diff --git a/src/util/viruri.h b/src/util/viruri.h
index b6e97dafe6..f5b472860e 100644
--- a/src/util/viruri.h
+++ b/src/util/viruri.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 # include "internal.h"
 # include "virconf.h"
+# include "virautoclean.h"
 
 typedef struct _virURI virURI;
 typedef virURI *virURIPtr;
@@ -60,6 +61,7 @@ char *virURIFormat(virURIPtr uri)
 char *virURIFormatParams(virURIPtr uri);
 
 void virURIFree(virURIPtr uri);
+VIR_DEFINE_AUTOPTR_FUNC(virURI, virURIFree);
 int virURIResolveAlias(virConfPtr conf, const char *alias, char **uri);
 
 # define VIR_URI_SERVER(uri) ((uri) && (uri)->server ? (uri)->server : "localhost")