diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_monitor.c b/src/lxc/lxc_monitor.c
index dacaab4839333454e8a9af7e79ef976ac4c70514..772c6135a06b3bd3fe747bd96c319a5f9d3ceb1a 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_monitor.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_monitor.c
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@
 #define VIR_FROM_THIS VIR_FROM_LXC
 
 struct _virLXCMonitor {
-    int refs;
+    virObject parent;
 
-    virMutex lock; /* also used to protect refs */
+    virMutex lock;
 
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     virLXCMonitorCallbacksPtr cb;
@@ -46,7 +46,21 @@ struct _virLXCMonitor {
     virNetClientProgramPtr program;
 };
 
-static void virLXCMonitorFree(virLXCMonitorPtr mon);
+static virClassPtr virLXCMonitorClass;
+static void virLXCMonitorDispose(void *obj);
+
+static int virLXCMonitorOnceInit(void)
+{
+    if (!(virLXCMonitorClass = virClassNew("virLXCMonitor",
+                                           sizeof(virLXCMonitor),
+                                           virLXCMonitorDispose)))
+        return -1;
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+VIR_ONCE_GLOBAL_INIT(virLXCMonitor)
+
 static void
 virLXCMonitorHandleEventExit(virNetClientProgramPtr prog,
                              virNetClientPtr client,
@@ -95,9 +109,7 @@ static void virLXCMonitorEOFNotify(virNetClientPtr client ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 static void virLXCMonitorCloseFreeCallback(void *opaque)
 {
     virLXCMonitorPtr mon = opaque;
-    virLXCMonitorLock(mon);
-    if (virLXCMonitorUnref(mon) > 0)
-        virLXCMonitorUnlock(mon);
+    virObjectUnref(mon);;
 }
 
 
@@ -108,12 +120,11 @@ virLXCMonitorPtr virLXCMonitorNew(virDomainObjPtr vm,
     virLXCMonitorPtr mon;
     char *sockpath = NULL;
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(mon) < 0) {
-        virReportOOMError();
+    if (virLXCMonitorInitialize() < 0)
         return NULL;
-    }
 
-    mon->refs = 1;
+    if (!(mon = virObjectNew(virLXCMonitorClass)))
+        return NULL;
 
     if (virMutexInit(&mon->lock) < 0) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
@@ -146,7 +157,7 @@ virLXCMonitorPtr virLXCMonitorNew(virDomainObjPtr vm,
     mon->vm = vm;
     mon->cb = cb;
 
-    virLXCMonitorRef(mon);
+    virObjectRef(mon);
     virNetClientSetCloseCallback(mon->client, virLXCMonitorEOFNotify, mon,
                                  virLXCMonitorCloseFreeCallback);
 
@@ -157,43 +168,21 @@ cleanup:
 no_memory:
     virReportOOMError();
 error:
-    virLXCMonitorFree(mon);
+    virObjectUnref(mon);
     mon = NULL;
     goto cleanup;
 }
 
 
-static void virLXCMonitorFree(virLXCMonitorPtr mon)
+static void virLXCMonitorDispose(void *opaque)
 {
-    VIR_DEBUG("mon=%p", mon);
-    if (mon->client)
-        virLXCMonitorClose(mon);
+    virLXCMonitorPtr mon = opaque;
 
+    VIR_DEBUG("mon=%p", mon);
     if (mon->cb && mon->cb->destroy)
         (mon->cb->destroy)(mon, mon->vm);
     virMutexDestroy(&mon->lock);
     virObjectUnref(mon->program);
-    VIR_FREE(mon);
-}
-
-
-int virLXCMonitorRef(virLXCMonitorPtr mon)
-{
-    mon->refs++;
-    return mon->refs;
-}
-
-int virLXCMonitorUnref(virLXCMonitorPtr mon)
-{
-    mon->refs--;
-
-    if (mon->refs == 0) {
-        virLXCMonitorUnlock(mon);
-        virLXCMonitorFree(mon);
-        return 0;
-    }
-
-    return mon->refs;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_monitor.h b/src/lxc/lxc_monitor.h
index 806a6c692b8bc508a96835d196b74297ee171f29..bb8349a05a8a1cfeb0d6a87d9461b9aabab09968 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_monitor.h
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_monitor.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #ifndef __LXC_MONITOR_H__
 # define __LXC_MONITOR_H__
 
+# include "virobject.h"
 # include "domain_conf.h"
 # include "lxc_protocol.h"
 
@@ -54,7 +55,4 @@ void virLXCMonitorClose(virLXCMonitorPtr mon);
 void virLXCMonitorLock(virLXCMonitorPtr mon);
 void virLXCMonitorUnlock(virLXCMonitorPtr mon);
 
-int virLXCMonitorRef(virLXCMonitorPtr mon);
-int virLXCMonitorUnref(virLXCMonitorPtr mon);
-
 #endif /* __LXC_MONITOR_H__ */
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_process.c b/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
index 84128d117c4e38bd49bebe68aaeb8b49519a00ca..15572cd982326239e73f682d1c9aeb57f719fc59 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
@@ -238,9 +238,7 @@ static void virLXCProcessCleanup(virLXCDriverPtr driver,
 
     if (priv->monitor) {
         virLXCMonitorClose(priv->monitor);
-        virLXCMonitorLock(priv->monitor);
-        if (virLXCMonitorUnref(priv->monitor) > 0)
-            virLXCMonitorUnlock(priv->monitor);
+        virObjectUnref(priv->monitor);
         priv->monitor = NULL;
     }
 
@@ -675,8 +673,7 @@ static virLXCMonitorPtr virLXCProcessConnectMonitor(virLXCDriverPtr driver,
 
     if (virSecurityManagerClearSocketLabel(driver->securityManager, vm->def) < 0) {
         if (monitor) {
-            virLXCMonitorLock(monitor);
-            virLXCMonitorUnref(monitor);
+            virObjectUnref(monitor);
             monitor = NULL;
         }
         goto cleanup;
@@ -1198,9 +1195,7 @@ cleanup:
     }
     if (rc != 0) {
         if (priv->monitor) {
-            virLXCMonitorLock(priv->monitor);
-            if (virLXCMonitorUnref(priv->monitor) > 0)
-                virLXCMonitorUnlock(priv->monitor);
+            virObjectUnref(priv->monitor);
             priv->monitor = NULL;
         }
         virDomainConfVMNWFilterTeardown(vm);