diff --git a/src/conf/virstorageobj.c b/src/conf/virstorageobj.c
index 817d9a4146..0b3ba84af2 100644
--- a/src/conf/virstorageobj.c
+++ b/src/conf/virstorageobj.c
@@ -1486,17 +1486,15 @@ virStoragePoolObjSourceFindDuplicateCb(const void *payload,
 }
 
 
-int
+static int
 virStoragePoolObjSourceFindDuplicate(virStoragePoolObjListPtr pools,
                                      virStoragePoolDefPtr def)
 {
     struct _virStoragePoolObjFindDuplicateData data = {.def = def};
     virStoragePoolObjPtr obj = NULL;
 
-    virObjectRWLockRead(pools);
     obj = virHashSearch(pools->objs, virStoragePoolObjSourceFindDuplicateCb,
                         &data, NULL);
-    virObjectRWUnlock(pools);
 
     if (obj) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
@@ -1531,6 +1529,9 @@ virStoragePoolObjAssignDef(virStoragePoolObjListPtr pools,
 
     virObjectRWLockWrite(pools);
 
+    if (virStoragePoolObjSourceFindDuplicate(pools, def) < 0)
+        goto error;
+
     rc = virStoragePoolObjIsDuplicate(pools, def, check_active, &obj);
 
     if (rc < 0)
diff --git a/src/conf/virstorageobj.h b/src/conf/virstorageobj.h
index bc24db1928..abd6166d88 100644
--- a/src/conf/virstorageobj.h
+++ b/src/conf/virstorageobj.h
@@ -245,10 +245,6 @@ void
 virStoragePoolObjRemove(virStoragePoolObjListPtr pools,
                         virStoragePoolObjPtr obj);
 
-int
-virStoragePoolObjSourceFindDuplicate(virStoragePoolObjListPtr pools,
-                                     virStoragePoolDefPtr def);
-
 int
 virStoragePoolObjListExport(virConnectPtr conn,
                             virStoragePoolObjListPtr poolobjs,
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index fe518f7325..93e6e8a14c 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -1160,7 +1160,6 @@ virStoragePoolObjSetActive;
 virStoragePoolObjSetAutostart;
 virStoragePoolObjSetConfigFile;
 virStoragePoolObjSetDef;
-virStoragePoolObjSourceFindDuplicate;
 virStoragePoolObjVolumeGetNames;
 virStoragePoolObjVolumeListExport;
 
diff --git a/src/storage/storage_driver.c b/src/storage/storage_driver.c
index df4f86c4bd..e7085e4773 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_driver.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_driver.c
@@ -705,9 +705,6 @@ storagePoolCreateXML(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (virStoragePoolCreateXMLEnsureACL(conn, newDef) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (virStoragePoolObjSourceFindDuplicate(driver->pools, newDef) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     if ((backend = virStorageBackendForType(newDef->type)) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;
 
@@ -796,9 +793,6 @@ storagePoolDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (virStoragePoolDefineXMLEnsureACL(conn, newDef) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (virStoragePoolObjSourceFindDuplicate(driver->pools, newDef) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     if (virStorageBackendForType(newDef->type) == NULL)
         goto cleanup;