diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevopenvswitch.c b/src/util/virnetdevopenvswitch.c
index b903ae4ee6..06debd7912 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevopenvswitch.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevopenvswitch.c
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ int virNetDevOpenvswitchAddPort(const char *brname, const char *ifname,
     char *ifaceid_ex_id = NULL;
     char *profile_ex_id = NULL;
     char *vmid_ex_id = NULL;
-    virBufferPtr buf;
+    virBuffer buf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
 
     virMacAddrFormat(macaddr, macaddrstr);
     virUUIDFormat(ovsport->interfaceID, ifuuidstr);
@@ -79,13 +79,12 @@ int virNetDevOpenvswitchAddPort(const char *brname, const char *ifname,
                         ovsport->profileID) < 0)
             goto out_of_memory;
     }
-    if (virtVlan) {
-        if (VIR_ALLOC(buf) < 0)
-            goto out_of_memory;
+
+    if (virtVlan && virtVlan->nTags > 0) {
 
         /* Trunk port first */
-        if (virtVlan->trunk) {
-            virBufferAddLit(buf, "trunk=");
+        if (virtVlan->trunk == true) {
+            virBufferAddLit(&buf, "trunk=");
 
             /*
              * Trunk ports have at least one VLAN. Do the first one
@@ -93,21 +92,21 @@ int virNetDevOpenvswitchAddPort(const char *brname, const char *ifname,
              * start of the for loop if there are more than one VLANs
              * on this trunk port.
              */
-            virBufferAsprintf(buf, "%d", virtVlan->tag[i]);
+            virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "%d", virtVlan->tag[i]);
 
             for (i = 1; i < virtVlan->nTags; i++) {
-                virBufferAddLit(buf, ",");
-                virBufferAsprintf(buf, "%d", virtVlan->tag[i]);
+                virBufferAddLit(&buf, ",");
+                virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "%d", virtVlan->tag[i]);
             }
         } else if (virtVlan->nTags) {
-            virBufferAsprintf(buf, "tag=%d", virtVlan->tag[0]);
+            virBufferAsprintf(&buf, "tag=%d", virtVlan->tag[0]);
         }
     }
 
     cmd = virCommandNew(OVSVSCTL);
     if (ovsport->profileID[0] == '\0') {
         virCommandAddArgList(cmd, "--", "--may-exist", "add-port",
-                        brname, ifname, virBufferContentAndReset(buf),
+                        brname, ifname, virBufferCurrentContent(&buf),
                         "--", "set", "Interface", ifname, attachedmac_ex_id,
                         "--", "set", "Interface", ifname, ifaceid_ex_id,
                         "--", "set", "Interface", ifname, vmid_ex_id,
@@ -116,7 +115,7 @@ int virNetDevOpenvswitchAddPort(const char *brname, const char *ifname,
                         NULL);
     } else {
         virCommandAddArgList(cmd, "--", "--may-exist", "add-port",
-                        brname, ifname, virBufferContentAndReset(buf),
+                        brname, ifname, virBufferCurrentContent(&buf),
                         "--", "set", "Interface", ifname, attachedmac_ex_id,
                         "--", "set", "Interface", ifname, ifaceid_ex_id,
                         "--", "set", "Interface", ifname, vmid_ex_id,
@@ -135,7 +134,7 @@ int virNetDevOpenvswitchAddPort(const char *brname, const char *ifname,
 
     ret = 0;
 cleanup:
-    VIR_FREE(buf);
+    virBufferFreeAndReset(&buf);
     VIR_FREE(attachedmac_ex_id);
     VIR_FREE(ifaceid_ex_id);
     VIR_FREE(vmid_ex_id);