diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
index 591ade27699527bbdd690cb7109840967e2cb058..d26055e9fe33269f63d8f14ec1a94836ef8b168e 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
@@ -270,7 +270,6 @@ libxlDomainObjPrivateAlloc(void)
         return NULL;
 
     libxl_ctx_alloc(&priv->ctx, LIBXL_VERSION, 0, libxl_driver->logger);
-    priv->deathW = NULL;
     libxl_osevent_register_hooks(priv->ctx, &libxl_event_callbacks, priv);
 
     return priv;
@@ -281,10 +280,8 @@ libxlDomainObjPrivateFree(void *data)
 {
     libxlDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = data;
 
-    if (priv->deathW) {
+    if (priv->deathW)
         libxl_evdisable_domain_death(priv->ctx, priv->deathW);
-        VIR_FREE(priv->deathW);
-    }
 
     libxl_ctx_free(priv->ctx);
     VIR_FREE(priv);
@@ -604,9 +601,10 @@ libxlCreateDomEvents(virDomainObjPtr vm)
     return 0;
 
 error:
-    if (priv->deathW)
+    if (priv->deathW) {
         libxl_evdisable_domain_death(priv->ctx, priv->deathW);
-    VIR_FREE(priv->deathW);
+        priv->deathW = NULL;
+    }
     return -1;
 }