diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
index 803666162a..e9fd64f93c 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
@@ -1131,9 +1131,7 @@ bhyveDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
                       const char *uri,
                       unsigned int flags)
 {
-    bhyveConnPtr privconn = dom->conn->privateData;
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
-    virCapsPtr caps = NULL;
     char *ret = NULL;
 
     if (!(vm = bhyveDomObjFromDomain(dom)))
@@ -1142,14 +1140,9 @@ bhyveDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (virDomainGetMetadataEnsureACL(dom->conn, vm->def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!(caps = bhyveDriverGetCapabilities(privconn)))
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    ret = virDomainObjGetMetadata(vm, type, uri, caps,
-                                  privconn->xmlopt, flags);
+    ret = virDomainObjGetMetadata(vm, type, uri, flags);
 
  cleanup:
-    virObjectUnref(caps);
     virObjectUnlock(vm);
     return ret;
 }
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index da5a42b23f..f6ab45cd2f 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -24781,9 +24781,7 @@ virDomainDefFindDevice(virDomainDefPtr def,
 char *
 virDomainObjGetMetadata(virDomainObjPtr vm,
                         int type,
-                        const char *uri ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                        virCapsPtr caps,
-                        virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
+                        const char *uri,
                         unsigned int flags)
 {
     virDomainDefPtr def;
@@ -24798,13 +24796,9 @@ virDomainObjGetMetadata(virDomainObjPtr vm,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (virDomainLiveConfigHelperMethod(caps, xmlopt, vm, &flags, &def) < 0)
+    if (!(def = virDomainObjGetOneDef(vm, flags)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    /* use correct domain definition according to flags */
-    if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE)
-        def = vm->def;
-
     switch ((virDomainMetadataType) type) {
     case VIR_DOMAIN_METADATA_DESCRIPTION:
         if (VIR_STRDUP(ret, def->description) < 0)
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index ba0ad5fda8..4ebafbe93b 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -3052,8 +3052,6 @@ void virDomainChrSourceDefClear(virDomainChrSourceDefPtr def);
 char *virDomainObjGetMetadata(virDomainObjPtr vm,
                               int type,
                               const char *uri,
-                              virCapsPtr caps,
-                              virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt,
                               unsigned int flags);
 
 int virDomainObjSetMetadata(virDomainObjPtr vm,
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index 9c3d9f2912..46af05d439 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -5381,8 +5381,6 @@ lxcDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
                       const char *uri,
                       unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virLXCDriverPtr driver = dom->conn->privateData;
-    virCapsPtr caps = NULL;
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     char *ret = NULL;
 
@@ -5392,14 +5390,10 @@ lxcDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (virDomainGetMetadataEnsureACL(dom->conn, vm->def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!(caps = virLXCDriverGetCapabilities(driver, false)))
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    ret = virDomainObjGetMetadata(vm, type, uri, caps, driver->xmlopt, flags);
+    ret = virDomainObjGetMetadata(vm, type, uri, flags);
 
  cleanup:
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
-    virObjectUnref(caps);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 2d7e07b243..f9a3b15223 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -17576,8 +17576,6 @@ qemuDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
                       const char *uri,
                       unsigned int flags)
 {
-    virQEMUDriverPtr driver = dom->conn->privateData;
-    virCapsPtr caps = NULL;
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     char *ret = NULL;
 
@@ -17587,14 +17585,10 @@ qemuDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (virDomainGetMetadataEnsureACL(dom->conn, vm->def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!(caps = virQEMUDriverGetCapabilities(driver, false)))
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    ret = virDomainObjGetMetadata(vm, type, uri, caps, driver->xmlopt, flags);
+    ret = virDomainObjGetMetadata(vm, type, uri, flags);
 
  cleanup:
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
-    virObjectUnref(caps);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index baff085606..4ed631b048 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -2659,7 +2659,6 @@ static char *testDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
                                    const char *uri,
                                    unsigned int flags)
 {
-    testDriverPtr privconn = dom->conn->privateData;
     virDomainObjPtr privdom;
     char *ret;
 
@@ -2669,8 +2668,7 @@ static char *testDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
     if (!(privdom = testDomObjFromDomain(dom)))
         return NULL;
 
-    ret = virDomainObjGetMetadata(privdom, type, uri, privconn->caps,
-                                  privconn->xmlopt, flags);
+    ret = virDomainObjGetMetadata(privdom, type, uri, flags);
 
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&privdom);
     return ret;