diff --git a/daemon/remote.c b/daemon/remote.c
index 9497cc131e4b7f2bd68141de1ce10b8f8f2b436b..f3de6a0ada1f8371c88bf5f1b70809f3338dca0b 100644
--- a/daemon/remote.c
+++ b/daemon/remote.c
@@ -666,8 +666,11 @@ void remoteClientFreeFunc(void *data)
 
     /* Deregister event delivery callback */
     if (priv->conn) {
+        virIdentityPtr sysident = virIdentityGetSystem();
         size_t i;
 
+        virIdentitySetCurrent(sysident);
+
         for (i = 0; i < VIR_DOMAIN_EVENT_ID_LAST; i++) {
             if (priv->domainEventCallbackID[i] != -1) {
                 VIR_DEBUG("Deregistering to relay remote events %zu", i);
@@ -678,6 +681,9 @@ void remoteClientFreeFunc(void *data)
         }
 
         virConnectClose(priv->conn);
+
+        virIdentitySetCurrent(NULL);
+        virObjectUnref(sysident);
     }
 
     VIR_FREE(priv);