diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 2453734b22..f00f1b3fdb 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -13122,6 +13122,31 @@ qemuDomainFixupCPUs(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 }
 
 
+/**
+ * qemuDomainUpdateQEMUCaps:
+ * @vm: domain object
+ * @qemuCapsCache: cache of QEMU capabilities
+ *
+ * This function updates the used QEMU capabilities of @vm by querying
+ * the QEMU capabilities cache.
+ *
+ * Returns 0 on success, -1 on error.
+ */
+int
+qemuDomainUpdateQEMUCaps(virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                         virFileCachePtr qemuCapsCache)
+{
+    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
+
+    virObjectUnref(priv->qemuCaps);
+    if (!(priv->qemuCaps = virQEMUCapsCacheLookupCopy(qemuCapsCache,
+                                                      vm->def->emulator,
+                                                      vm->def->os.machine)))
+        return -1;
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
 char *
 qemuDomainGetMachineName(virDomainObjPtr vm)
 {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
index 2f8a1bf03c..80bd4bde91 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
@@ -1037,6 +1037,10 @@ int
 qemuDomainFixupCPUs(virDomainObjPtr vm,
                     virCPUDefPtr *origCPU);
 
+int
+qemuDomainUpdateQEMUCaps(virDomainObjPtr vm,
+                         virFileCachePtr qemuCapsCache);
+
 char *
 qemuDomainGetMachineName(virDomainObjPtr vm);
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 29b0ba1590..e9c76188a4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -5298,10 +5298,7 @@ qemuProcessInit(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     }
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Determining emulator version");
-    virObjectUnref(priv->qemuCaps);
-    if (!(priv->qemuCaps = virQEMUCapsCacheLookupCopy(driver->qemuCapsCache,
-                                                      vm->def->emulator,
-                                                      vm->def->os.machine)))
+    if (qemuDomainUpdateQEMUCaps(vm, driver->qemuCapsCache) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (flags & VIR_QEMU_PROCESS_START_STANDALONE)
@@ -7403,10 +7400,7 @@ int qemuProcessAttach(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
         goto error;
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Determining emulator version");
-    virObjectUnref(priv->qemuCaps);
-    if (!(priv->qemuCaps = virQEMUCapsCacheLookupCopy(driver->qemuCapsCache,
-                                                      vm->def->emulator,
-                                                      vm->def->os.machine)))
+    if (qemuDomainUpdateQEMUCaps(vm, driver->qemuCapsCache) < 0)
         goto error;
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Preparing monitor state");
@@ -7869,9 +7863,7 @@ qemuProcessReconnect(void *opaque)
      * caps in the domain status, so re-query them
      */
     if (!priv->qemuCaps &&
-        !(priv->qemuCaps = virQEMUCapsCacheLookupCopy(driver->qemuCapsCache,
-                                                      obj->def->emulator,
-                                                      obj->def->os.machine)))
+        (qemuDomainUpdateQEMUCaps(obj, driver->qemuCapsCache) < 0))
         goto error;
 
     /* In case the domain shutdown while we were not running,