces, obj);
 
     return 0;
 }