diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 8fa3ec3b69..428050f1e2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -942,16 +942,23 @@ cleanup:
 
 
 int
-qemuDomainAssignPCIAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def)
+qemuDomainAssignPCIAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                             virBitmapPtr qemuCaps,
+                             virDomainObjPtr obj)
 {
     int ret = -1;
-    virBitmapPtr qemuCaps = NULL;
+    virBitmapPtr localCaps = NULL;
     qemuDomainPCIAddressSetPtr addrs = NULL;
+    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = NULL;
 
-    if (qemuCapsExtractVersionInfo(def->emulator, def->os.arch,
-                                   NULL,
-                                   &qemuCaps) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
+    if (!qemuCaps) {
+        /* need to get information from real environment */
+        if (qemuCapsExtractVersionInfo(def->emulator, def->os.arch,
+                                       NULL,
+                                       &localCaps) < 0)
+            goto cleanup;
+        qemuCaps = localCaps;
+    }
 
     if (qemuCapsGet(qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE)) {
         if (!(addrs = qemuDomainPCIAddressSetCreate(def)))
@@ -961,16 +968,31 @@ qemuDomainAssignPCIAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def)
             goto cleanup;
     }
 
+    if (obj && obj->privateData) {
+        priv = obj->privateData;
+        if (addrs) {
+            /* if this is the live domain object, we persist the PCI addresses*/
+            qemuDomainPCIAddressSetFree(priv->pciaddrs);
+            priv->persistentAddrs = 1;
+            priv->pciaddrs = addrs;
+            addrs = NULL;
+        } else {
+            priv->persistentAddrs = 0;
+        }
+    }
+
     ret = 0;
 
 cleanup:
-    qemuCapsFree(qemuCaps);
+    qemuCapsFree(localCaps);
     qemuDomainPCIAddressSetFree(addrs);
 
     return ret;
 }
 
-int qemuDomainAssignAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def)
+int qemuDomainAssignAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                              virBitmapPtr qemuCaps,
+                              virDomainObjPtr obj)
 {
     int rc;
 
@@ -978,7 +1000,7 @@ int qemuDomainAssignAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def)
     if (rc)
         return rc;
 
-    return qemuDomainAssignPCIAddresses(def);
+    return qemuDomainAssignPCIAddresses(def, qemuCaps, obj);
 }
 
 static void
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.h b/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
index 1eafeb3ced..ddf426f653 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.h
@@ -175,10 +175,14 @@ virDomainDefPtr qemuParseCommandLinePid(virCapsPtr caps,
                                         virDomainChrSourceDefPtr *monConfig,
                                         bool *monJSON);
 
-int qemuDomainAssignAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def);
+int qemuDomainAssignAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                              virBitmapPtr qemuCaps,
+                              virDomainObjPtr);
 int qemuDomainAssignSpaprVIOAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def);
 
-int qemuDomainAssignPCIAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def);
+int qemuDomainAssignPCIAddresses(virDomainDefPtr def,
+                                 virBitmapPtr qemuCaps,
+                                 virDomainObjPtr obj);
 qemuDomainPCIAddressSetPtr qemuDomainPCIAddressSetCreate(virDomainDefPtr def);
 int qemuDomainPCIAddressReserveFunction(qemuDomainPCIAddressSetPtr addrs,
                                         int slot, int function);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 377be9f935..dc04d133c7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -1404,7 +1404,7 @@ static virDomainPtr qemudDomainCreate(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml,
     if (qemudCanonicalizeMachine(driver, def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(def) < 0)
+    if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(def, NULL, NULL) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!(vm = virDomainAssignDef(driver->caps,
@@ -5071,7 +5071,7 @@ static virDomainPtr qemudDomainDefine(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml) {
     if (qemudCanonicalizeMachine(driver, def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(def) < 0)
+    if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(def, NULL, NULL) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!(vm = virDomainAssignDef(driver->caps,
@@ -5549,7 +5549,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
         if (disk->bus != VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_BUS_VIRTIO)
             if (virDomainDefAddImplicitControllers(vmdef) < 0)
                 return -1;
-        if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vmdef) < 0)
+        if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vmdef, NULL, NULL) < 0)
             return -1;
         break;
 
@@ -5567,7 +5567,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
             return -1;
         }
         dev->data.net = NULL;
-        if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vmdef) < 0)
+        if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vmdef, NULL, NULL) < 0)
             return -1;
         break;
 
@@ -5583,7 +5583,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
             return -1;
         }
         dev->data.hostdev = NULL;
-        if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vmdef) < 0)
+        if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vmdef, NULL, NULL) < 0)
             return -1;
         break;
 
@@ -5737,7 +5737,7 @@ qemuDomainUpdateDeviceConfig(virDomainDefPtr vmdef,
         vmdef->nets[pos] = net;
         dev->data.net = NULL;
 
-        if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vmdef) < 0)
+        if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vmdef, NULL, NULL) < 0)
             return -1;
         break;
 
@@ -11734,7 +11734,7 @@ static virDomainPtr qemuDomainAttach(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (qemudCanonicalizeMachine(driver, def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(def) < 0)
+    if (qemuDomainAssignAddresses(def, NULL, NULL) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!(vm = virDomainAssignDef(driver->caps,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index c5140c3c92..bf324870f1 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -3090,13 +3090,8 @@ qemuProcessReconnect(void *opaque)
         goto endjob;
     }
 
-    if (qemuCapsGet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE)) {
-        priv->persistentAddrs = 1;
-
-        if (!(priv->pciaddrs = qemuDomainPCIAddressSetCreate(obj->def)) ||
-            qemuAssignDevicePCISlots(obj->def, priv->pciaddrs) < 0)
-            goto error;
-    }
+    if (qemuCapsGet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE))
+        qemuDomainAssignAddresses(obj->def, priv->qemuCaps, obj);
 
     if (virSecurityManagerReserveLabel(driver->securityManager, obj->def, obj->pid) < 0)
         goto error;
@@ -3560,22 +3555,7 @@ int qemuProcessStart(virConnectPtr conn,
      */
     if (qemuCapsGet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE)) {
         VIR_DEBUG("Assigning domain PCI addresses");
-        /* Populate cache with current addresses */
-        if (priv->pciaddrs) {
-            qemuDomainPCIAddressSetFree(priv->pciaddrs);
-            priv->pciaddrs = NULL;
-        }
-        if (!(priv->pciaddrs = qemuDomainPCIAddressSetCreate(vm->def)))
-            goto cleanup;
-
-
-        /* Assign any remaining addresses */
-        if (qemuAssignDevicePCISlots(vm->def, priv->pciaddrs) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-
-        priv->persistentAddrs = 1;
-    } else {
-        priv->persistentAddrs = 0;
+        qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vm->def, priv->qemuCaps, vm);
     }
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Building emulator command line");
@@ -4257,21 +4237,7 @@ int qemuProcessAttach(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
      */
     if (qemuCapsGet(priv->qemuCaps, QEMU_CAPS_DEVICE)) {
         VIR_DEBUG("Assigning domain PCI addresses");
-        /* Populate cache with current addresses */
-        if (priv->pciaddrs) {
-            qemuDomainPCIAddressSetFree(priv->pciaddrs);
-            priv->pciaddrs = NULL;
-        }
-        if (!(priv->pciaddrs = qemuDomainPCIAddressSetCreate(vm->def)))
-            goto cleanup;
-
-        /* Assign any remaining addresses */
-        if (qemuAssignDevicePCISlots(vm->def, priv->pciaddrs) < 0)
-            goto cleanup;
-
-        priv->persistentAddrs = 1;
-    } else {
-        priv->persistentAddrs = 0;
+        qemuDomainAssignAddresses(vm->def, priv->qemuCaps, vm);
     }
 
     if ((timestamp = virTimeStringNow()) == NULL) {