diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
index 2bd1e4c387..8f97ac032c 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
@@ -364,10 +364,8 @@ bhyveDomainSetAutostart(virDomainPtr domain, int autostart)
     autostart = (autostart != 0);
 
     if (vm->autostart != autostart) {
-        if ((configFile = virDomainConfigFile(BHYVE_CONFIG_DIR, vm->def->name)) == NULL)
-            goto cleanup;
-        if ((autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(BHYVE_AUTOSTART_DIR, vm->def->name)) == NULL)
-            goto cleanup;
+        configFile = virDomainConfigFile(BHYVE_CONFIG_DIR, vm->def->name);
+        autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(BHYVE_AUTOSTART_DIR, vm->def->name);
 
         if (autostart) {
             if (g_mkdir_with_parents(BHYVE_AUTOSTART_DIR, 0777) < 0) {
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 4ad8289b89..3c19c89af9 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -29002,8 +29002,7 @@ virDomainDefSaveXML(virDomainDef *def,
     if (!configDir)
         return 0;
 
-    if ((configFile = virDomainConfigFile(configDir, def->name)) == NULL)
-        return -1;
+    configFile = virDomainConfigFile(configDir, def->name);
 
     if (g_mkdir_with_parents(configDir, 0777) < 0) {
         virReportSystemError(errno,
@@ -29060,11 +29059,8 @@ virDomainDeleteConfig(const char *configDir,
     g_autofree char *configFile = NULL;
     g_autofree char *autostartLink = NULL;
 
-    if ((configFile = virDomainConfigFile(configDir, dom->def->name)) == NULL)
-        return -1;
-    if ((autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(autostartDir,
-                                             dom->def->name)) == NULL)
-        return -1;
+    configFile = virDomainConfigFile(configDir, dom->def->name);
+    autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(autostartDir, dom->def->name);
 
     /* Not fatal if this doesn't work */
     unlink(autostartLink);
diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
index 166bbc5cfd..72207450c5 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
@@ -492,16 +492,14 @@ virDomainObjListLoadConfig(virDomainObjList *doms,
     int autostart;
     g_autoptr(virDomainDef) oldDef = NULL;
 
-    if ((configFile = virDomainConfigFile(configDir, name)) == NULL)
-        return NULL;
+    configFile = virDomainConfigFile(configDir, name);
     if (!(def = virDomainDefParseFile(configFile, xmlopt, NULL,
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE |
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_VALIDATE |
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_ALLOW_POST_PARSE_FAIL)))
         return NULL;
 
-    if ((autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(autostartDir, name)) == NULL)
-        return NULL;
+    autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(autostartDir, name);
 
     autostart = virFileLinkPointsTo(autostartLink, configFile);
 
@@ -529,8 +527,7 @@ virDomainObjListLoadStatus(virDomainObjList *doms,
     virDomainObj *obj = NULL;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    if ((statusFile = virDomainConfigFile(statusDir, name)) == NULL)
-        goto error;
+    statusFile = virDomainConfigFile(statusDir, name);
 
     if (!(obj = virDomainObjParseFile(statusFile, xmlopt,
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_STATUS |
diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
index 2c0cf75562..494b1ad9bc 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
@@ -4656,10 +4656,8 @@ libxlDomainSetAutostart(virDomainPtr dom, int autostart)
     autostart = (autostart != 0);
 
     if (vm->autostart != autostart) {
-        if (!(configFile = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir, vm->def->name)))
-            goto endjob;
-        if (!(autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir, vm->def->name)))
-            goto endjob;
+        configFile = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir, vm->def->name);
+        autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir, vm->def->name);
 
         if (autostart) {
             if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->autostartDir, 0777) < 0) {
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c b/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
index 7b432a1160..fb7f8e0bc2 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_controller.c
@@ -196,9 +196,7 @@ static virLXCController *virLXCControllerNew(const char *name)
     if (!(driver = virLXCControllerDriverNew()))
         goto error;
 
-    if ((configFile = virDomainConfigFile(LXC_STATE_DIR,
-                                          ctrl->name)) == NULL)
-        goto error;
+    configFile = virDomainConfigFile(LXC_STATE_DIR, ctrl->name);
 
     if ((ctrl->vm = virDomainObjParseFile(configFile,
                                           driver->xmlopt,
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index cc4b2a05d6..4740aeed52 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -2439,14 +2439,8 @@ static int lxcDomainSetAutostart(virDomainPtr dom,
         goto endjob;
     }
 
-    configFile = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir,
-                                     vm->def->name);
-    if (configFile == NULL)
-        goto endjob;
-    autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir,
-                                        vm->def->name);
-    if (autostartLink == NULL)
-        goto endjob;
+    configFile = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir, vm->def->name);
+    autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir, vm->def->name);
 
     if (autostart) {
         if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->autostartDir, 0777) < 0) {
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 388aa2b34e..d2eddbd9ae 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -7790,12 +7790,8 @@ static int qemuDomainSetAutostart(virDomainPtr dom,
         if (virDomainObjBeginJob(vm, VIR_JOB_MODIFY) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
 
-        if (!(configFile = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir, vm->def->name)))
-            goto endjob;
-
-        if (!(autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir,
-                                                  vm->def->name)))
-            goto endjob;
+        configFile = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir, vm->def->name);
+        autostartLink = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir, vm->def->name);
 
         if (autostart) {
             if (g_mkdir_with_parents(cfg->autostartDir, 0777) < 0) {
@@ -18345,21 +18341,15 @@ qemuDomainRenameCallback(virDomainObj *vm,
 
     new_dom_name = g_strdup(new_name);
 
-    if (!(new_dom_cfg_file = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir,
-                                                 new_dom_name)) ||
-        !(old_dom_cfg_file = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir,
-                                                 vm->def->name)))
-        return -1;
+    new_dom_cfg_file = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir, new_dom_name);
+    old_dom_cfg_file = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->configDir, vm->def->name);
 
     if (qemuDomainNamePathsCleanup(cfg, new_name, false) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (vm->autostart) {
-        if (!(new_dom_autostart_link = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir,
-                                                          new_dom_name)) ||
-            !(old_dom_autostart_link = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir,
-                                                          vm->def->name)))
-            return -1;
+        new_dom_autostart_link = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir, new_dom_name);
+        old_dom_autostart_link = virDomainConfigFile(cfg->autostartDir, vm->def->name);
 
         if (symlink(new_dom_cfg_file, new_dom_autostart_link) < 0) {
             virReportSystemError(errno,