diff --git a/src/conf/virsecretobj.c b/src/conf/virsecretobj.c
index 2bdfe08eab..1351f18b25 100644
--- a/src/conf/virsecretobj.c
+++ b/src/conf/virsecretobj.c
@@ -692,20 +692,6 @@ virSecretObjDeleteData(virSecretObjPtr secret)
    has virSecretDef stored as XML in "$basename.xml".  If a value of the
    secret is defined, it is stored as base64 (with no formatting) in
    "$basename.base64".  "$basename" is in both cases the base64-encoded UUID. */
-
-static int
-virSecretRewriteFile(int fd,
-                     void *opaque)
-{
-    char *data = opaque;
-
-    if (safewrite(fd, data, strlen(data)) < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
-
 int
 virSecretObjSaveConfig(virSecretObjPtr secret)
 {
@@ -715,8 +701,7 @@ virSecretObjSaveConfig(virSecretObjPtr secret)
     if (!(xml = virSecretDefFormat(secret->def)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (virFileRewrite(secret->configFile, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR,
-                       virSecretRewriteFile, xml) < 0)
+    if (virFileRewriteStr(secret->configFile, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR, xml) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     ret = 0;
@@ -739,8 +724,7 @@ virSecretObjSaveData(virSecretObjPtr secret)
     if (!(base64 = virStringEncodeBase64(secret->value, secret->value_size)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (virFileRewrite(secret->base64File, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR,
-                       virSecretRewriteFile, base64) < 0)
+    if (virFileRewriteStr(secret->base64File, S_IRUSR | S_IWUSR, base64) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     ret = 0;
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 3d4da73562..9189f56fe4 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1601,6 +1601,7 @@ virFileRemoveLastComponent;
 virFileResolveAllLinks;
 virFileResolveLink;
 virFileRewrite;
+virFileRewriteStr;
 virFileSanitizePath;
 virFileSkipRoot;
 virFileStripSuffix;
diff --git a/src/network/leaseshelper.c b/src/network/leaseshelper.c
index 16f6eb87b5..a0262dd07f 100644
--- a/src/network/leaseshelper.c
+++ b/src/network/leaseshelper.c
@@ -64,17 +64,6 @@ usage(int status)
     exit(status);
 }
 
-static int
-customLeaseRewriteFile(int fd, void *opaque)
-{
-    char **data = opaque;
-
-    if (safewrite(fd, *data, strlen(*data)) < 0)
-        return -1;
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
 /* Flags denoting actions for a lease */
 enum virLeaseActionFlags {
     VIR_LEASE_ACTION_ADD,       /* Create new lease */
@@ -252,8 +241,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
         }
 
         /* Write to file */
-        if (virFileRewrite(custom_lease_file, 0644,
-                           customLeaseRewriteFile, &leases_str) < 0)
+        if (virFileRewriteStr(custom_lease_file, 0644, leases_str) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
         break;
 
diff --git a/src/util/virfile.c b/src/util/virfile.c
index fcd0d92889..1f0bfa906f 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.c
+++ b/src/util/virfile.c
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ int
 virFileRewrite(const char *path,
                mode_t mode,
                virFileRewriteFunc rewrite,
-               void *opaque)
+               const void *opaque)
 {
     char *newfile = NULL;
     int fd = -1;
@@ -494,6 +494,28 @@ virFileRewrite(const char *path,
 }
 
 
+static int
+virFileRewriteStrHelper(int fd, const void *opaque)
+{
+    const char *data = opaque;
+
+    if (safewrite(fd, data, strlen(data)) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+
+int
+virFileRewriteStr(const char *path,
+                  mode_t mode,
+                  const char *str)
+{
+    return virFileRewrite(path, mode,
+                          virFileRewriteStrHelper, str);
+}
+
+
 int virFileTouch(const char *path, mode_t mode)
 {
     int fd = -1;
diff --git a/src/util/virfile.h b/src/util/virfile.h
index 836cc602c8..5b810956e1 100644
--- a/src/util/virfile.h
+++ b/src/util/virfile.h
@@ -101,11 +101,14 @@ void virFileWrapperFdFree(virFileWrapperFdPtr dfd);
 int virFileLock(int fd, bool shared, off_t start, off_t len, bool waitForLock);
 int virFileUnlock(int fd, off_t start, off_t len);
 
-typedef int (*virFileRewriteFunc)(int fd, void *opaque);
+typedef int (*virFileRewriteFunc)(int fd, const void *opaque);
 int virFileRewrite(const char *path,
                    mode_t mode,
                    virFileRewriteFunc rewrite,
-                   void *opaque);
+                   const void *opaque);
+int virFileRewriteStr(const char *path,
+                      mode_t mode,
+                      const char *str);
 
 int virFileTouch(const char *path, mode_t mode);
 
diff --git a/src/util/virxml.c b/src/util/virxml.c
index 96c17fa9c0..6660248094 100644
--- a/src/util/virxml.c
+++ b/src/util/virxml.c
@@ -871,9 +871,9 @@ struct virXMLRewriteFileData {
 };
 
 static int
-virXMLRewriteFile(int fd, void *opaque)
+virXMLRewriteFile(int fd, const void *opaque)
 {
-    struct virXMLRewriteFileData *data = opaque;
+    const struct virXMLRewriteFileData *data = opaque;
 
     if (data->warnCommand) {
         if (virXMLEmitWarning(fd, data->warnName, data->warnCommand) < 0)