diff --git a/build-aux/syntax-check.mk b/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
index 1c46928ac7..74d0d5f6d4 100644
--- a/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
+++ b/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
@@ -445,6 +445,12 @@ sc_prohibit_asprintf:
 	halt='use g_strdup instead of g_strdup_printf with "%s"' \
 	  $(_sc_search_regexp)
 
+sc_prohobit_vsnprintf:
+	@prohibit='\<vsnprintf\>' \
+	in_vc_files='\.[chx]$$' \
+	halt='use g_vsnprintf, not vsnprintf' \
+	  $(_sc_search_regexp)
+
 sc_prohibit_strdup:
 	@prohibit='\<strn?dup\> *\(' \
 	halt='use VIR_STRDUP, not strdup' \
diff --git a/src/util/virerror.c b/src/util/virerror.c
index 54cd5b64b9..bf79a8aec7 100644
--- a/src/util/virerror.c
+++ b/src/util/virerror.c
@@ -1288,7 +1288,7 @@ void virReportErrorHelper(int domcode,
 
     if (fmt) {
         va_start(args, fmt);
-        vsnprintf(errorMessage, sizeof(errorMessage)-1, fmt, args);
+        g_vsnprintf(errorMessage, sizeof(errorMessage)-1, fmt, args);
         va_end(args);
     } else {
         errorMessage[0] = '\0';
@@ -1358,7 +1358,7 @@ void virReportSystemErrorFull(int domcode,
         int n;
 
         va_start(args, fmt);
-        n = vsnprintf(msgDetailBuf, sizeof(msgDetailBuf), fmt, args);
+        n = g_vsnprintf(msgDetailBuf, sizeof(msgDetailBuf), fmt, args);
         va_end(args);
 
         size_t len = strlen(errnoDetail);
diff --git a/src/util/virtypedparam.c b/src/util/virtypedparam.c
index 4ad2ed455f..603fcf213a 100644
--- a/src/util/virtypedparam.c
+++ b/src/util/virtypedparam.c
@@ -764,7 +764,7 @@ virTypedParamSetNameVPrintf(virTypedParameterPtr par,
                             const char *fmt,
                             va_list ap)
 {
-    if (vsnprintf(par->field, VIR_TYPED_PARAM_FIELD_LENGTH, fmt, ap) > VIR_TYPED_PARAM_FIELD_LENGTH) {
+    if (g_vsnprintf(par->field, VIR_TYPED_PARAM_FIELD_LENGTH, fmt, ap) > VIR_TYPED_PARAM_FIELD_LENGTH) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s", _("Field name too long"));
         return -1;
     }