diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index 5d4c8bf839..1c310249e2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -6301,8 +6301,7 @@ qemuDomainHotplugAddVcpu(virQEMUDriver *driver,
     qemuDomainObjEnterMonitor(driver, vm);
 
     if (newhotplug) {
-        rc = qemuMonitorAddDeviceArgs(qemuDomainGetMonitor(vm), vcpuprops);
-        vcpuprops = NULL;
+        rc = qemuMonitorAddDeviceProps(qemuDomainGetMonitor(vm), &vcpuprops);
     } else {
         rc = qemuMonitorSetCPU(qemuDomainGetMonitor(vm), vcpu, true);
     }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
index 068b7ff997..fe65d46ae9 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
@@ -2893,20 +2893,21 @@ qemuMonitorAddDevice(qemuMonitor *mon,
 
 
 /**
- * qemuMonitorAddDeviceArgs:
+ * qemuMonitorAddDeviceProps:
  * @mon: monitor object
- * @args: arguments for device add, consumed on success or failure
+ * @props: JSON object describing the device to add, the object is consumed
+ *         and cleared.
  *
- * Adds a device described by @args. Requires JSON monitor.
+ * Adds a device described by @props.
  * Returns 0 on success -1 on error.
  */
 int
-qemuMonitorAddDeviceArgs(qemuMonitor *mon,
-                         virJSONValue *args)
+qemuMonitorAddDeviceProps(qemuMonitor *mon,
+                          virJSONValue **props)
 {
     QEMU_CHECK_MONITOR(mon);
 
-    return qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceArgs(mon, args);
+    return qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceProps(mon, props);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
index 648fe293ed..5edf6a161b 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.h
@@ -1028,8 +1028,8 @@ int qemuMonitorAttachPCIDiskController(qemuMonitor *mon,
                                        const char *bus,
                                        virPCIDeviceAddress *guestAddr);
 
-int qemuMonitorAddDeviceArgs(qemuMonitor *mon,
-                             virJSONValue *args);
+int qemuMonitorAddDeviceProps(qemuMonitor *mon,
+                              virJSONValue **props);
 int qemuMonitorAddDevice(qemuMonitor *mon,
                          const char *devicestr);
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
index 1b98baa4c7..e5c71f58c2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.c
@@ -4554,8 +4554,8 @@ int qemuMonitorJSONDelDevice(qemuMonitor *mon,
 
 
 int
-qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceArgs(qemuMonitor *mon,
-                             virJSONValue *args)
+qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceProps(qemuMonitor *mon,
+                              virJSONValue **props)
 {
     int ret = -1;
     virJSONValue *cmd = NULL;
@@ -4564,7 +4564,7 @@ qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceArgs(qemuMonitor *mon,
     if (!(cmd = qemuMonitorJSONMakeCommand("device_add", NULL)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (virJSONValueObjectAppend(cmd, "arguments", &args) < 0)
+    if (virJSONValueObjectAppend(cmd, "arguments", props) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (qemuMonitorJSONCommand(mon, cmd, &reply) < 0)
@@ -4575,7 +4575,6 @@ qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceArgs(qemuMonitor *mon,
 
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
-    virJSONValueFree(args);
     virJSONValueFree(cmd);
     virJSONValueFree(reply);
     return ret;
@@ -4586,12 +4585,12 @@ int
 qemuMonitorJSONAddDevice(qemuMonitor *mon,
                          const char *devicestr)
 {
-    virJSONValue *args;
+    g_autoptr(virJSONValue) props = NULL;
 
-    if (!(args = qemuMonitorJSONKeywordStringToJSON(devicestr, "driver")))
+    if (!(props = qemuMonitorJSONKeywordStringToJSON(devicestr, "driver")))
         return -1;
 
-    return qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceArgs(mon, args);
+    return qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceProps(mon, &props);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
index 0289f8c3bf..8dc2350642 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor_json.h
@@ -235,8 +235,8 @@ int qemuMonitorJSONAttachPCIDiskController(qemuMonitor *mon,
                                            const char *bus,
                                            virPCIDeviceAddress *guestAddr);
 
-int qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceArgs(qemuMonitor *mon,
-                                 virJSONValue *args);
+int qemuMonitorJSONAddDeviceProps(qemuMonitor *mon,
+                                  virJSONValue **props);
 int qemuMonitorJSONAddDevice(qemuMonitor *mon,
                              const char *devicestr);
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 9faaeeadba..09a2ff8ef2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -6085,8 +6085,7 @@ qemuProcessSetupHotpluggableVcpus(virQEMUDriver *driver,
         if (qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorAsync(driver, vm, asyncJob) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
 
-        rc = qemuMonitorAddDeviceArgs(qemuDomainGetMonitor(vm), vcpuprops);
-        vcpuprops = NULL;
+        rc = qemuMonitorAddDeviceProps(qemuDomainGetMonitor(vm), &vcpuprops);
 
         if (qemuDomainObjExitMonitor(driver, vm) < 0)
             goto cleanup;