diff --git a/src/admin/admin_server.c b/src/admin/admin_server.c
index 394de0dfab..1d1ae97f2f 100644
--- a/src/admin/admin_server.c
+++ b/src/admin/admin_server.c
@@ -113,7 +113,8 @@ adminServerGetThreadPoolParameters(virNetServer *srv,
                                  "%s", VIR_THREADPOOL_JOB_QUEUE_DEPTH) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    *nparams = virTypedParamListStealParams(paramlist, params);
+    if (virTypedParamListSteal(paramlist, params, nparams) < 0)
+        return -1;
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -279,7 +280,9 @@ adminClientGetInfo(virNetServerClient *client,
                                    "%s", VIR_CLIENT_INFO_SELINUX_CONTEXT) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    *nparams = virTypedParamListStealParams(paramlist, params);
+    if (virTypedParamListSteal(paramlist, params, nparams) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -322,7 +325,8 @@ adminServerGetClientLimits(virNetServer *srv,
                                  "%s", VIR_SERVER_CLIENTS_UNAUTH_CURRENT) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    *nparams = virTypedParamListStealParams(paramlist, params);
+    if (virTypedParamListSteal(paramlist, params, nparams) < 0)
+        return -1;
 
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index f1999d0e99..b58be6aa33 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -3560,7 +3560,7 @@ virTypedParamListFetch;
 virTypedParamListFree;
 virTypedParamListFromParams;
 virTypedParamListNew;
-virTypedParamListStealParams;
+virTypedParamListSteal;
 virTypedParamsCheck;
 virTypedParamsCopy;
 virTypedParamsDeserialize;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domainjob.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domainjob.c
index 4df1af0ce7..6be48118b9 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domainjob.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domainjob.c
@@ -522,7 +522,9 @@ qemuDomainBackupJobDataToParams(virDomainJobData *jobData,
         virTypedParamListAddString(par, jobData->errmsg, VIR_DOMAIN_JOB_ERRMSG) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    *nparams = virTypedParamListStealParams(par, params);
+    if (virTypedParamListSteal(par, params, nparams) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     *type = virDomainJobStatusToType(jobData->status);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index b6639ba7e9..24f6f81141 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -17946,7 +17946,9 @@ qemuDomainGetStats(virConnectPtr conn,
                                   dom->def->uuid, dom->def->id)))
         return -1;
 
-    tmp->nparams = virTypedParamListStealParams(params, &tmp->params);
+    if (virTypedParamListSteal(params, &tmp->params, &tmp->nparams) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     *record = g_steal_pointer(&tmp);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 47c74c420c..ac12488de9 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -9873,7 +9873,9 @@ testDomainGetStats(virConnectPtr conn,
                                   dom->def->uuid, dom->def->id)))
         return -1;
 
-    tmp->nparams = virTypedParamListStealParams(params, &tmp->params);
+    if (virTypedParamListSteal(params, &tmp->params, &tmp->nparams) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
     *record = g_steal_pointer(&tmp);
     return 0;
 }
diff --git a/src/util/virtypedparam.c b/src/util/virtypedparam.c
index 2157b89e1b..a78bcdc298 100644
--- a/src/util/virtypedparam.c
+++ b/src/util/virtypedparam.c
@@ -779,19 +779,27 @@ virTypedParamListFetch(virTypedParamList *list,
 }
 
 
-size_t
-virTypedParamListStealParams(virTypedParamList *list,
-                             virTypedParameterPtr *params)
+int
+virTypedParamListSteal(virTypedParamList *list,
+                       virTypedParameterPtr *par,
+                       int *npar)
 {
-    size_t ret = list->npar;
+    size_t nparams;
 
-    *params = g_steal_pointer(&list->par);
+    if (virTypedParamListFetch(list, par, &nparams) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    /* most callers expect 'int', so help them out */
+    *npar = nparams;
+
+    list->par = NULL;
     list->npar = 0;
     list->par_alloc = 0;
 
-    return ret;
+    return 0;
 }
 
+
 virTypedParamList *
 virTypedParamListFromParams(virTypedParameterPtr *params,
                             size_t nparams)
diff --git a/src/util/virtypedparam.h b/src/util/virtypedparam.h
index b6ad209e25..b2869173e1 100644
--- a/src/util/virtypedparam.h
+++ b/src/util/virtypedparam.h
@@ -143,9 +143,10 @@ virTypedParamListFree(virTypedParamList *list);
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(virTypedParamList, virTypedParamListFree);
 virTypedParamList *virTypedParamListNew(void);
 
-size_t
-virTypedParamListStealParams(virTypedParamList *list,
-                             virTypedParameterPtr *params);
+int
+virTypedParamListSteal(virTypedParamList *list,
+                       virTypedParameterPtr *par,
+                       int *npar);
 
 int
 virTypedParamListFetch(virTypedParamList *list,