diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index 4ffcecdf9f..2555119892 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -2598,29 +2598,25 @@ networkShutdownNetworkBridge(virNetworkObj *obj G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 static int
 networkCreateInterfacePool(virNetworkDef *netdef)
 {
-    size_t numVirtFns = 0;
-    char **vfNames = NULL;
-    virPCIDeviceAddress **virtFns;
-
+    g_autoptr(virPCIVirtualFunctionList) vfs = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
     size_t i;
 
     if (netdef->forward.npfs == 0 || netdef->forward.nifs > 0)
        return 0;
 
-    if ((virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions(netdef->forward.pfs->dev, &vfNames,
-                                      &virtFns, &numVirtFns)) < 0) {
+    if (virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions(netdef->forward.pfs->dev, &vfs) < 0) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                        _("Could not get Virtual functions on %s"),
                        netdef->forward.pfs->dev);
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    netdef->forward.ifs = g_new0(virNetworkForwardIfDef, numVirtFns);
+    netdef->forward.ifs = g_new0(virNetworkForwardIfDef, vfs->nfunctions);
 
-    for (i = 0; i < numVirtFns; i++) {
-        virPCIDeviceAddress *thisVirtFn = virtFns[i];
-        const char *thisName = vfNames[i];
+    for (i = 0; i < vfs->nfunctions; i++) {
+        virPCIDeviceAddress *thisVirtFn = vfs->functions[i].addr;
+        const char *thisName = vfs->functions[i].ifname;
         virNetworkForwardIfDef *thisIf
             = &netdef->forward.ifs[netdef->forward.nifs];
 
@@ -2689,12 +2685,6 @@ networkCreateInterfacePool(virNetworkDef *netdef)
     if (netdef->forward.nifs == 0)
         g_clear_pointer(&netdef->forward.ifs, g_free);
 
-    for (i = 0; i < numVirtFns; i++) {
-        g_free(vfNames[i]);
-        g_free(virtFns[i]);
-    }
-    g_free(vfNames);
-    g_free(virtFns);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.c b/src/util/virnetdev.c
index 4db3b255f6..5b4c585716 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.c
@@ -1213,24 +1213,17 @@ virNetDevGetPhysPortName(const char *ifname,
 
 /**
  * virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions:
- *
  * @pfname : name of the physical function interface name
- * @vfname: array that will hold the interface names of the virtual_functions
- * @n_vfname: pointer to the number of virtual functions
+ * @vfs: Filled with struct describing the virtual functions of @pfname
  *
  * Returns 0 on success and -1 on failure
  */
-
 int
 virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions(const char *pfname,
-                             char ***vfname,
-                             virPCIDeviceAddress ***virt_fns,
-                             size_t *n_vfname)
+                             virPCIVirtualFunctionList **vfs)
 {
-    size_t i;
     g_autofree char *pf_sysfs_device_link = NULL;
     g_autofree char *pfPhysPortID = NULL;
-    g_autoptr(virPCIVirtualFunctionList) vfs = NULL;
 
     if (virNetDevGetPhysPortID(pfname, &pfPhysPortID) < 0)
         return -1;
@@ -1238,18 +1231,9 @@ virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions(const char *pfname,
     if (virNetDevSysfsFile(&pf_sysfs_device_link, pfname, "device") < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    if (virPCIGetVirtualFunctionsFull(pf_sysfs_device_link, &vfs, pfPhysPortID) < 0)
+    if (virPCIGetVirtualFunctionsFull(pf_sysfs_device_link, vfs, pfPhysPortID) < 0)
         return -1;
 
-    *vfname = g_new0(char *, vfs->nfunctions);
-    *virt_fns = g_new0(virPCIDeviceAddress *, vfs->nfunctions);
-    *n_vfname = vfs->nfunctions;
-
-    for (i = 0; i < *n_vfname; i++) {
-        virt_fns[i] = g_steal_pointer(&vfs->functions[i].addr);
-        vfname[i] = g_steal_pointer(&vfs->functions[i].ifname);
-    }
-
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1448,9 +1432,7 @@ virNetDevGetPhysPortName(const char *ifname G_GNUC_UNUSED,
 
 int
 virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions(const char *pfname G_GNUC_UNUSED,
-                             char ***vfname G_GNUC_UNUSED,
-                             virPCIDeviceAddress ***virt_fns G_GNUC_UNUSED,
-                             size_t *n_vfname G_GNUC_UNUSED)
+                             virPCIVirtualFunctionList **vfs G_GNUC_UNUSED)
 {
     virReportSystemError(ENOSYS, "%s",
                          _("Unable to get virtual functions on this platform"));
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.h b/src/util/virnetdev.h
index de786c9789..790fae5f7a 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.h
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.h
@@ -252,11 +252,8 @@ int virNetDevGetPhysPortName(const char *ifname,
     G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
 int virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions(const char *pfname,
-                                 char ***vfname,
-                                 virPCIDeviceAddress ***virt_fns,
-                                 size_t *n_vfname)
-    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3)
-    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(4) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
+                                 virPCIVirtualFunctionList **vfs)
+    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) G_GNUC_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT;
 
 int virNetDevSaveNetConfig(const char *linkdev, int vf,
                            const char *stateDir,