diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index caf3f47c63..fd57364cd4 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -12211,7 +12211,7 @@ virDomainChrSourceDefParseXML(virDomainChrSourceDefPtr def,
 }
 
 
-static virDomainChrSourceDefPtr
+virDomainChrSourceDefPtr
 virDomainChrSourceDefNew(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt)
 {
     virDomainChrSourceDefPtr def = NULL;
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 68473c309e..89a7131fdb 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2827,6 +2827,9 @@ bool virDomainDefHasDeviceAddress(virDomainDefPtr def,
 
 void virDomainDefFree(virDomainDefPtr vm);
 
+virDomainChrSourceDefPtr
+virDomainChrSourceDefNew(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt);
+
 virDomainChrDefPtr virDomainChrDefNew(virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt);
 
 virDomainDefPtr virDomainDefNew(void);
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index c550310cc0..cab324c4d7 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -218,6 +218,7 @@ virDomainChrSourceDefClear;
 virDomainChrSourceDefCopy;
 virDomainChrSourceDefFree;
 virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath;
+virDomainChrSourceDefNew;
 virDomainChrSpicevmcTypeFromString;
 virDomainChrSpicevmcTypeToString;
 virDomainChrTcpProtocolTypeFromString;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 0486c5527d..100304fd05 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -2422,7 +2422,7 @@ qemuDomainObjPrivateXMLParse(xmlXPathContextPtr ctxt,
     xmlNodePtr node = NULL;
     virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps = NULL;
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(priv->monConfig) < 0)
+    if (!(priv->monConfig = virDomainChrSourceDefNew(NULL)))
         goto error;
 
     if (!(monitorpath =
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_parse_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_parse_command.c
index 5fe3f97d03..5f27d296b3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_parse_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_parse_command.c
@@ -2484,7 +2484,7 @@ qemuParseCommandLine(virCapsPtr caps,
             if (monConfig) {
                 virDomainChrSourceDefPtr chr;
 
-                if (VIR_ALLOC(chr) < 0)
+                if (!(chr = virDomainChrSourceDefNew(NULL)))
                     goto error;
 
                 if (qemuParseCommandLineChr(chr, val) < 0) {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 1596186366..add4e5a743 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -5717,7 +5717,7 @@ qemuProcessPrepareDomain(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
             goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(priv->monConfig) < 0)
+    if (!(priv->monConfig = virDomainChrSourceDefNew(NULL)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Preparing monitor state");