diff --git a/src/datatypes.c b/src/datatypes.c
index f0b50259f9..5ad988bd24 100644
--- a/src/datatypes.c
+++ b/src/datatypes.c
@@ -117,7 +117,7 @@ virReleaseConnect(virConnectPtr conn) {
 
     virResetError(&conn->err);
 
-    xmlFreeURI(conn->uri);
+    virURIFree(conn->uri);
 
     virMutexUnlock(&conn->lock);
     virMutexDestroy(&conn->lock);
diff --git a/src/esx/esx_driver.c b/src/esx/esx_driver.c
index 69435344be..dbf95f4484 100644
--- a/src/esx/esx_driver.c
+++ b/src/esx/esx_driver.c
@@ -4072,7 +4072,7 @@ esxDomainMigratePerform(virDomainPtr domain,
     result = 0;
 
   cleanup:
-    xmlFreeURI(parsedUri);
+    virURIFree(parsedUri);
     esxVI_ObjectContent_Free(&virtualMachine);
     esxVI_Event_Free(&eventList);
     esxVI_ManagedObjectReference_Free(&task);
diff --git a/src/libvirt.c b/src/libvirt.c
index 99b263efc1..f674ecb46b 100644
--- a/src/libvirt.c
+++ b/src/libvirt.c
@@ -5071,10 +5071,10 @@ virDomainMigratePeer2Peer (virDomainPtr domain,
     if (!tempuri->server || STRPREFIX(tempuri->server, "localhost")) {
         virLibConnError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG, __FUNCTION__);
         virDispatchError(domain->conn);
-        xmlFreeURI(tempuri);
+        virURIFree(tempuri);
         return -1;
     }
-    xmlFreeURI(tempuri);
+    virURIFree(tempuri);
 
     /* Perform the migration.  The driver isn't supposed to return
      * until the migration is complete.
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 9a718b412f..dcfe5ab880 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1472,6 +1472,7 @@ virTypedParameterAssign;
 
 # viruri.h
 virURIFormat;
+virURIFree;
 virURIParse;
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index 12ce10c86f..e380bc08c3 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -1956,7 +1956,7 @@ static int doNativeMigrate(struct qemud_driver *driver,
     if (spec.destType == MIGRATION_DEST_FD)
         VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(spec.dest.fd.qemu);
 
-    xmlFreeURI(uribits);
+    virURIFree(uribits);
 
     return ret;
 }
diff --git a/src/util/viruri.c b/src/util/viruri.c
index 6c4dfe3c08..0b25679394 100644
--- a/src/util/viruri.c
+++ b/src/util/viruri.c
@@ -91,3 +91,15 @@ virURIFormat(xmlURIPtr uri)
 
     return ret;
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * virURIFree:
+ * @uri: uri to free
+ *
+ * Frees the URI
+ */
+void virURIFree(virURIPtr uri)
+{
+    xmlFreeURI(uri);
+}
diff --git a/src/util/viruri.h b/src/util/viruri.h
index 5215e42d4f..80369beab2 100644
--- a/src/util/viruri.h
+++ b/src/util/viruri.h
@@ -19,4 +19,6 @@ typedef xmlURIPtr virURIPtr;
 virURIPtr virURIParse(const char *uri);
 char *virURIFormat(virURIPtr uri);
 
+void virURIFree(virURIPtr uri);
+
 #endif /* __VIR_URI_H__ */
diff --git a/src/vmx/vmx.c b/src/vmx/vmx.c
index cc426da665..3179688f75 100644
--- a/src/vmx/vmx.c
+++ b/src/vmx/vmx.c
@@ -2696,7 +2696,7 @@ virVMXParseSerial(virVMXContext *ctx, virConfPtr conf, int port,
     VIR_FREE(fileType);
     VIR_FREE(fileName);
     VIR_FREE(network_endPoint);
-    xmlFreeURI(parsedUri);
+    virURIFree(parsedUri);
 
     return result;
 
diff --git a/src/xen/xend_internal.c b/src/xen/xend_internal.c
index a19d055125..df6b1bb31b 100644
--- a/src/xen/xend_internal.c
+++ b/src/xen/xend_internal.c
@@ -3234,25 +3234,25 @@ xenDaemonDomainMigratePerform (virDomainPtr domain,
             virXendError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
                           "%s", _("xenDaemonDomainMigrate: only xenmigr://"
                             " migrations are supported by Xen"));
-            xmlFreeURI (uriptr);
+            virURIFree (uriptr);
             return -1;
         }
         if (!uriptr->server) {
             virXendError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
                           "%s", _("xenDaemonDomainMigrate: a hostname must be"
                             " specified in the URI"));
-            xmlFreeURI (uriptr);
+            virURIFree (uriptr);
             return -1;
         }
         hostname = strdup (uriptr->server);
         if (!hostname) {
             virReportOOMError();
-            xmlFreeURI (uriptr);
+            virURIFree (uriptr);
             return -1;
         }
         if (uriptr->port)
             snprintf (port, sizeof port, "%d", uriptr->port);
-        xmlFreeURI (uriptr);
+        virURIFree (uriptr);
     }
     else if ((p = strrchr (uri, ':')) != NULL) { /* "hostname:port" */
         int port_nr, n;
diff --git a/tests/viruritest.c b/tests/viruritest.c
index 39cb3d240c..91da6e6ef5 100644
--- a/tests/viruritest.c
+++ b/tests/viruritest.c
@@ -105,7 +105,7 @@ static int testURIParse(const void *args)
     ret = 0;
 cleanup:
     VIR_FREE(uristr);
-    xmlFreeURI(uri);
+    virURIFree(uri);
     return ret;
 }