diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 5394875252..7618468c21 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -14848,16 +14848,11 @@ int virDomainDiskDefForeachPath(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
     int ret = -1;
     size_t depth = 0;
     char *nextpath = NULL;
-    virStorageFileMetadata *meta;
+    virStorageFileMetadata *meta = NULL;
 
     if (!disk->src || disk->type == VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_TYPE_NETWORK)
         return 0;
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(meta) < 0) {
-        virReportOOMError();
-        return ret;
-    }
-
     if (disk->format > 0) {
         format = disk->format;
     } else {
@@ -14900,7 +14895,7 @@ int virDomainDiskDefForeachPath(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
             }
         }
 
-        if (virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(path, fd, format, meta) < 0) {
+        if (!(meta = virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(path, fd, format))) {
             VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
             goto cleanup;
         }
@@ -14934,6 +14929,8 @@ int virDomainDiskDefForeachPath(virDomainDiskDefPtr disk,
         /* Allow probing for image formats that are safe */
         if (format == VIR_STORAGE_FILE_AUTO_SAFE)
             format = VIR_STORAGE_FILE_AUTO;
+        virStorageFileFreeMetadata(meta);
+        meta = NULL;
     } while (nextpath);
 
     ret = 0;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index dd1b7195fd..6de65ea825 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -9313,14 +9313,7 @@ static int qemuDomainGetBlockInfo(virDomainPtr dom,
         }
     }
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(meta) < 0) {
-        virReportOOMError();
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(path, fd,
-                                        format,
-                                        meta) < 0)
+    if (!(meta = virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(path, fd, format)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     /* Get info for normal formats */
diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend_fs.c b/src/storage/storage_backend_fs.c
index db19b87970..cecc2d2bcc 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend_fs.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend_fs.c
@@ -68,12 +68,7 @@ virStorageBackendProbeTarget(virStorageVolTargetPtr target,
 {
     int fd = -1;
     int ret = -1;
-    virStorageFileMetadata *meta;
-
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(meta) < 0) {
-        virReportOOMError();
-        return ret;
-    }
+    virStorageFileMetadata *meta = NULL;
 
     *backingStore = NULL;
     *backingStoreFormat = VIR_STORAGE_FILE_AUTO;
@@ -96,9 +91,8 @@ virStorageBackendProbeTarget(virStorageVolTargetPtr target,
         goto error;
     }
 
-    if (virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(target->path, fd,
-                                        target->format,
-                                        meta) < 0) {
+    if (!(meta = virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(target->path, fd,
+                                                 target->format))) {
         ret = -1;
         goto error;
     }
diff --git a/src/util/storage_file.c b/src/util/storage_file.c
index 68c7605f35..76079bb8e7 100644
--- a/src/util/storage_file.c
+++ b/src/util/storage_file.c
@@ -851,41 +851,43 @@ virStorageFileProbeFormat(const char *path)
  * backing store. Callers are advised against probing for the
  * backing store format in this case.
  *
- * Caller MUST free @meta after use via virStorageFileFreeMetadata.
+ * Caller MUST free the result after use via virStorageFileFreeMetadata.
  */
-int
+virStorageFileMetadataPtr
 virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(const char *path,
                                 int fd,
-                                int format,
-                                virStorageFileMetadata *meta)
+                                int format)
 {
+    virStorageFileMetadata *meta = NULL;
     unsigned char *head = NULL;
     ssize_t len = STORAGE_MAX_HEAD;
-    int ret = -1;
+    virStorageFileMetadata *ret = NULL;
     struct stat sb;
 
-    memset(meta, 0, sizeof(*meta));
+    if (VIR_ALLOC(meta) < 0) {
+        virReportOOMError();
+        return NULL;
+    }
 
     if (fstat(fd, &sb) < 0) {
         virReportSystemError(errno,
                              _("cannot stat file '%s'"),
                              path);
-        return -1;
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    /* No header to probe for directories */
-    if (S_ISDIR(sb.st_mode)) {
-        return 0;
-    }
+    /* No header to probe for directories, but also no backing file */
+    if (S_ISDIR(sb.st_mode))
+        return meta;
 
     if (lseek(fd, 0, SEEK_SET) == (off_t)-1) {
         virReportSystemError(errno, _("cannot seek to start of '%s'"), path);
-        return -1;
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if (VIR_ALLOC_N(head, len) < 0) {
         virReportOOMError();
-        return -1;
+        goto cleanup;
     }
 
     if ((len = read(fd, head, len)) < 0) {
@@ -903,9 +905,13 @@ virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(const char *path,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    ret = virStorageFileGetMetadataFromBuf(format, path, head, len, meta);
+    if (virStorageFileGetMetadataFromBuf(format, path, head, len, meta) < 0)
+        goto cleanup;
+    ret = meta;
+    meta = NULL;
 
 cleanup:
+    virStorageFileFreeMetadata(meta);
     VIR_FREE(head);
     return ret;
 }
@@ -933,21 +939,12 @@ virStorageFileGetMetadataRecurse(const char *path, int format,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(ret) < 0) {
-        virReportOOMError();
-        VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    if (virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(path, fd, format, ret) < 0) {
-        virStorageFileFreeMetadata(ret);
-        VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
-        return NULL;
-    }
+    ret = virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(path, fd, format);
 
     if (VIR_CLOSE(fd) < 0)
         VIR_WARN("could not close file %s", path);
 
-    if (ret->backingStoreIsFile) {
+    if (ret && ret->backingStoreIsFile) {
         if (ret->backingStoreFormat == VIR_STORAGE_FILE_AUTO && !allow_probe)
             ret->backingStoreFormat = VIR_STORAGE_FILE_RAW;
         else if (ret->backingStoreFormat == VIR_STORAGE_FILE_AUTO_SAFE)
diff --git a/src/util/storage_file.h b/src/util/storage_file.h
index 18dea6af8c..9a60451075 100644
--- a/src/util/storage_file.h
+++ b/src/util/storage_file.h
@@ -73,10 +73,9 @@ virStorageFileMetadataPtr virStorageFileGetMetadata(const char *path,
                                                     int format,
                                                     uid_t uid, gid_t gid,
                                                     bool allow_probe);
-int virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(const char *path,
-                                    int fd,
-                                    int format,
-                                    virStorageFileMetadata *meta);
+virStorageFileMetadataPtr virStorageFileGetMetadataFromFD(const char *path,
+                                                          int fd,
+                                                          int format);
 
 void virStorageFileFreeMetadata(virStorageFileMetadataPtr meta);