diff --git a/HACKING b/HACKING
index 35ceb29822..cd7559d586 100644
--- a/HACKING
+++ b/HACKING
@@ -347,13 +347,14 @@ scales better, but requires tracking allocation separately from usage)
 
 
 
-- To trim an array of domains to have one less element:
+- To trim an array of domains from its allocated size down to the actual used
+size:
 
   virDomainPtr domains;
   size_t ndomains = x;
   size_t ndomains_max = y;
 
-  VIR_SHRINK_N(domains, ndomains_max, 1);
+  VIR_SHRINK_N(domains, ndomains_max, ndomains_max - ndomains);
 
 
 
diff --git a/daemon/libvirtd.c b/daemon/libvirtd.c
index 2eb2374134..66f1388619 100644
--- a/daemon/libvirtd.c
+++ b/daemon/libvirtd.c
@@ -2362,7 +2362,8 @@ static void *qemudRunLoop(void *opaque) {
                             server->clients + i + 1,
                             sizeof (*server->clients) * (server->nclients - i));
 
-                VIR_SHRINK_N(server->clients, server->nclients, 0);
+                VIR_SHRINK_N(server->clients, server->nclients_max,
+                             server->nclients_max - server->nclients);
                 goto reprocess;
             }
         }
diff --git a/docs/hacking.html.in b/docs/hacking.html.in
index 890692f058..ac16f411b5 100644
--- a/docs/hacking.html.in
+++ b/docs/hacking.html.in
@@ -426,14 +426,15 @@
 </pre>
       </li>
 
-      <li><p>To trim an array of domains to have one less element:</p>
+      <li><p>To trim an array of domains from its allocated size down
+      to the actual used size:</p>
 
 <pre>
   virDomainPtr domains;
   size_t ndomains = x;
   size_t ndomains_max = y;
 
-  VIR_SHRINK_N(domains, ndomains_max, 1);
+  VIR_SHRINK_N(domains, ndomains_max, ndomains_max - ndomains);
 </pre></li>
 
       <li><p>To free an array of domains:</p>