diff --git a/src/util/virsystemd.c b/src/util/virsystemd.c
index 2efc0dd72c..c2e4c3df51 100644
--- a/src/util/virsystemd.c
+++ b/src/util/virsystemd.c
@@ -917,7 +917,7 @@ virSystemdActivationNew(virSystemdActivationMap *map,
     return act;
 
  error:
-    virSystemdActivationFree(&act);
+    virSystemdActivationFree(act);
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -1046,12 +1046,12 @@ virSystemdActivationClaimFDs(virSystemdActivationPtr act,
  * associated with the activation object
  */
 void
-virSystemdActivationFree(virSystemdActivationPtr *act)
+virSystemdActivationFree(virSystemdActivationPtr act)
 {
-    if (!*act)
+    if (!act)
         return;
 
-    virHashFree((*act)->fds);
+    virHashFree(act->fds);
 
-    VIR_FREE(*act);
+    VIR_FREE(act);
 }
diff --git a/src/util/virsystemd.h b/src/util/virsystemd.h
index 5f1a4413fe..2c0a0d8dc0 100644
--- a/src/util/virsystemd.h
+++ b/src/util/virsystemd.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #pragma once
 
 #include "internal.h"
+#include "virautoclean.h"
 
 typedef struct _virSystemdActivation virSystemdActivation;
 typedef virSystemdActivation *virSystemdActivationPtr;
@@ -81,6 +82,6 @@ void virSystemdActivationClaimFDs(virSystemdActivationPtr act,
                                   int **fds,
                                   size_t *nfds);
 
-void virSystemdActivationFree(virSystemdActivationPtr *act);
+void virSystemdActivationFree(virSystemdActivationPtr act);
 
-#define virSystemdActivationAutoPtrFree virSystemdActivationFree
+VIR_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_FUNC(virSystemdActivation, virSystemdActivationFree);
diff --git a/tests/virsystemdtest.c b/tests/virsystemdtest.c
index 3add1ab56f..d33a7c192f 100644
--- a/tests/virsystemdtest.c
+++ b/tests/virsystemdtest.c
@@ -650,7 +650,7 @@ testActivationEmpty(const void *opaque ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
 
     if (act != NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Unexpectedly got activation object");
-        virSystemdActivationFree(&act);
+        virSystemdActivationFree(act);
         return -1;
     }