diff --git a/src/conf/domain_addr.c b/src/conf/domain_addr.c
index 0578e02bd0..2e0c9818db 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_addr.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_addr.c
@@ -1201,6 +1201,27 @@ virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssignFromCache(virDomainDefPtr def,
         return virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAssign(def, addrs, info, allowZero, portOnly);
 }
 
+int
+virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssign(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                                    virDomainDeviceInfoPtr info,
+                                    bool allowZero)
+{
+    virDomainVirtioSerialAddrSetPtr addrs = NULL;
+    int ret = -1;
+
+    if (!(addrs = virDomainVirtioSerialAddrSetCreateFromDomain(def)))
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    if (virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssignFromCache(def, addrs, info, allowZero) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    ret = 0;
+
+ cleanup:
+    virDomainVirtioSerialAddrSetFree(addrs);
+    return ret;
+}
+
 
 int
 virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAssign(virDomainDefPtr def,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_addr.h b/src/conf/domain_addr.h
index 147419a97f..7b6fff058a 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_addr.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_addr.h
@@ -230,6 +230,12 @@ virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssignFromCache(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                              bool allowZero)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3);
 
+int
+virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssign(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                                    virDomainDeviceInfoPtr info,
+                                    bool allowZero)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2);
+
 int
 virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAssign(virDomainDefPtr def,
                                 virDomainVirtioSerialAddrSetPtr addrs,
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index e78eeb6885..d2156bd725 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -123,6 +123,7 @@ virDomainUSBAddressSetAddHub;
 virDomainUSBAddressSetCreate;
 virDomainUSBAddressSetFree;
 virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAssign;
+virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssign;
 virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssignFromCache;
 virDomainVirtioSerialAddrIsComplete;
 virDomainVirtioSerialAddrRelease;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 67688e16d0..61edfe7061 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1763,15 +1763,10 @@ qemuDomainAttachChrDeviceAssignAddr(virDomainObjPtr vm,
     virDomainDefPtr def = vm->def;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
     int ret = -1;
-    virDomainVirtioSerialAddrSetPtr vioaddrs = NULL;
-
-    if (!(vioaddrs = virDomainVirtioSerialAddrSetCreateFromDomain(def)))
-        goto cleanup;
 
     if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CONSOLE &&
         chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CONSOLE_TARGET_TYPE_VIRTIO) {
-        if (virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssignFromCache(NULL, vioaddrs,
-                                                         &chr->info, true) < 0)
+        if (virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssign(def, &chr->info, true) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
         ret = 1;
 
@@ -1789,8 +1784,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachChrDeviceAssignAddr(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 
     } else if (chr->deviceType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_DEVICE_TYPE_CHANNEL &&
                chr->targetType == VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_CHANNEL_TARGET_TYPE_VIRTIO) {
-        if (virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssignFromCache(NULL, vioaddrs,
-                                                         &chr->info, false) < 0)
+        if (virDomainVirtioSerialAddrAutoAssign(def, &chr->info, false) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
         ret = 1;
     }
@@ -1808,7 +1802,6 @@ qemuDomainAttachChrDeviceAssignAddr(virDomainObjPtr vm,
     ret = 0;
 
  cleanup:
-    virDomainVirtioSerialAddrSetFree(vioaddrs);
     return ret;
 }