diff --git a/cfg.mk b/cfg.mk
index c7721103e67090474e9d9ad5ad36360fa50e5305..b5f853bcb8c47dc6750ee96bd66b2624fa57ab52 100644
--- a/cfg.mk
+++ b/cfg.mk
@@ -992,7 +992,7 @@ sc_prohibit_system_error_with_vir_err:
 # functions. There's a corresponding exclude to allow usage within tests,
 # docs, examples, tools, src/libvirt-*.c, and include/libvirt/libvirt-*.h
 sc_prohibit_virXXXFree:
-	@prohibit='\bvirDomainFree\b'	\
+	@prohibit='\bvir(Domain|Network)Free\b'	\
 	exclude='sc_prohibit_virXXXFree' \
 	halt='avoid using 'virXXXFree', use 'virObjectUnref' instead' \
 	  $(_sc_search_regexp)
@@ -1186,4 +1186,4 @@ exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_devname = \
   ^(tools/virsh.pod|cfg.mk|docs/.*)$$
 
 exclude_file_name_regexp--sc_prohibit_virXXXFree = \
-  ^(docs/|tests/|examples/|tools/|cfg.mk|src/libvirt_public.syms|include/libvirt/libvirt-domain.h|src/libvirt-(domain|qemu).c$$)
+  ^(docs/|tests/|examples/|tools/|cfg.mk|src/libvirt_public.syms|include/libvirt/libvirt-(domain|network).h|src/libvirt-(domain|qemu|network).c$$)
diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index 00b3e21c7d7e0736751b1c4bba44fa668fdee1ef..edae335252266f2135ad2ae8347ac2ea6e235e5b 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -4790,7 +4790,7 @@ remoteDispatchConnectListAllNetworks(virNetServerPtr server ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
         virNetMessageSaveError(rerr);
     if (nets && nnets > 0) {
         for (i = 0; i < nnets; i++)
-            virNetworkFree(nets[i]);
+            virObjectUnref(nets[i]);
         VIR_FREE(nets);
     }
     return rv;
@@ -5816,8 +5816,7 @@ remoteDispatchConnectNetworkEventRegisterAny(virNetServerPtr server ATTRIBUTE_UN
     VIR_FREE(callback);
     if (rv < 0)
         virNetMessageSaveError(rerr);
-    if (net)
-        virNetworkFree(net);
+    virObjectUnref(net);
     virMutexUnlock(&priv->lock);
     return rv;
 }
@@ -6202,7 +6201,7 @@ remoteDispatchNetworkGetDHCPLeases(virNetServerPtr server ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
             virNetworkDHCPLeaseFree(leases[i]);
         VIR_FREE(leases);
     }
-    virNetworkFree(net);
+    virObjectUnref(net);
     return rv;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/network_event.c b/src/conf/network_event.c
index 991591ad09afc4b0a67d9a32c6953977b8943c6a..862394022de6aa9a6d6a73f0f8d1a446ca525450 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_event.c
+++ b/src/conf/network_event.c
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ virNetworkEventDispatchDefaultFunc(virConnectPtr conn,
     VIR_WARN("Unexpected event ID %d", event->eventID);
 
  cleanup:
-    virNetworkFree(net);
+    virObjectUnref(net);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_conf.c b/src/libxl/libxl_conf.c
index e296ffc0c4ff2673e5064b46cf98daaa72226800..0555b917964f99616c5174e9962ec3ce1b74fbf6 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_conf.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_conf.c
@@ -1058,7 +1058,6 @@ libxlMakeNic(virDomainDefPtr def,
             char *brname = NULL;
             virNetworkPtr network;
             virConnectPtr conn;
-            virErrorPtr errobj;
 
             if (!(conn = virConnectOpen("xen:///system")))
                 return -1;
@@ -1078,11 +1077,7 @@ libxlMakeNic(virDomainDefPtr def,
 
             VIR_FREE(brname);
 
-            /* Preserve any previous failure */
-            errobj = virSaveLastError();
-            virNetworkFree(network);
-            virSetError(errobj);
-            virFreeError(errobj);
+            virObjectUnref(network);
             virObjectUnref(conn);
             if (fail)
                 return -1;
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index 93db1ee450b691ca2fc4d2b753a9765a27e5bbd0..97caee35b5cc7879dfe0ff0c9724c32525d5f6df 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -4178,19 +4178,13 @@ lxcDomainAttachDeviceNetLive(virConnectPtr conn,
         virNetworkPtr network;
         char *brname = NULL;
         bool fail = false;
-        virErrorPtr errobj;
 
         if (!(network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn, net->data.network.name)))
             goto cleanup;
         if (!(brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network)))
            fail = true;
 
-        /* Make sure any above failure is preserved */
-        errobj = virSaveLastError();
-        virNetworkFree(network);
-        virSetError(errobj);
-        virFreeError(errobj);
-
+        virObjectUnref(network);
         if (fail)
             goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_process.c b/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
index 9208f0235095324200ed91c844c97e2bd84b9785..de574a9b689c2e2da74b0c7125ccd889587aa14a 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_process.c
@@ -386,7 +386,6 @@ static int virLXCProcessSetupInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn,
             virNetworkPtr network;
             char *brname = NULL;
             bool fail = false;
-            virErrorPtr errobj;
 
             if (!(network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn,
                                                    net->data.network.name)))
@@ -394,12 +393,7 @@ static int virLXCProcessSetupInterfaces(virConnectPtr conn,
             if (!(brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network)))
                fail = true;
 
-            /* Make sure any above failure is preserved */
-            errobj = virSaveLastError();
-            virNetworkFree(network);
-            virSetError(errobj);
-            virFreeError(errobj);
-
+            virObjectUnref(network);
             if (fail)
                 goto cleanup;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
index 4ed650648312e1dd12b8c3d3389d634105ff772e..18313235038d83714427c0dca45fc031a45448e5 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_command.c
@@ -298,7 +298,6 @@ qemuNetworkIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
 
     if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK) {
         bool fail = false;
-        virErrorPtr errobj;
         virNetworkPtr network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn,
                                                        net->data.network.name);
         if (!network)
@@ -307,12 +306,7 @@ qemuNetworkIfaceConnect(virDomainDefPtr def,
         if (!(brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network)))
            fail = true;
 
-        /* Make sure any above failure is preserved */
-        errobj = virSaveLastError();
-        virNetworkFree(network);
-        virSetError(errobj);
-        virFreeError(errobj);
-
+        virObjectUnref(network);
         if (fail)
             return ret;
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
index ff0eaf8016df8d22cb7f0451a6b09d5b820a7234..9467d7d937e7001e1c298bbae49dd96feae17f07 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_hotplug.c
@@ -1763,7 +1763,6 @@ qemuDomainNetGetBridgeName(virConnectPtr conn, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
         if (VIR_STRDUP(brname, tmpbr) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
     } else if (actualType == VIR_DOMAIN_NET_TYPE_NETWORK) {
-        virErrorPtr errobj;
         virNetworkPtr network;
 
         if (!(network = virNetworkLookupByName(conn, net->data.network.name))) {
@@ -1774,12 +1773,7 @@ qemuDomainNetGetBridgeName(virConnectPtr conn, virDomainNetDefPtr net)
         }
         brname = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
 
-        /* Make sure any above failure is preserved */
-        errobj = virSaveLastError();
-        virNetworkFree(network);
-        virSetError(errobj);
-        virFreeError(errobj);
-
+        virObjectUnref(network);
     } else {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                        _("Interface type %d has no bridge name"),
diff --git a/src/remote/remote_driver.c b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
index 48e2e25192737d31e8bd9a8302cc8b5b025a30c3..c23a087f53f00b32250832e6d26d0d4f42589a2b 100644
--- a/src/remote/remote_driver.c
+++ b/src/remote/remote_driver.c
@@ -3063,8 +3063,7 @@ remoteConnectListAllNetworks(virConnectPtr conn,
  cleanup:
     if (tmp_nets) {
         for (i = 0; i < ret.nets.nets_len; i++)
-            if (tmp_nets[i])
-                virNetworkFree(tmp_nets[i]);
+            virObjectUnref(tmp_nets[i]);
         VIR_FREE(tmp_nets);
     }
 
@@ -5529,7 +5528,7 @@ remoteNetworkBuildEventLifecycle(virNetClientProgramPtr prog ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
 
     event = virNetworkEventLifecycleNew(net->name, net->uuid, msg->event,
                                         msg->detail);
-    virNetworkFree(net);
+    virObjectUnref(net);
 
     remoteEventQueue(priv, event, msg->callbackID);
 }
diff --git a/src/uml/uml_conf.c b/src/uml/uml_conf.c
index 9dcd4ae373034c5f8d676e27d81753e7cea4a1c4..7a5d62bf3a3498bdd7d839e2bb09aba92ea903f0 100644
--- a/src/uml/uml_conf.c
+++ b/src/uml/uml_conf.c
@@ -213,7 +213,7 @@ umlBuildCommandLineNet(virConnectPtr conn,
             goto error;
         }
         bridge = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
-        virNetworkFree(network);
+        virObjectUnref(network);
         if (bridge == NULL)
             goto error;
 
diff --git a/src/xenconfig/xen_common.c b/src/xenconfig/xen_common.c
index 29c6c342636cb382dd684c9bc08cdf8515e04827..7f4ec891231490c7dbc7c72bcd7593f1ca10ffd4 100644
--- a/src/xenconfig/xen_common.c
+++ b/src/xenconfig/xen_common.c
@@ -1245,7 +1245,7 @@ xenFormatNet(virConnectPtr conn,
             return -1;
         }
         bridge = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
-        virNetworkFree(network);
+        virObjectUnref(network);
         if (!bridge) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                            _("network %s is not active"),
diff --git a/src/xenconfig/xen_sxpr.c b/src/xenconfig/xen_sxpr.c
index a667814c84e234cff3e6298d3dda3aac0e707437..d8783e93d4a6ce5bb64c0991147cfe9988c4aa1b 100644
--- a/src/xenconfig/xen_sxpr.c
+++ b/src/xenconfig/xen_sxpr.c
@@ -1915,7 +1915,7 @@ xenFormatSxprNet(virConnectPtr conn,
         }
 
         bridge = virNetworkGetBridgeName(network);
-        virNetworkFree(network);
+        virObjectUnref(network);
         if (!bridge) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                            _("network %s is not active"),