diff --git a/docs/apibuild.py b/docs/apibuild.py
index 69f991ddd4..f934fb20e9 100755
--- a/docs/apibuild.py
+++ b/docs/apibuild.py
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@ ignored_functions = {
   "virDomainMigratePrepare3Params": "private function for migration",
   "virDomainMigrateConfirm3Params": "private function for migration",
   "virDomainMigratePrepareTunnel3Params": "private function for tunnelled migration",
+  "virErrorCopyNew": "private",
 }
 
 ignored_macros = {
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 65168b164d..1a0326844d 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1365,6 +1365,7 @@ ebtablesRemoveForwardAllowIn;
 
 # util/virerror.h
 virDispatchError;
+virErrorCopyNew;
 virErrorInitialize;
 virErrorSetErrnoFromLastError;
 virLastErrorIsSystemErrno;
diff --git a/src/util/virerror.c b/src/util/virerror.c
index fae627b780..60b2e79302 100644
--- a/src/util/virerror.c
+++ b/src/util/virerror.c
@@ -214,6 +214,22 @@ virCopyError(virErrorPtr from,
     return ret;
 }
 
+
+virErrorPtr
+virErrorCopyNew(virErrorPtr err)
+{
+    virErrorPtr ret;
+
+    if (VIR_ALLOC_QUIET(ret) < 0)
+        return NULL;
+
+    if (virCopyError(err, ret) < 0)
+        VIR_FREE(ret);
+
+    return ret;
+}
+
+
 static virErrorPtr
 virLastErrorObject(void)
 {
diff --git a/src/util/virerror.h b/src/util/virerror.h
index baa2d08808..234864812a 100644
--- a/src/util/virerror.h
+++ b/src/util/virerror.h
@@ -185,6 +185,7 @@ void virReportOOMErrorFull(int domcode,
     virRaiseErrorObject(__FILE__, __FUNCTION__, __LINE__, obj)
 
 int virSetError(virErrorPtr newerr);
+virErrorPtr virErrorCopyNew(virErrorPtr err);
 void virDispatchError(virConnectPtr conn);
 const char *virStrerror(int theerrno, char *errBuf, size_t errBufLen);