diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index d4ac301d6d..5cf0b1a33f 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -1062,8 +1062,13 @@ virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByID(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     virDomainObjPtr obj;
     virObjectLock(doms);
     obj = virHashSearch(doms->objs, virDomainObjListSearchID, &id);
-    if (obj)
+    if (obj) {
         virObjectLock(obj);
+        if (obj->removing) {
+            virObjectUnlock(obj);
+            obj = NULL;
+        }
+    }
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
     return obj;
 }
@@ -1079,8 +1084,13 @@ virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByUUID(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     virUUIDFormat(uuid, uuidstr);
 
     obj = virHashLookup(doms->objs, uuidstr);
-    if (obj)
+    if (obj) {
         virObjectLock(obj);
+        if (obj->removing) {
+            virObjectUnlock(obj);
+            obj = NULL;
+        }
+    }
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
     return obj;
 }
@@ -1105,8 +1115,13 @@ virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByName(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     virDomainObjPtr obj;
     virObjectLock(doms);
     obj = virHashSearch(doms->objs, virDomainObjListSearchName, name);
-    if (obj)
+    if (obj) {
         virObjectLock(obj);
+        if (obj->removing) {
+            virObjectUnlock(obj);
+            obj = NULL;
+        }
+    }
     virObjectUnlock(doms);
     return obj;
 }
@@ -2551,6 +2566,7 @@ void virDomainObjListRemove(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
 {
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
+    dom->removing = true;
     virUUIDFormat(dom->def->uuid, uuidstr);
     virObjectRef(dom);
     virObjectUnlock(dom);
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index e10b3c5d7f..75e3d2a283 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2187,6 +2187,7 @@ struct _virDomainObj {
     unsigned int autostart : 1;
     unsigned int persistent : 1;
     unsigned int updated : 1;
+    unsigned int removing : 1;
 
     virDomainDefPtr def; /* The current definition */
     virDomainDefPtr newDef; /* New definition to activate at shutdown */