diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
index dacbb603b0..5a58e77fa4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_cgroup.c
@@ -1149,12 +1149,11 @@ qemuSetupCgroupVcpuBW(virCgroupPtr cgroup,
 
  error:
     if (period) {
-        virErrorPtr saved = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPtr saved;
+
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&saved);
         ignore_value(virCgroupSetCpuCfsPeriod(cgroup, old_period));
-        if (saved) {
-            virSetError(saved);
-            virFreeError(saved);
-        }
+        virErrorRestore(&saved);
     }
 
     return -1;
@@ -1362,10 +1361,9 @@ qemuCgroupEmulatorAllNodesRestore(qemuCgroupEmulatorAllNodesDataPtr data)
     if (!data)
         return;
 
-    err = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&err);
     virCgroupSetCpusetMems(data->emulatorCgroup, data->emulatorMemMask);
-    virSetError(err);
-    virFreeError(err);
+    virErrorRestore(&err);
 
     qemuCgroupEmulatorAllNodesDataFree(data);
 }
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 7b6cc725f4..e98195b1d7 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -8644,10 +8644,11 @@ qemuBuildInterfaceCommandLine(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
     if (ret < 0) {
-        virErrorPtr saved_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPtr saved_err;
+
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&saved_err);
         virDomainConfNWFilterTeardown(net);
-        virSetError(saved_err);
-        virFreeError(saved_err);
+        virErrorRestore(&saved_err);
     }
     for (i = 0; vhostfd && i < vhostfdSize; i++) {
         if (ret < 0)
@@ -8730,11 +8731,10 @@ qemuBuildNetCommandLine(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
  error:
     /* free up any resources in the network driver
      * but don't overwrite the original error */
-    originalError = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&originalError);
     for (i = 0; last_good_net != -1 && i <= last_good_net; i++)
         virDomainConfNWFilterTeardown(def->nets[i]);
-    virSetError(originalError);
-    virFreeError(originalError);
+    virErrorRestore(&originalError);
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index fb008fcbb0..09b6c9a570 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -9174,7 +9174,7 @@ void qemuDomainObjTaint(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     /* We don't care about errors logging taint info, so
      * preserve original error, and clear any error that
      * is raised */
-    orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
     if (!(timestamp = virTimeStringNow()))
         goto cleanup;
@@ -9198,10 +9198,7 @@ void qemuDomainObjTaint(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
  cleanup:
     VIR_FREE(timestamp);
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 2e422b5882..cee3257a8a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -3436,7 +3436,8 @@ qemuDomainSaveInternal(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
  endjob:
     if (ret < 0) {
         if (was_running && virDomainObjIsActive(vm)) {
-            virErrorPtr save_err = virSaveLastError();
+            virErrorPtr save_err;
+            virErrorPreserveLast(&save_err);
             if (qemuProcessStartCPUs(driver, vm,
                                      VIR_DOMAIN_RUNNING_SAVE_CANCELED,
                                      QEMU_ASYNC_JOB_SAVE) < 0) {
@@ -3446,8 +3447,7 @@ qemuDomainSaveInternal(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                                          VIR_DOMAIN_EVENT_SUSPENDED,
                                          VIR_DOMAIN_EVENT_SUSPENDED_API_ERROR));
             }
-            virSetError(save_err);
-            virFreeError(save_err);
+            virErrorRestore(&save_err);
         }
     }
     qemuDomainObjEndAsyncJob(driver, vm);
@@ -6729,7 +6729,9 @@ qemuDomainSaveImageUpdateDef(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (!virDomainDefCheckABIStability(def, newdef_migr, driver->xmlopt)) {
-        virErrorPtr err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPtr save_err;
+
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&save_err);
 
         /* Due to a bug in older version of external snapshot creation
          * code, the XML saved in the save image was not a migratable
@@ -6738,11 +6740,10 @@ qemuDomainSaveImageUpdateDef(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
          * the user provided XML if the check against the migratable XML
          * fails. Snapshots created prior to v1.1.3 have this issue. */
         if (!virDomainDefCheckABIStability(def, newdef, driver->xmlopt)) {
-            virSetError(err);
-            virFreeError(err);
+            virErrorRestore(&save_err);
             goto cleanup;
         }
-        virFreeError(err);
+        virFreeError(save_err);
 
         /* use the user provided XML */
         ret = g_steal_pointer(&newdef);
@@ -6991,7 +6992,7 @@ qemuDomainSaveImageStartVM(virConnectPtr conn,
              * must manually kill it and ignore any error related to
              * the process
              */
-            orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+            virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
             VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(intermediatefd);
             VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(*fd);
         }
@@ -7002,10 +7003,7 @@ qemuDomainSaveImageStartVM(virConnectPtr conn,
         }
         VIR_DEBUG("Decompression binary stderr: %s", NULLSTR(errbuf));
 
-        if (orig_err) {
-            virSetError(orig_err);
-            virFreeError(orig_err);
-        }
+        virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
     }
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(intermediatefd);
 
@@ -14739,13 +14737,11 @@ qemuDomainSnapshotFSThaw(virQEMUDriverPtr driver G_GNUC_UNUSED,
 
     agent = qemuDomainObjEnterAgent(vm);
     if (!report)
-        err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&err);
     thawed = qemuAgentFSThaw(agent);
-    if (!report)
-        virSetError(err);
     qemuDomainObjExitAgent(vm, agent);
 
-    virFreeError(err);
+    virErrorRestore(&err);
 
     return thawed;
 }
@@ -18897,16 +18893,14 @@ qemuDomainBlockCommit(virDomainPtr dom,
 
  endjob:
     if (ret < 0 && clean_access) {
-        virErrorPtr orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPtr orig_err;
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
         /* Revert access to read-only, if possible.  */
         qemuDomainStorageSourceAccessAllow(driver, vm, baseSource, true, false);
         if (top_parent && top_parent != disk->src)
             qemuDomainStorageSourceAccessAllow(driver, vm, top_parent, true, false);
 
-        if (orig_err) {
-            virSetError(orig_err);
-            virFreeError(orig_err);
-        }
+        virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
     }
     qemuBlockJobStartupFinalize(vm, job);
     qemuDomainObjEndJob(driver, vm);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
index 882c6810a0..c65491f9d6 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration.c
@@ -728,7 +728,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcNBDCopyCancel(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         if (rv != 0) {
             if (rv < 0) {
                 if (!err)
-                    err = virSaveLastError();
+                    virErrorPreserveLast(&err);
                 failed = true;
             }
             qemuBlockJobSyncEnd(vm, job, asyncJob);
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcNBDCopyCancel(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         }
 
         if (failed && !err)
-            err = virSaveLastError();
+            virErrorPreserveLast(&err);
 
         if (virDomainObjWait(vm) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
@@ -775,10 +775,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcNBDCopyCancel(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     ret = failed ? -1 : 0;
 
  cleanup:
-    if (err) {
-        virSetError(err);
-        virFreeError(err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&err);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -3001,15 +2998,16 @@ qemuMigrationSrcConfirmPhase(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         virObjectEventStateQueue(driver->domainEventState, event);
         qemuDomainEventEmitJobCompleted(driver, vm);
     } else {
-        virErrorPtr orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPtr orig_err;
         int reason;
 
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
+
         /* cancel any outstanding NBD jobs */
         qemuMigrationSrcNBDCopyCancel(driver, vm, false,
                                       QEMU_ASYNC_JOB_MIGRATION_OUT, NULL);
 
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
+        virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
 
         if (virDomainObjGetState(vm, &reason) == VIR_DOMAIN_PAUSED &&
             reason == VIR_DOMAIN_PAUSED_POSTCOPY)
@@ -3213,16 +3211,13 @@ static void qemuMigrationSrcIOFunc(void *arg)
     return;
 
  abrt:
-    err = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&err);
     if (err && err->code == VIR_ERR_OK) {
         virFreeError(err);
         err = NULL;
     }
     virStreamAbort(data->st);
-    if (err) {
-        virSetError(err);
-        virFreeError(err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&err);
 
  error:
     /* Let the source qemu know that the transfer cant continue anymore.
@@ -3704,15 +3699,12 @@ qemuMigrationSrcRun(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (events)
         priv->signalIOError = false;
 
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
 
     return ret;
 
  error:
-    orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
     if (virDomainObjIsActive(vm)) {
         if (cancel &&
@@ -3967,7 +3959,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformPeer2Peer2(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                        _("domainMigratePrepare2 did not set uri"));
         cancelled = true;
-        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
         goto finish;
     }
 
@@ -3990,7 +3982,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformPeer2Peer2(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
     /* Perform failed. Make sure Finish doesn't overwrite the error */
     if (ret < 0)
-        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
     /* If Perform returns < 0, then we need to cancel the VM
      * startup on the destination
@@ -4023,10 +4015,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformPeer2Peer2(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
     virObjectUnref(st);
 
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
     VIR_FREE(uri_out);
     VIR_FREE(cookie);
 
@@ -4200,13 +4189,13 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformPeer2Peer3(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         if (useParams &&
             virTypedParamsReplaceString(&params, &nparams,
                                         VIR_MIGRATE_PARAM_URI, uri_out) < 0) {
-            orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+            virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
             goto finish;
         }
     } else if (!uri && !(flags & VIR_MIGRATE_TUNNELLED)) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                        _("domainMigratePrepare3 did not set uri"));
-        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
         goto finish;
     }
 
@@ -4239,7 +4228,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformPeer2Peer3(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
     /* Perform failed. Make sure Finish doesn't overwrite the error */
     if (ret < 0) {
-        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
     } else {
         qemuMigrationJobSetPhase(driver, vm,
                                  QEMU_MIGRATION_PHASE_PERFORM3_DONE);
@@ -4331,7 +4320,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformPeer2Peer3(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
      * one we need to preserve it in case confirm3 overwrites
      */
     if (!orig_err)
-        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
     /*
      * If cancelled, then src VM will be restarted, else
@@ -4363,10 +4352,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformPeer2Peer3(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
     virObjectUnref(st);
 
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
     VIR_FREE(uri_out);
     VIR_FREE(cookiein);
     VIR_FREE(cookieout);
@@ -4542,15 +4528,12 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformPeer2Peer(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     }
 
  cleanup:
-    orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
     qemuDomainObjEnterRemote(vm);
     virConnectUnregisterCloseCallback(dconn, qemuMigrationSrcConnectionClosed);
     virObjectUnref(dconn);
     ignore_value(qemuDomainObjExitRemote(vm, false));
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
     virObjectUnref(cfg);
     return ret;
 }
@@ -4639,7 +4622,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformJob(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
  endjob:
     if (ret < 0)
-        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
     /* v2 proto has no confirm phase so we need to reset migration parameters
      * here
@@ -4659,10 +4642,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcPerformJob(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         qemuDomainRemoveInactiveJob(driver, vm);
     }
 
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
 
  cleanup:
     virObjectEventStateQueue(driver->domainEventState, event);
@@ -5074,7 +5054,7 @@ qemuMigrationDstFinish(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
             /* Need to save the current error, in case shutting
              * down the process overwrites it
              */
-            orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+            virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
             /*
              * In v3 protocol, the source VM is still available to
@@ -5203,10 +5183,7 @@ qemuMigrationDstFinish(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     VIR_FREE(priv->origname);
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
     qemuMigrationCookieFree(mig);
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
     virObjectUnref(cfg);
 
     /* Set a special error if Finish is expected to return NULL as a result of
@@ -5311,7 +5288,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcToFile(virQEMUDriverPtr driver, virDomainObjPtr vm,
 
     if (rc < 0) {
         if (rc == -2) {
-            orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+            virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
             virCommandAbort(cmd);
             if (virDomainObjIsActive(vm) &&
                 qemuDomainObjEnterMonitorAsync(driver, vm, asyncJob) == 0) {
@@ -5330,7 +5307,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcToFile(virQEMUDriverPtr driver, virDomainObjPtr vm,
 
  cleanup:
     if (ret < 0 && !orig_err)
-        orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+        virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
     /* Restore max migration bandwidth */
     if (virDomainObjIsActive(vm) &&
@@ -5348,10 +5325,7 @@ qemuMigrationSrcToFile(virQEMUDriverPtr driver, virDomainObjPtr vm,
         virCommandFree(cmd);
     }
 
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
 
     return ret;
 }
@@ -5539,8 +5513,7 @@ qemuMigrationDstErrorReport(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Restoring saved incoming migration error for domain %s: %s",
               name, err->message);
-    virSetError(err);
-    virFreeError(err);
+    virErrorRestore(&err);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_migration_params.c b/src/qemu/qemu_migration_params.c
index 159205527e..65f533e451 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_migration_params.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_migration_params.c
@@ -1197,7 +1197,9 @@ qemuMigrationParamsReset(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                          qemuMigrationParamsPtr origParams,
                          unsigned long apiFlags)
 {
-    virErrorPtr err = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPtr err;
+
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&err);
 
     VIR_DEBUG("Resetting migration parameters %p, flags 0x%lx",
               origParams, apiFlags);
@@ -1211,10 +1213,7 @@ qemuMigrationParamsReset(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     qemuMigrationParamsResetTLS(driver, vm, asyncJob, origParams, apiFlags);
 
  cleanup:
-    if (err) {
-        virSetError(err);
-        virFreeError(err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&err);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
index 333acbe9b9..86d3800108 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
@@ -929,17 +929,17 @@ qemuMonitorClose(qemuMonitorPtr mon)
      */
     if (mon->msg) {
         if (mon->lastError.code == VIR_ERR_OK) {
-            virErrorPtr err = virSaveLastError();
+            virErrorPtr err;
+
+            virErrorPreserveLast(&err);
 
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED, "%s",
                            _("QEMU monitor was closed"));
             virCopyLastError(&mon->lastError);
-            if (err) {
-                virSetError(err);
-                virFreeError(err);
-            } else {
+            if (err)
+                virErrorRestore(&err);
+            else
                 virResetLastError();
-            }
         }
         mon->msg->finished = 1;
         virCondSignal(&mon->notify);
@@ -2671,17 +2671,14 @@ qemuMonitorCloseFileHandle(qemuMonitorPtr mon,
 
     VIR_DEBUG("fdname=%s", fdname);
 
-    error = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&error);
 
     QEMU_CHECK_MONITOR_GOTO(mon, cleanup);
 
     ret = qemuMonitorJSONCloseFileHandle(mon, fdname);
 
  cleanup:
-    if (error) {
-        virSetError(error);
-        virFreeError(error);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&error);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 724e950101..aaca2fc7d6 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -7412,7 +7412,7 @@ void qemuProcessStop(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
     /* This method is routinely used in clean up paths. Disable error
      * reporting so we don't squash a legit error. */
-    orig_err = virSaveLastError();
+    virErrorPreserveLast(&orig_err);
 
     if (asyncJob != QEMU_ASYNC_JOB_NONE) {
         if (qemuDomainObjBeginNestedJob(driver, vm, asyncJob) < 0)
@@ -7705,10 +7705,7 @@ void qemuProcessStop(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         qemuDomainObjEndJob(driver, vm);
 
  cleanup:
-    if (orig_err) {
-        virSetError(orig_err);
-        virFreeError(orig_err);
-    }
+    virErrorRestore(&orig_err);
     virObjectUnref(conn);
     virObjectUnref(cfg);
 }