diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index add857cb97df7fb903e062e28b60d59fb39dd07e..68cac1de01c974cb3c0599befd3d2edc8573531b 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -17476,12 +17476,21 @@ void
 virDomainIOThreadIDDel(virDomainDefPtr def,
                        unsigned int iothread_id)
 {
-    int n;
+    size_t i, j;
+
+    for (i = 0; i < def->niothreadids; i++) {
+        if (def->iothreadids[i]->iothread_id == iothread_id) {
+            /* If we were sequential and removed a threadid in the
+             * beginning or middle of the list, then unconditionally
+             * clear the autofill flag so we don't lose these
+             * definitions for XML formatting.
+             */
+            for (j = i + 1; j < def->niothreadids; j++)
+                def->iothreadids[j]->autofill = false;
+
+            virDomainIOThreadIDDefFree(def->iothreadids[i]);
+            VIR_DELETE_ELEMENT(def->iothreadids, i, def->niothreadids);
 
-    for (n = 0; n < def->niothreadids; n++) {
-        if (def->iothreadids[n]->iothread_id == iothread_id) {
-            virDomainIOThreadIDDefFree(def->iothreadids[n]);
-            VIR_DELETE_ELEMENT(def->iothreadids, n, def->niothreadids);
             return;
         }
     }