diff --git a/src/util/vircgroup.c b/src/util/vircgroup.c
index e5b1df56e8..d824aee86d 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroup.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroup.c
@@ -1168,13 +1168,12 @@ virCgroupNewMachineSystemd(const char *name,
     }
 
     if (virCgroupAddProcess(*group, pidleader) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr saved = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPtr saved;
+
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&saved);
         virCgroupRemove(*group);
         virCgroupFree(group);
-        if (saved) {
-            virSetError(saved);
-            virFreeError(saved);
-        }
+        virErrorRestore(&saved);
     }
 
     return 0;
@@ -1220,13 +1219,12 @@ virCgroupNewMachineManual(const char *name,
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virCgroupAddProcess(*group, pidleader) < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr saved = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPtr saved;
+
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&saved);
         virCgroupRemove(*group);
         virCgroupFree(group);
-        if (saved) {
-            virSetError(saved);
-            virFreeError(saved);
-        }
+        virErrorRestore(&saved);
     }
 
  done:
diff --git a/src/util/virfirewall.c b/src/util/virfirewall.c
index cc1e2b34ea..c2e88ec382 100644
--- a/src/util/virfirewall.c
+++ b/src/util/virfirewall.c
@@ -838,7 +838,9 @@ virFirewallApply(virFirewallPtr firewall)
         if (virFirewallApplyGroup(firewall, i) < 0) {
             VIR_DEBUG("Rolling back groups up to %zu for %p", i, firewall);
             size_t first = i;
-            g_autoptr(virError) saved_error = virSaveLastError();
+            virErrorPtr saved_error;
+
+            virErrorPreserveLast(&saved_error);
 
             /*
              * Look at any inheritance markers to figure out
@@ -858,7 +860,7 @@ virFirewallApply(virFirewallPtr firewall)
                 virFirewallRollbackGroup(firewall, j);
             }
 
-            virSetError(saved_error);
+            virErrorRestore(&saved_error);
             VIR_DEBUG("Done rolling back groups for %p", firewall);
             goto cleanup;
         }