diff --git a/src/util/virauth.c b/src/util/virauth.c
index 55208c01ef..f75e674586 100644
--- a/src/util/virauth.c
+++ b/src/util/virauth.c
@@ -66,8 +66,7 @@ virAuthGetConfigFilePathURI(virURIPtr uri,
         }
     }
 
-    if (!(userdir = virGetUserConfigDirectory()))
-        return -1;
+    userdir = virGetUserConfigDirectory();
 
     *path = g_strdup_printf("%s/auth.conf", userdir);
 
diff --git a/src/util/virconf.c b/src/util/virconf.c
index db2bbb7e37..f79024f07a 100644
--- a/src/util/virconf.c
+++ b/src/util/virconf.c
@@ -1507,8 +1507,6 @@ virConfLoadConfigPath(const char *name)
         path = g_strdup_printf("%s/libvirt/%s", SYSCONFDIR, name);
     } else {
         g_autofree char *userdir = virGetUserConfigDirectory();
-        if (!userdir)
-            return NULL;
 
         path = g_strdup_printf("%s/%s", userdir, name);
     }