diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserver.c b/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
index 1a49dbbd8ae34fd55dbb0f2c0e861b105332f478..fd8781d6759928efa9037b563ffaa13f5bee6205 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserver.c
@@ -143,10 +143,12 @@ static void virNetServerHandleJob(void *jobOpaque, void *opaque)
     }
 
     if (!prog) {
-        VIR_DEBUG("Cannot find program %d version %d",
-                  job->msg->header.prog,
-                  job->msg->header.vers);
-        goto error;
+        if (virNetServerProgramUnknownError(job->client,
+                                            job->msg,
+                                            &job->msg->header) < 0)
+            goto error;
+        else
+            goto cleanup;
     }
 
     virNetServerProgramRef(prog);
@@ -159,20 +161,18 @@ static void virNetServerHandleJob(void *jobOpaque, void *opaque)
         goto error;
 
     virNetServerLock(srv);
+
+cleanup:
     virNetServerProgramFree(prog);
     virNetServerUnlock(srv);
     virNetServerClientFree(job->client);
-
     VIR_FREE(job);
     return;
 
 error:
-    virNetServerUnlock(srv);
-    virNetServerProgramFree(prog);
     virNetMessageFree(job->msg);
     virNetServerClientClose(job->client);
-    virNetServerClientFree(job->client);
-    VIR_FREE(job);
+    goto cleanup;
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.c b/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.c
index ca80ae09ed845ce660c55f6bdb59a53c6186ad61..ac3f0fdfb2d9f6d623dd0dcf4d47bfd3fec907a4 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.c
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.c
@@ -110,7 +110,8 @@ static virNetServerProgramProcPtr virNetServerProgramGetProc(virNetServerProgram
 
 
 static int
-virNetServerProgramSendError(virNetServerProgramPtr prog,
+virNetServerProgramSendError(unsigned program,
+                             unsigned version,
                              virNetServerClientPtr client,
                              virNetMessagePtr msg,
                              virNetMessageErrorPtr rerr,
@@ -119,13 +120,13 @@ virNetServerProgramSendError(virNetServerProgramPtr prog,
                              int serial)
 {
     VIR_DEBUG("prog=%d ver=%d proc=%d type=%d serial=%d msg=%p rerr=%p",
-              prog->program, prog->version, procedure, type, serial, msg, rerr);
+              program, version, procedure, type, serial, msg, rerr);
 
     virNetMessageSaveError(rerr);
 
     /* Return header. */
-    msg->header.prog = prog->program;
-    msg->header.vers = prog->version;
+    msg->header.prog = program;
+    msg->header.vers = version;
     msg->header.proc = procedure;
     msg->header.type = type;
     msg->header.serial = serial;
@@ -170,7 +171,8 @@ virNetServerProgramSendReplyError(virNetServerProgramPtr prog,
      * For data streams, errors are sent back as data streams
      * For method calls, errors are sent back as method replies
      */
-    return virNetServerProgramSendError(prog,
+    return virNetServerProgramSendError(prog->program,
+                                        prog->version,
                                         client,
                                         msg,
                                         rerr,
@@ -187,7 +189,8 @@ int virNetServerProgramSendStreamError(virNetServerProgramPtr prog,
                                        int procedure,
                                        int serial)
 {
-    return virNetServerProgramSendError(prog,
+    return virNetServerProgramSendError(prog->program,
+                                        prog->version,
                                         client,
                                         msg,
                                         rerr,
@@ -197,6 +200,27 @@ int virNetServerProgramSendStreamError(virNetServerProgramPtr prog,
 }
 
 
+int virNetServerProgramUnknownError(virNetServerClientPtr client,
+                                    virNetMessagePtr msg,
+                                    virNetMessageHeaderPtr req)
+{
+    virNetMessageError rerr;
+
+    virNetError(VIR_ERR_RPC,
+                _("Cannot find program %d version %d"), req->prog, req->vers);
+
+    memset(&rerr, 0, sizeof(rerr));
+    return virNetServerProgramSendError(req->prog,
+                                        req->vers,
+                                        client,
+                                        msg,
+                                        &rerr,
+                                        req->proc,
+                                        VIR_NET_REPLY,
+                                        req->serial);
+}
+
+
 static int
 virNetServerProgramDispatchCall(virNetServerProgramPtr prog,
                                 virNetServerPtr server,
diff --git a/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.h b/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.h
index ca31b7e53e4b2aae27252daced2651c6605166ba..06b16d72bb1f44a4a2c14ca86d2411713b742bf2 100644
--- a/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.h
+++ b/src/rpc/virnetserverprogram.h
@@ -86,6 +86,10 @@ int virNetServerProgramSendStreamError(virNetServerProgramPtr prog,
                                        int procedure,
                                        int serial);
 
+int virNetServerProgramUnknownError(virNetServerClientPtr client,
+                                    virNetMessagePtr msg,
+                                    virNetMessageHeaderPtr req);
+
 int virNetServerProgramSendStreamData(virNetServerProgramPtr prog,
                                       virNetServerClientPtr client,
                                       virNetMessagePtr msg,