diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
index 9bc6603353..573032f14b 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListAdd(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
 {
     virDomainObjPtr ret;
 
-    virObjectLock(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockWrite(doms);
     ret = virDomainObjListAddLocked(doms, def, xmlopt, flags, oldDef);
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
     return ret;
@@ -349,7 +349,7 @@ void virDomainObjListRemove(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     virObjectRef(dom);
     virObjectUnlock(dom);
 
-    virObjectLock(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockWrite(doms);
     virObjectLock(dom);
     virHashRemoveEntry(doms->objs, uuidstr);
     virHashRemoveEntry(doms->objsName, dom->def->name);
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ virDomainObjListRename(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
      * hold a lock on dom but not refcount it. */
     virObjectRef(dom);
     virObjectUnlock(dom);
-    virObjectLock(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockWrite(doms);
     virObjectLock(dom);
     virObjectUnref(dom);
 
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ virDomainObjListLoadAllConfigs(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     if ((rc = virDirOpenIfExists(&dir, configDir)) <= 0)
         return rc;
 
-    virObjectLock(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockWrite(doms);
 
     while ((ret = virDirRead(dir, &entry, configDir)) > 0) {
         virDomainObjPtr dom;
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index b5fc31a64f..01a2f3a814 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2312,6 +2312,7 @@ virObjectNew;
 virObjectRef;
 virObjectRWLockableNew;
 virObjectRWLockRead;
+virObjectRWLockWrite;
 virObjectUnlock;
 virObjectUnref;
 
diff --git a/src/util/virobject.c b/src/util/virobject.c
index b97f251afd..f49af62c81 100644
--- a/src/util/virobject.c
+++ b/src/util/virobject.c
@@ -429,12 +429,43 @@ virObjectRWLockRead(void *anyobj)
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * virObjectRWLockWrite:
+ * @anyobj: any instance of virObjectRWLockable
+ *
+ * Acquire a write lock on @anyobj. The lock must be
+ * released by virObjectUnlock.
+ *
+ * The caller is expected to have acquired a reference
+ * on the object before locking it (eg virObjectRef).
+ * The object must be unlocked before releasing this
+ * reference.
+ *
+ * NB: It's possible to return without the lock if
+ *     @anyobj was invalid - this has been considered
+ *     a programming error rather than something that
+ *     should be checked.
+ */
+void
+virObjectRWLockWrite(void *anyobj)
+{
+    if (virObjectIsClass(anyobj, virObjectRWLockableClass)) {
+        virObjectRWLockablePtr obj = anyobj;
+        virRWLockWrite(&obj->lock);
+    } else {
+        virObjectPtr obj = anyobj;
+        VIR_WARN("Object %p (%s) is not a virObjectRWLockable instance",
+                 anyobj, obj ? obj->klass->name : "(unknown)");
+    }
+}
+
+
 /**
  * virObjectUnlock:
  * @anyobj: any instance of virObjectLockable or virObjectRWLockable
  *
  * Release a lock on @anyobj. The lock must have been acquired by
- * virObjectLock or virObjectRWLockRead.
+ * virObjectLock, virObjectRWLockRead, or virObjectRWLockWrite.
  */
 void
 virObjectUnlock(void *anyobj)
diff --git a/src/util/virobject.h b/src/util/virobject.h
index e7ca983921..24ee6dda8b 100644
--- a/src/util/virobject.h
+++ b/src/util/virobject.h
@@ -128,6 +128,10 @@ void
 virObjectRWLockRead(void *lockableobj)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 
+void
+virObjectRWLockWrite(void *lockableobj)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
+
 void
 virObjectUnlock(void *lockableobj)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);