diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.c b/src/util/virnetdev.c
index 8815e1881958cf019f70286ca38c02b46c3a4309..e96838d72060d42194c61a677e15c103b3311031 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.c
@@ -1353,23 +1353,25 @@ static struct nla_policy ifla_vf_policy[IFLA_VF_MAX+1] = {
 /**
  * virNetDevLinkDump:
  *
- * @ifname: The name of the interface; only use if ifindex < 0
- * @ifindex: The interface index; may be < 0 if ifname is given
- * @nlattr: pointer to a pointer of netlink attributes that will contain
- *          the results
+ * @ifname:  The name of the interface; only use if ifindex <= 0
+ * @ifindex: The interface index; may be <= 0 if ifname is given
+ * @data:    Gets a pointer to the raw data from netlink.
+             MUST BE FREED BY CALLER!
+ * @nlattr:  Pointer to a pointer of netlink attributes that will contain
+ *           the results
  * @src_pid: pid used for nl_pid of the local end of the netlink message
  *           (0 == "use getpid()")
  * @dst_pid: pid of destination nl_pid if the kernel
  *           is not the target of the netlink message but it is to be
  *           sent to another process (0 if sending to the kernel)
  *
- * Get information about an interface given its name or index.
+ * Get information from netlink about an interface given its name or index.
  *
  * Returns 0 on success, -1 on fatal error.
  */
 int
 virNetDevLinkDump(const char *ifname, int ifindex,
-                  struct nlattr **tb,
+                  void **nlData, struct nlattr **tb,
                   uint32_t src_pid, uint32_t dst_pid)
 {
     int rc = -1;
@@ -1451,7 +1453,9 @@ virNetDevLinkDump(const char *ifname, int ifindex,
     rc = 0;
  cleanup:
     nlmsg_free(nl_msg);
-    VIR_FREE(resp);
+    if (rc < 0)
+       VIR_FREE(resp);
+    *nlData = resp;
     return rc;
 
  malformed_resp:
@@ -1647,15 +1651,18 @@ virNetDevGetVfConfig(const char *ifname, int vf, virMacAddrPtr mac,
                      int *vlanid)
 {
     int rc = -1;
+    void *nlData = NULL;
     struct nlattr *tb[IFLA_MAX + 1] = {NULL, };
     int ifindex = -1;
 
-    rc = virNetDevLinkDump(ifname, ifindex, tb, 0, 0);
+    rc = virNetDevLinkDump(ifname, ifindex, &nlData, tb, 0, 0);
     if (rc < 0)
-        return rc;
+        goto cleanup;
 
     rc = virNetDevParseVfConfig(tb, vf, mac, vlanid);
 
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(nlData);
     return rc;
 }
 
@@ -1798,6 +1805,7 @@ virNetDevRestoreNetConfig(const char *linkdev, int vf, const char *stateDir)
 int
 virNetDevLinkDump(const char *ifname ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                   int ifindex ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
+                  void **nlData ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                   struct nlattr **tb ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                   uint32_t src_pid ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
                   uint32_t dst_pid ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED)
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.h b/src/util/virnetdev.h
index 69e365e74184baee708dfd995bbccef109ef4646..f1e03c82b6ba65d141ad4de89ab079f0055ce0d9 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.h
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.h
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ int virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions(const char *pfname,
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(4) ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
 int virNetDevLinkDump(const char *ifname, int ifindex,
-                      struct nlattr **tb,
+                      void **nlData, struct nlattr **tb,
                       uint32_t src_pid, uint32_t dst_pid)
     ATTRIBUTE_RETURN_CHECK;
 
diff --git a/src/util/virnetdevvportprofile.c b/src/util/virnetdevvportprofile.c
index 75679b08186fd142769ec9b98ec922c570f312c5..6ee20d3bfa9c88c667d7a9095c1a0d81af037983 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdevvportprofile.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdevvportprofile.c
@@ -787,7 +787,8 @@ virNetDevVPortProfileGetNthParent(const char *ifname, int ifindex, unsigned int
                                   int *parent_ifindex, char *parent_ifname,
                                   unsigned int *nth)
 {
-    int rc;
+    int rc = -1;
+    void *nlData = NULL;
     struct nlattr *tb[IFLA_MAX + 1] = { NULL, };
     bool end = false;
     size_t i = 0;
@@ -798,7 +799,8 @@ virNetDevVPortProfileGetNthParent(const char *ifname, int ifindex, unsigned int
         return -1;
 
     while (!end && i <= nthParent) {
-        rc = virNetDevLinkDump(ifname, ifindex, tb, 0, 0);
+        VIR_FREE(nlData);
+        rc = virNetDevLinkDump(ifname, ifindex, &nlData, tb, 0, 0);
         if (rc < 0)
             break;
 
@@ -807,7 +809,8 @@ virNetDevVPortProfileGetNthParent(const char *ifname, int ifindex, unsigned int
                            IFNAMSIZ)) {
                 virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR, "%s",
                                _("buffer for root interface name is too small"));
-                return -1;
+                rc = -1;
+                goto cleanup;
             }
             *parent_ifindex = ifindex;
         }
@@ -824,6 +827,8 @@ virNetDevVPortProfileGetNthParent(const char *ifname, int ifindex, unsigned int
 
     *nth = i - 1;
 
+ cleanup:
+    VIR_FREE(nlData);
     return rc;
 }
 
@@ -845,6 +850,7 @@ virNetDevVPortProfileOpCommon(const char *ifname, int ifindex,
     int rc;
     int src_pid = 0;
     uint32_t dst_pid = 0;
+    void *nlData = NULL;
     struct nlattr *tb[IFLA_MAX + 1] = { NULL, };
     int repeats = STATUS_POLL_TIMEOUT_USEC / STATUS_POLL_INTERVL_USEC;
     uint16_t status = 0;
@@ -877,7 +883,8 @@ virNetDevVPortProfileOpCommon(const char *ifname, int ifindex,
     }
 
     while (--repeats >= 0) {
-        rc = virNetDevLinkDump(NULL, ifindex, tb, src_pid, dst_pid);
+        VIR_FREE(nlData);
+        rc = virNetDevLinkDump(NULL, ifindex, &nlData, tb, src_pid, dst_pid);
         if (rc < 0)
             goto cleanup;
 
@@ -909,7 +916,7 @@ virNetDevVPortProfileOpCommon(const char *ifname, int ifindex,
     }
 
  cleanup:
-
+    VIR_FREE(nlData);
     return rc;
 }