diff --git a/bootstrap.conf b/bootstrap.conf
index 3c3d0e07de..2fc457e8ac 100644
--- a/bootstrap.conf
+++ b/bootstrap.conf
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ byteswap
 c-ctype
 c-strcase
 c-strcasestr
+calloc-posix
 canonicalize-lgpl
 chown
 close
diff --git a/src/uml/uml_driver.c b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
index da91687c10..6eede55b40 100644
--- a/src/uml/uml_driver.c
+++ b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
@@ -114,19 +114,6 @@ static int umlOpenMonitor(struct uml_driver *driver,
 static int umlReadPidFile(struct uml_driver *driver,
                           virDomainObjPtr vm);
 
-static int umlSetCloseExec(int fd) {
-    int flags;
-    if ((flags = fcntl(fd, F_GETFD)) < 0)
-        goto error;
-    flags |= FD_CLOEXEC;
-    if ((fcntl(fd, F_SETFD, flags)) < 0)
-        goto error;
-    return 0;
- error:
-    VIR_ERROR(_("Failed to set close-on-exec file descriptor flag"));
-    return -1;
-}
-
 static int umlStartVMDaemon(virConnectPtr conn,
                             struct uml_driver *driver,
                             virDomainObjPtr vm);
@@ -889,9 +876,9 @@ static int umlStartVMDaemon(virConnectPtr conn,
     }
     VIR_FREE(logfile);
 
-    if (umlSetCloseExec(logfd) < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno,
-                             "%s", _("Unable to set VM logfile close-on-exec flag"));
+    if (virSetCloseExec(logfd) < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",
+                             _("Unable to set VM logfile close-on-exec flag"));
         VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(logfd);
         return -1;
     }
diff --git a/src/util/bridge.c b/src/util/bridge.c
index 7204e64827..0f4b6397f3 100644
--- a/src/util/bridge.c
+++ b/src/util/bridge.c
@@ -72,25 +72,16 @@ int
 brInit(brControl **ctlp)
 {
     int fd;
-    int flags;
 
     if (!ctlp || *ctlp)
         return EINVAL;
 
     fd = socket(AF_INET, SOCK_STREAM, 0);
-    if (fd < 0)
+    if (fd < 0 ||
+        virSetCloseExec(fd) < 0 ||
+        VIR_ALLOC(*ctlp) < 0) {
+        VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
         return errno;
-
-    if ((flags = fcntl(fd, F_GETFD)) < 0 ||
-        fcntl(fd, F_SETFD, flags | FD_CLOEXEC) < 0) {
-        int err = errno;
-        VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
-        return err;
-    }
-
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(*ctlp) < 0) {
-        VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
-        return ENOMEM;
     }
 
     (*ctlp)->fd = fd;
@@ -599,7 +590,7 @@ brSetInterfaceUp(brControl *ctl,
                  int up)
 {
     struct ifreq ifr;
-    int flags;
+    int ifflags;
 
     if (!ctl || !ifname)
         return EINVAL;
@@ -612,10 +603,10 @@ brSetInterfaceUp(brControl *ctl,
     if (ioctl(ctl->fd, SIOCGIFFLAGS, &ifr) < 0)
         return errno;
 
-    flags = up ? (ifr.ifr_flags | IFF_UP) : (ifr.ifr_flags & ~IFF_UP);
+    ifflags = up ? (ifr.ifr_flags | IFF_UP) : (ifr.ifr_flags & ~IFF_UP);
 
-    if (ifr.ifr_flags != flags) {
-        ifr.ifr_flags = flags;
+    if (ifr.ifr_flags != ifflags) {
+        ifr.ifr_flags = ifflags;
 
         if (ioctl(ctl->fd, SIOCSIFFLAGS, &ifr) < 0)
             return errno;