diff --git a/src/conf/network_conf.c b/src/conf/network_conf.c
index 0f7470dfa6d0b1f5f5876ab467f567549ba0e3c1..2f9ad2edc55dd788a6f14c2986d86407d420c55a 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/network_conf.c
@@ -352,6 +352,20 @@ virNetworkObjSetDefTransient(virNetworkObjPtr network, bool live)
     return network->newDef ? 0 : -1;
 }
 
+/* virNetworkObjUnsetDefTransient:
+ *
+ * This *undoes* what virNetworkObjSetDefTransient did.
+ */
+void
+virNetworkObjUnsetDefTransient(virNetworkObjPtr network)
+{
+    if (network->def) {
+        virNetworkDefFree(network->def);
+        network->def = network->newDef;
+        network->newDef = NULL;
+    }
+}
+
 /*
  * virNetworkObjGetPersistentDef:
  * @network: network object pointer
diff --git a/src/conf/network_conf.h b/src/conf/network_conf.h
index 55502fb2fcff773520884caeb3cda9c1c2178d11..4c0c8c1fbfc818b192ebdb16863009a61ef93fce 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/network_conf.h
@@ -253,6 +253,7 @@ int virNetworkObjAssignDef(virNetworkObjPtr network,
                            const virNetworkDefPtr def,
                            bool live);
 int virNetworkObjSetDefTransient(virNetworkObjPtr network, bool live);
+void virNetworkObjUnsetDefTransient(virNetworkObjPtr network);
 virNetworkDefPtr virNetworkObjGetPersistentDef(virNetworkObjPtr network);
 int virNetworkObjReplacePersistentDef(virNetworkObjPtr network,
                                       virNetworkDefPtr def);
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 160573cbd70257cf51f16a79b11d82875f7050b6..60f9c7fdfbd0da907619731da55a223b099ab7f7 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -872,6 +872,7 @@ virNetworkObjLock;
 virNetworkObjReplacePersistentDef;
 virNetworkObjSetDefTransient;
 virNetworkObjUnlock;
+virNetworkObjUnsetDefTransient;
 virNetworkObjUpdate;
 virNetworkRemoveInactive;
 virNetworkSaveConfig;
diff --git a/src/network/bridge_driver.c b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
index 5578373746c4c556d80e20d28c712b4e637be0b2..fa909a1b8440d0459e53db6c1a2e16075e4bcf58 100644
--- a/src/network/bridge_driver.c
+++ b/src/network/bridge_driver.c
@@ -2327,8 +2327,10 @@ networkStartNetwork(struct network_driver *driver,
         break;
     }
 
-    if (ret < 0)
+    if (ret < 0) {
+        virNetworkObjUnsetDefTransient(network);
         return ret;
+    }
 
     /* Persist the live configuration now that anything autogenerated
      * is setup.
@@ -2388,13 +2390,7 @@ static int networkShutdownNetwork(struct network_driver *driver,
     }
 
     network->active = 0;
-
-    if (network->newDef) {
-        virNetworkDefFree(network->def);
-        network->def = network->newDef;
-        network->newDef = NULL;
-    }
-
+    virNetworkObjUnsetDefTransient(network);
     return ret;
 }