diff --git a/cfg.mk b/cfg.mk
index 4766f0bf46..c7dfb76cad 100644
--- a/cfg.mk
+++ b/cfg.mk
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ sc_prohibit_system_error_with_vir_err:
 # functions. There's a corresponding exclude to allow usage within tests,
 # docs, examples, tools, src/libvirt-*.c, and include/libvirt/libvirt-*.h
 sc_prohibit_virXXXFree:
-	@prohibit='\bvir(Domain|Network|NodeDevice|StorageVol|StoragePool)Free\b'	\
+	@prohibit='\bvir(Domain|Network|NodeDevice|StorageVol|StoragePool|Stream)Free\b'	\
 	exclude='sc_prohibit_virXXXFree' \
 	halt='avoid using 'virXXXFree', use 'virObjectUnref' instead' \
 	  $(_sc_search_regexp)
@@ -1186,4 +1186,4 @@ exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_devname = \
   ^(tools/virsh.pod|cfg.mk|docs/.*)$$
 
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_virXXXFree = \
-  ^(docs/|tests/|examples/|tools/|cfg.mk|src/test/test_driver.c|src/libvirt_public.syms|include/libvirt/libvirt-(domain|network|nodedev|storage).h|src/libvirt-(domain|qemu|network|nodedev|storage).c$$)
+  ^(docs/|tests/|examples/|tools/|cfg.mk|src/test/test_driver.c|src/libvirt_public.syms|include/libvirt/libvirt-(domain|network|nodedev|storage|stream).h|src/libvirt-(domain|qemu|network|nodedev|storage|stream).c$$)
diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index fe1b13c386..b2f1c4614f 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -5414,7 +5414,7 @@ remoteDispatchDomainMigratePrepareTunnel3Params(virNetServerPtr server ATTRIBUTE
             virStreamAbort(st);
             daemonFreeClientStream(client, stream);
         } else {
-            virStreamFree(st);
+            virObjectUnref(st);
         }
     }
     return rv;
diff --git a/daemon/stream.c b/daemon/stream.c
index 88bc85871f..dfe0bf904a 100644
--- a/daemon/stream.c
+++ b/daemon/stream.c
@@ -383,7 +383,7 @@ int daemonFreeClientStream(virNetServerClientPtr client,
         msg = tmp;
     }
 
-    virStreamFree(stream->st);
+    virObjectUnref(stream->st);
     VIR_FREE(stream);
 
     return ret;
diff --git a/src/conf/virchrdev.c b/src/conf/virchrdev.c
index 022fe71e8a..5f28f2978b 100644
--- a/src/conf/virchrdev.c
+++ b/src/conf/virchrdev.c
@@ -221,7 +221,7 @@ static void virChrdevHashEntryFree(void *data,
     virStreamPtr st = data;
 
     /* free stream reference */
-    virStreamFree(st);
+    virObjectUnref(st);
 
     /* delete lock file */
     virChrdevLockFileRemove(dev);
@@ -346,7 +346,6 @@ int virChrdevOpen(virChrdevsPtr devs,
     char *path;
     int ret;
     bool added = false;
-    virErrorPtr savedError;
 
     switch (source->type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_CHR_TYPE_PTY:
@@ -434,15 +433,10 @@ int virChrdevOpen(virChrdevsPtr devs,
     return 0;
 
  error:
-    savedError = virSaveLastError();
-
     if (added)
         virHashRemoveEntry(devs->hash, path);
     else
-        virStreamFree(st);
-
-    virSetError(savedError);
-    virFreeError(savedError);
+        virObjectUnref(st);
 
     if (cbdata)
         VIR_FREE(cbdata->path);
diff --git a/src/fdstream.c b/src/fdstream.c
index 9ff7e2a362..18bd359739 100644
--- a/src/fdstream.c
+++ b/src/fdstream.c
@@ -187,8 +187,7 @@ static void virFDStreamEvent(int watch ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 
 static void virFDStreamCallbackFree(void *opaque)
 {
-    virStreamPtr st = opaque;
-    virStreamFree(st);
+    virObjectUnref(opaque);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_driver.c b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
index 830e1d4757..2eb251a1a6 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_driver.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
@@ -5691,7 +5691,7 @@ static void remoteStreamCallbackFree(void *opaque)
     if (!cbdata->cb && cbdata->ff)
         (cbdata->ff)(cbdata->opaque);
 
-    virStreamFree(cbdata->st);
+    virObjectUnref(cbdata->st);
     VIR_FREE(opaque);
 }