diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
index e42a3dc0a9..4d5eb920bf 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
@@ -2709,10 +2709,10 @@ libxlConnectDomainXMLToNative(virConnectPtr conn, const char * nativeFormat,
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (STREQ(nativeFormat, XEN_CONFIG_FORMAT_XL)) {
-        if (!(conf = xenFormatXL(def, conn)))
+        if (!(conf = xenFormatXL(def)))
             goto cleanup;
     } else if (STREQ(nativeFormat, XEN_CONFIG_FORMAT_XM)) {
-        if (!(conf = xenFormatXM(conn, def)))
+        if (!(conf = xenFormatXM(def)))
             goto cleanup;
     } else {
 
diff --git a/src/libxl/xen_common.c b/src/libxl/xen_common.c
index 79eb593432..3a64f565f7 100644
--- a/src/libxl/xen_common.c
+++ b/src/libxl/xen_common.c
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@
 
 #include <config.h>
 
+#include "datatypes.h"
+#include "driver.h"
 #include "internal.h"
 #include "virerror.h"
 #include "virconf.h"
@@ -1586,8 +1588,7 @@ xenMakeIPList(virNetDevIPInfo *guestIP)
 }
 
 static int
-xenFormatNet(virConnectPtr conn,
-             virConfValue *list,
+xenFormatNet(virConfValue *list,
              virDomainNetDef *net,
              int hvm,
              const char *vif_typename)
@@ -1649,13 +1650,19 @@ xenFormatNet(virConnectPtr conn,
 
     case VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK:
     {
-        virNetworkPtr network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn, net->data.network.name);
+        g_autoptr(virConnect) conn = NULL;
+        virNetworkPtr network;
         char *bridge;
-        if (!network) {
+
+        if (!(conn = virGetConnectNetwork()))
+            return -1;
+
+        if (!(network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn, net->data.network.name))) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_NETWORK, "%s",
                            net->data.network.name);
             return -1;
         }
+
         bridge = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
         virObjectUnref(network);
         if (!bridge) {
@@ -2304,7 +2311,6 @@ xenFormatSound(virConf *conf, virDomainDef *def)
 
 static int
 xenFormatVif(virConf *conf,
-             virConnectPtr conn,
              virDomainDef *def,
              const char *vif_typename)
 {
@@ -2317,8 +2323,7 @@ xenFormatVif(virConf *conf,
     netVal->list = NULL;
 
     for (i = 0; i < def->nnets; i++) {
-        if (xenFormatNet(conn, netVal, def->nets[i],
-                         hvm, vif_typename) < 0)
+        if (xenFormatNet(netVal, def->nets[i], hvm, vif_typename) < 0)
             return -1;
     }
 
@@ -2336,7 +2341,6 @@ xenFormatVif(virConf *conf,
 int
 xenFormatConfigCommon(virConf *conf,
                       virDomainDef *def,
-                      virConnectPtr conn,
                       const char *nativeFormat)
 {
     if (xenFormatGeneralMeta(conf, def) < 0)
@@ -2364,10 +2368,10 @@ xenFormatConfigCommon(virConf *conf,
         return -1;
 
     if (STREQ(nativeFormat, XEN_CONFIG_FORMAT_XL)) {
-        if (xenFormatVif(conf, conn, def, "vif") < 0)
+        if (xenFormatVif(conf, def, "vif") < 0)
             return -1;
     } else if (STREQ(nativeFormat, XEN_CONFIG_FORMAT_XM)) {
-        if (xenFormatVif(conf, conn, def, "netfront") < 0)
+        if (xenFormatVif(conf, def, "netfront") < 0)
             return -1;
     } else {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
diff --git a/src/libxl/xen_common.h b/src/libxl/xen_common.h
index b21046e959..95408fa896 100644
--- a/src/libxl/xen_common.h
+++ b/src/libxl/xen_common.h
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ int xenParseConfigCommon(virConf *conf,
 
 int xenFormatConfigCommon(virConf *conf,
                           virDomainDef *def,
-                          virConnectPtr conn,
                           const char *nativeFormat);
 
 char *xenMakeIPList(virNetDevIPInfo *guestIP);
diff --git a/src/libxl/xen_xl.c b/src/libxl/xen_xl.c
index f175359307..53f6871efc 100644
--- a/src/libxl/xen_xl.c
+++ b/src/libxl/xen_xl.c
@@ -2041,14 +2041,14 @@ xenFormatXLDomainNamespaceData(virConf *conf, virDomainDef *def)
 }
 
 virConf *
-xenFormatXL(virDomainDef *def, virConnectPtr conn)
+xenFormatXL(virDomainDef *def)
 {
     g_autoptr(virConf) conf = NULL;
 
     if (!(conf = virConfNew()))
         return NULL;
 
-    if (xenFormatConfigCommon(conf, def, conn, XEN_CONFIG_FORMAT_XL) < 0)
+    if (xenFormatConfigCommon(conf, def, XEN_CONFIG_FORMAT_XL) < 0)
         return NULL;
 
     if (xenFormatXLOS(conf, def) < 0)
diff --git a/src/libxl/xen_xl.h b/src/libxl/xen_xl.h
index f8b1ebfde9..028b359b76 100644
--- a/src/libxl/xen_xl.h
+++ b/src/libxl/xen_xl.h
@@ -29,6 +29,6 @@ virDomainDef *xenParseXL(virConf *conn,
                            virCaps *caps,
                            virDomainXMLOption *xmlopt);
 
-virConf *xenFormatXL(virDomainDef *def, virConnectPtr);
+virConf *xenFormatXL(virDomainDef *def);
 
 const char *xenTranslateCPUFeature(const char *feature_name, bool from_libxl);
diff --git a/src/libxl/xen_xm.c b/src/libxl/xen_xm.c
index 5705a5ec0c..274b35153b 100644
--- a/src/libxl/xen_xm.c
+++ b/src/libxl/xen_xm.c
@@ -543,15 +543,14 @@ G_STATIC_ASSERT(MAX_VIRT_CPUS <= sizeof(1UL) * CHAR_BIT);
  * Convert a virDomainDef object into an XM config record.
  */
 virConf *
-xenFormatXM(virConnectPtr conn,
-            virDomainDef *def)
+xenFormatXM(virDomainDef *def)
 {
     g_autoptr(virConf) conf = NULL;
 
     if (!(conf = virConfNew()))
         return NULL;
 
-    if (xenFormatConfigCommon(conf, def, conn, XEN_CONFIG_FORMAT_XM) < 0)
+    if (xenFormatConfigCommon(conf, def, XEN_CONFIG_FORMAT_XM) < 0)
         return NULL;
 
     if (xenFormatXMOS(conf, def) < 0)
diff --git a/src/libxl/xen_xm.h b/src/libxl/xen_xm.h
index afb4f51ff7..db2ae52581 100644
--- a/src/libxl/xen_xm.h
+++ b/src/libxl/xen_xm.h
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
 #include "virconf.h"
 #include "domain_conf.h"
 
-virConf *xenFormatXM(virConnectPtr conn, virDomainDef *def);
+virConf *xenFormatXM(virDomainDef *def);
 
 virDomainDef *xenParseXM(virConf *conf,
                            virCaps *caps, virDomainXMLOption *xmlopt);
diff --git a/tests/xlconfigtest.c b/tests/xlconfigtest.c
index 962a1f2c4b..00b6a355eb 100644
--- a/tests/xlconfigtest.c
+++ b/tests/xlconfigtest.c
@@ -65,17 +65,12 @@ testCompareParseXML(const char *xlcfg, const char *xml, bool replaceVars)
 {
     g_autofree char *gotxlcfgData = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virConf) conf = NULL;
-    g_autoptr(virConnect) conn = NULL;
     int wrote = 4096;
     g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     g_autofree char *replacedXML = NULL;
 
     gotxlcfgData = g_new0(char, wrote);
 
-    conn = virGetConnect();
-    if (!conn)
-        return -1;
-
     if (replaceVars) {
         if (!(replacedXML = testReplaceVarsXML(xml)))
             return -1;
@@ -93,7 +88,7 @@ testCompareParseXML(const char *xlcfg, const char *xml, bool replaceVars)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (!(conf = xenFormatXL(def, conn)))
+    if (!(conf = xenFormatXL(def)))
         return -1;
 
     if (virConfWriteMem(gotxlcfgData, &wrote, conf) < 0)
diff --git a/tests/xmconfigtest.c b/tests/xmconfigtest.c
index dbf9f7a4c7..30ad49f8b1 100644
--- a/tests/xmconfigtest.c
+++ b/tests/xmconfigtest.c
@@ -39,16 +39,11 @@ testCompareParseXML(const char *xmcfg, const char *xml)
 {
     g_autofree char *gotxmcfgData = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virConf) conf = NULL;
-    g_autoptr(virConnect) conn = NULL;
     int wrote = 4096;
     g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
 
     gotxmcfgData = g_new0(char, wrote);
 
-    conn = virGetConnect();
-    if (!conn)
-        return -1;
-
     if (!(def = virDomainDefParseFile(xml, driver->xmlopt, NULL,
                                       VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_INACTIVE)))
         return -1;
@@ -58,7 +53,7 @@ testCompareParseXML(const char *xmcfg, const char *xml)
         return -1;
     }
 
-    if (!(conf = xenFormatXM(conn, def)))
+    if (!(conf = xenFormatXM(def)))
         return -1;
 
     if (virConfWriteMem(gotxmcfgData, &wrote, conf) < 0)