diff --git a/src/storage/storage_backend_zfs.c b/src/storage/storage_backend_zfs.c
index 6bf79634e17448fa9b4bc0f62d0b251ccef48cae..4d04c703546a1d20bc491cbc3689fe0be6f20b28 100644
--- a/src/storage/storage_backend_zfs.c
+++ b/src/storage/storage_backend_zfs.c
@@ -355,10 +355,12 @@ virStorageBackendZFSDeleteVol(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                               unsigned int flags)
 {
     int ret = -1;
-    virCommandPtr destroy_cmd = virCommandNewArgList(ZFS, "destroy", NULL);
+    virCommandPtr destroy_cmd = NULL;
 
     virCheckFlags(0, -1);
 
+    destroy_cmd = virCommandNewArgList(ZFS, "destroy", NULL);
+
     virCommandAddArgFormat(destroy_cmd, "%s/%s",
                            pool->def->source.name, vol->name);