diff --git a/build-aux/syntax-check.mk b/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
index 5daf5afcd0..cb12b64532 100644
--- a/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
+++ b/build-aux/syntax-check.mk
@@ -868,7 +868,7 @@ sc_gettext_init:
 	  $(_sc_search_regexp)
 
 sc_prohibit_obj_free_apis_in_virsh:
-	@prohibit='\bvir(Domain|DomainSnapshot|Interface|Network|NodeDevice|NWFilter|Secret|StoragePool|StorageVol)Free\b' \
+	@prohibit='\bvir(Domain|DomainSnapshot|Interface|Network|NodeDevice|NWFilter|Secret|StoragePool|StorageVol|Stream)Free\b' \
 	in_vc_files='virsh.*\.[ch]$$' \
 	exclude='sc_prohibit_obj_free_apis_in_virsh' \
 	halt='avoid using public virXXXFree in virsh, use virsh-prefixed wrappers instead' \
diff --git a/tools/virsh-console.c b/tools/virsh-console.c
index 449619c95f..67ee608706 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-console.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-console.c
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 # include "internal.h"
 # include "virsh.h"
 # include "virsh-console.h"
+# include "virsh-util.h"
 # include "virlog.h"
 # include "virfile.h"
 # include "viralloc.h"
@@ -117,8 +118,8 @@ virConsoleShutdown(virConsole *con,
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                            _("cannot terminate console stream"));
         }
-        virStreamFree(con->st);
-        con->st = NULL;
+
+        g_clear_pointer(&con->st, virshStreamFree);
     }
     VIR_FREE(con->streamToTerminal.data);
     VIR_FREE(con->terminalToStream.data);
@@ -140,8 +141,7 @@ virConsoleDispose(void *obj)
 {
     virConsole *con = obj;
 
-    if (con->st)
-        virStreamFree(con->st);
+    virshStreamFree(con->st);
 
     virCondDestroy(&con->cond);
     virResetError(&con->error);
diff --git a/tools/virsh-domain.c b/tools/virsh-domain.c
index 5b145d3257..db3f1b41c1 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-domain.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-domain.c
@@ -5540,7 +5540,7 @@ cmdScreenshot(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     const char *name = NULL;
     char *file = NULL;
     int fd = -1;
-    virStreamPtr st = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virshStream) st = NULL;
     unsigned int screen = 0;
     unsigned int flags = 0; /* currently unused */
     bool ret = false;
@@ -5610,8 +5610,6 @@ cmdScreenshot(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
         unlink(file);
     if (generated)
         VIR_FREE(file);
-    if (st)
-        virStreamFree(st);
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
     VIR_FREE(mime);
     return ret;
diff --git a/tools/virsh-util.c b/tools/virsh-util.c
index fc2839d8fc..8fb617fa3c 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-util.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-util.c
@@ -362,6 +362,18 @@ virshStorageVolFree(virStorageVolPtr vol)
 }
 
 
+
+void
+virshStreamFree(virStreamPtr stream)
+{
+    if (!stream)
+        return;
+
+    vshSaveLibvirtHelperError();
+    virStreamFree(stream); /* sc_prohibit_obj_free_apis_in_virsh */
+}
+
+
 int
 virshDomainGetXMLFromDom(vshControl *ctl,
                          virDomainPtr dom,
diff --git a/tools/virsh-util.h b/tools/virsh-util.h
index 065055ddb1..838935d5e8 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-util.h
+++ b/tools/virsh-util.h
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ void
 virshStorageVolFree(virStorageVolPtr vol);
 G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(virshStorageVol, virshStorageVolFree);
 
+typedef virStream virshStream;
+void
+virshStreamFree(virStreamPtr stream);
+G_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_CLEANUP_FUNC(virshStream, virshStreamFree);
+
 int
 virshDomainState(vshControl *ctl,
                  virDomainPtr dom,
diff --git a/tools/virsh-volume.c b/tools/virsh-volume.c
index b896ebbbf9..70b6eac687 100644
--- a/tools/virsh-volume.c
+++ b/tools/virsh-volume.c
@@ -656,7 +656,7 @@ cmdVolUpload(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     g_autoptr(virshStorageVol) vol = NULL;
     bool ret = false;
     int fd = -1;
-    virStreamPtr st = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virshStream) st = NULL;
     const char *name = NULL;
     unsigned long long offset = 0, length = 0;
     virshControl *priv = ctl->privData;
@@ -731,8 +731,6 @@ cmdVolUpload(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     ret = true;
 
  cleanup:
-    if (st)
-        virStreamFree(st);
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
     return ret;
 }
@@ -776,7 +774,7 @@ cmdVolDownload(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     g_autoptr(virshStorageVol) vol = NULL;
     bool ret = false;
     int fd = -1;
-    virStreamPtr st = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virshStream) st = NULL;
     const char *name = NULL;
     unsigned long long offset = 0, length = 0;
     bool created = false;
@@ -851,8 +849,6 @@ cmdVolDownload(vshControl *ctl, const vshCmd *cmd)
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
     if (!ret && created)
         unlink(file);
-    if (st)
-        virStreamFree(st);
     return ret;
 }