diff --git a/src/interface/interface_backend_netcf.c b/src/interface/interface_backend_netcf.c
index a4b2ea96d7..1734329128 100644
--- a/src/interface/interface_backend_netcf.c
+++ b/src/interface/interface_backend_netcf.c
@@ -63,16 +63,16 @@ virNetcfDriverStateOnceInit(void)
 
 VIR_ONCE_GLOBAL_INIT(virNetcfDriverState)
 
-static virNetcfDriverStatePtr driverState;
+static virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver;
 
 
 static void
 virNetcfDriverStateDispose(void *obj)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = obj;
+    virNetcfDriverStatePtr _driver = obj;
 
-    if (driver->netcf)
-        ncf_close(driver->netcf);
+    if (_driver->netcf)
+        ncf_close(_driver->netcf);
 }
 
 
@@ -84,15 +84,15 @@ netcfStateInitialize(bool privileged ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
     if (virNetcfDriverStateInitialize() < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (!(driverState = virObjectLockableNew(virNetcfDriverStateClass)))
+    if (!(driver = virObjectLockableNew(virNetcfDriverStateClass)))
         return -1;
 
     /* open netcf */
-    if (ncf_init(&driverState->netcf, NULL) != 0) {
+    if (ncf_init(&driver->netcf, NULL) != 0) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                        _("failed to initialize netcf"));
-        virObjectUnref(driverState);
-        driverState = NULL;
+        virObjectUnref(driver);
+        driver = NULL;
         return -1;
     }
     return 0;
@@ -102,16 +102,16 @@ netcfStateInitialize(bool privileged ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 static int
 netcfStateCleanup(void)
 {
-    if (!driverState)
+    if (!driver)
         return -1;
 
-    if (virObjectUnref(driverState)) {
+    if (virObjectUnref(driver)) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                        _("Attempt to close netcf state driver "
                          "with open connections"));
         return -1;
     }
-    driverState = NULL;
+    driver = NULL;
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -121,12 +121,12 @@ netcfStateReload(void)
 {
     int ret = -1;
 
-    if (!driverState)
+    if (!driver)
         return 0;
 
-    virObjectLock(driverState);
-    ncf_close(driverState->netcf);
-    if (ncf_init(&driverState->netcf, NULL) != 0) {
+    virObjectLock(driver);
+    ncf_close(driver->netcf);
+    if (ncf_init(&driver->netcf, NULL) != 0) {
         /* this isn't a good situation, because we can't shut down the
          * driver as there may still be connections to it. If we set
          * the netcf handle to NULL, any subsequent calls to netcf
@@ -135,13 +135,13 @@ netcfStateReload(void)
          */
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                        _("failed to re-init netcf"));
-        driverState->netcf = NULL;
+        driver->netcf = NULL;
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
-    virObjectUnlock(driverState);
+    virObjectUnlock(driver);
 
     return ret;
 }
@@ -245,10 +245,10 @@ netcfInterfaceObjIsActive(struct netcf_if *iface,
     int ret = -1;
     unsigned int flags = 0;
 
-    virObjectRef(driverState);
+    virObjectRef(driver);
     if (ncf_if_status(iface, &flags) < 0) {
         const char *errmsg, *details;
-        int errcode = ncf_error(driverState->netcf, &errmsg, &details);
+        int errcode = ncf_error(driver->netcf, &errmsg, &details);
         virReportError(netcf_to_vir_err(errcode),
                        _("failed to get status of interface %s: %s%s%s"),
                        ncf_if_name(iface), errmsg, details ? " - " : "",
@@ -260,33 +260,26 @@ netcfInterfaceObjIsActive(struct netcf_if *iface,
     ret = 0;
 
  cleanup:
-    virObjectUnref(driverState);
+    virObjectUnref(driver);
     return ret;
 }
 
 static virDrvOpenStatus
-netcfInterfaceOpen(virConnectPtr conn,
+netcfInterfaceOpen(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                    virConnectAuthPtr auth ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                    unsigned int flags)
 {
     virCheckFlags(VIR_CONNECT_RO, VIR_DRV_OPEN_ERROR);
 
-    if (!driverState)
+    if (!driver)
         return VIR_DRV_OPEN_ERROR;
 
-    virObjectRef(driverState);
-    conn->interfacePrivateData = driverState;
     return VIR_DRV_OPEN_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 static int
-netcfInterfaceClose(virConnectPtr conn)
+netcfInterfaceClose(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 {
-
-    if (conn->interfacePrivateData != NULL) {
-        virObjectUnref(conn->interfacePrivateData);
-        conn->interfacePrivateData = NULL;
-    }
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -294,7 +287,6 @@ static int netcfConnectNumOfInterfacesImpl(virConnectPtr conn,
                                            int status,
                                            virInterfaceObjListFilter filter)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     int count;
     int want = 0;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -388,7 +380,6 @@ static int netcfConnectListInterfacesImpl(virConnectPtr conn,
                                           char **const names, int nnames,
                                           virInterfaceObjListFilter filter)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     int count = 0;
     int want = 0;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -487,7 +478,6 @@ static int netcfConnectListInterfacesImpl(virConnectPtr conn,
 static int netcfConnectNumOfInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn)
 {
     int count;
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
 
     if (virConnectNumOfInterfacesEnsureACL(conn) < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -502,7 +492,6 @@ static int netcfConnectNumOfInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn)
 
 static int netcfConnectListInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn, char **const names, int nnames)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     int count;
 
     if (virConnectListInterfacesEnsureACL(conn) < 0)
@@ -521,7 +510,6 @@ static int netcfConnectListInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn, char **const names, in
 static int netcfConnectNumOfDefinedInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn)
 {
     int count;
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
 
     if (virConnectNumOfDefinedInterfacesEnsureACL(conn) < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -536,7 +524,6 @@ static int netcfConnectNumOfDefinedInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn)
 
 static int netcfConnectListDefinedInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn, char **const names, int nnames)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     int count;
 
     if (virConnectListDefinedInterfacesEnsureACL(conn) < 0)
@@ -558,7 +545,6 @@ netcfConnectListAllInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn,
                               virInterfacePtr **ifaces,
                               unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     int count;
     size_t i;
     struct netcf_if *iface = NULL;
@@ -704,7 +690,6 @@ netcfConnectListAllInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn,
 static virInterfacePtr netcfInterfaceLookupByName(virConnectPtr conn,
                                                   const char *name)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     struct netcf_if *iface;
     virInterfacePtr ret = NULL;
     virInterfaceDefPtr def = NULL;
@@ -744,7 +729,6 @@ static virInterfacePtr netcfInterfaceLookupByName(virConnectPtr conn,
 static virInterfacePtr netcfInterfaceLookupByMACString(virConnectPtr conn,
                                                        const char *macstr)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     struct netcf_if *iface;
     int niface;
     virInterfacePtr ret = NULL;
@@ -793,7 +777,6 @@ static virInterfacePtr netcfInterfaceLookupByMACString(virConnectPtr conn,
 static char *netcfInterfaceGetXMLDesc(virInterfacePtr ifinfo,
                                       unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = ifinfo->conn->interfacePrivateData;
     struct netcf_if *iface = NULL;
     char *xmlstr = NULL;
     virInterfaceDefPtr ifacedef = NULL;
@@ -855,7 +838,6 @@ static virInterfacePtr netcfInterfaceDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn,
                                                const char *xml,
                                                unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     struct netcf_if *iface = NULL;
     char *xmlstr = NULL;
     virInterfaceDefPtr ifacedef = NULL;
@@ -903,7 +885,6 @@ static virInterfacePtr netcfInterfaceDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn,
 
 static int netcfInterfaceUndefine(virInterfacePtr ifinfo)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = ifinfo->conn->interfacePrivateData;
     struct netcf_if *iface = NULL;
     virInterfaceDefPtr def = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -944,7 +925,6 @@ static int netcfInterfaceUndefine(virInterfacePtr ifinfo)
 static int netcfInterfaceCreate(virInterfacePtr ifinfo,
                                 unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = ifinfo->conn->interfacePrivateData;
     struct netcf_if *iface = NULL;
     virInterfaceDefPtr def = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -997,7 +977,6 @@ static int netcfInterfaceCreate(virInterfacePtr ifinfo,
 static int netcfInterfaceDestroy(virInterfacePtr ifinfo,
                                  unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = ifinfo->conn->interfacePrivateData;
     struct netcf_if *iface = NULL;
     virInterfaceDefPtr def = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -1049,7 +1028,6 @@ static int netcfInterfaceDestroy(virInterfacePtr ifinfo,
 
 static int netcfInterfaceIsActive(virInterfacePtr ifinfo)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = ifinfo->conn->interfacePrivateData;
     struct netcf_if *iface = NULL;
     virInterfaceDefPtr def = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -1084,7 +1062,6 @@ static int netcfInterfaceIsActive(virInterfacePtr ifinfo)
 #ifdef HAVE_NETCF_TRANSACTIONS
 static int netcfInterfaceChangeBegin(virConnectPtr conn, unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     int ret;
 
     virCheckFlags(0, -1); /* currently flags must be 0 */
@@ -1110,7 +1087,6 @@ static int netcfInterfaceChangeBegin(virConnectPtr conn, unsigned int flags)
 
 static int netcfInterfaceChangeCommit(virConnectPtr conn, unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     int ret;
 
     virCheckFlags(0, -1); /* currently flags must be 0 */
@@ -1136,7 +1112,6 @@ static int netcfInterfaceChangeCommit(virConnectPtr conn, unsigned int flags)
 
 static int netcfInterfaceChangeRollback(virConnectPtr conn, unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virNetcfDriverStatePtr driver = conn->interfacePrivateData;
     int ret;
 
     virCheckFlags(0, -1); /* currently flags must be 0 */