diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
index 1d027a43cd..9bc6603353 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ virDomainObjListFindByIDInternal(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
                                  bool ref)
 {
     virDomainObjPtr obj;
-    virObjectLockRead(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(doms);
     obj = virHashSearch(doms->objs, virDomainObjListSearchID, &id, NULL);
     if (ref) {
         virObjectRef(obj);
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ virDomainObjListFindByUUIDInternal(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
     virDomainObjPtr obj;
 
-    virObjectLockRead(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(doms);
     virUUIDFormat(uuid, uuidstr);
 
     obj = virHashLookup(doms->objs, uuidstr);
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByName(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
 {
     virDomainObjPtr obj;
 
-    virObjectLockRead(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(doms);
     obj = virHashLookup(doms->objsName, name);
     virObjectRef(obj);
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
@@ -653,7 +653,7 @@ virDomainObjListNumOfDomains(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
                              virConnectPtr conn)
 {
     struct virDomainObjListData data = { filter, conn, active, 0 };
-    virObjectLockRead(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(doms);
     virHashForEach(doms->objs, virDomainObjListCount, &data);
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
     return data.count;
@@ -697,7 +697,7 @@ virDomainObjListGetActiveIDs(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
 {
     struct virDomainIDData data = { filter, conn,
                                     0, maxids, ids };
-    virObjectLockRead(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(doms);
     virHashForEach(doms->objs, virDomainObjListCopyActiveIDs, &data);
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
     return data.numids;
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ virDomainObjListGetInactiveNames(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     struct virDomainNameData data = { filter, conn,
                                       0, 0, maxnames, names };
     size_t i;
-    virObjectLockRead(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(doms);
     virHashForEach(doms->objs, virDomainObjListCopyInactiveNames, &data);
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
     if (data.oom) {
@@ -792,7 +792,7 @@ virDomainObjListForEach(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     struct virDomainListIterData data = {
         callback, opaque, 0,
     };
-    virObjectLockRead(doms);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(doms);
     virHashForEach(doms->objs, virDomainObjListHelper, &data);
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
     return data.ret;
@@ -925,7 +925,7 @@ virDomainObjListCollect(virDomainObjListPtr domlist,
 {
     struct virDomainListData data = { NULL, 0 };
 
-    virObjectLockRead(domlist);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(domlist);
     sa_assert(domlist->objs);
     if (VIR_ALLOC_N(data.vms, virHashSize(domlist->objs)) < 0) {
         virObjectUnlock(domlist);
@@ -962,7 +962,7 @@ virDomainObjListConvert(virDomainObjListPtr domlist,
     *nvms = 0;
     *vms = NULL;
 
-    virObjectLockRead(domlist);
+    virObjectRWLockRead(domlist);
     for (i = 0; i < ndoms; i++) {
         virDomainPtr dom = doms[i];
 
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 4f1ad2a0cc..b5fc31a64f 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -2308,10 +2308,10 @@ virObjectListFree;
 virObjectListFreeCount;
 virObjectLock;
 virObjectLockableNew;
-virObjectLockRead;
 virObjectNew;
 virObjectRef;
 virObjectRWLockableNew;
+virObjectRWLockRead;
 virObjectUnlock;
 virObjectUnref;
 
diff --git a/src/util/virobject.c b/src/util/virobject.c
index b1bb378b46..b97f251afd 100644
--- a/src/util/virobject.c
+++ b/src/util/virobject.c
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@ virObjectLock(void *anyobj)
 
 
 /**
- * virObjectLockRead:
+ * virObjectRWLockRead:
  * @anyobj: any instance of virObjectRWLockable
  *
  * Acquire a read lock on @anyobj. The lock must be
@@ -409,9 +409,14 @@ virObjectLock(void *anyobj)
  * 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
-virObjectLockRead(void *anyobj)
+virObjectRWLockRead(void *anyobj)
 {
     if (virObjectIsClass(anyobj, virObjectRWLockableClass)) {
         virObjectRWLockablePtr obj = anyobj;
@@ -429,7 +434,7 @@ virObjectLockRead(void *anyobj)
  * @anyobj: any instance of virObjectLockable or virObjectRWLockable
  *
  * Release a lock on @anyobj. The lock must have been acquired by
- * virObjectLock or virObjectLockRead.
+ * virObjectLock or virObjectRWLockRead.
  */
 void
 virObjectUnlock(void *anyobj)
diff --git a/src/util/virobject.h b/src/util/virobject.h
index 5985fadb2d..e7ca983921 100644
--- a/src/util/virobject.h
+++ b/src/util/virobject.h
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ virObjectLock(void *lockableobj)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 
 void
-virObjectLockRead(void *lockableobj)
+virObjectRWLockRead(void *lockableobj)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
 
 void