diff --git a/src/util/threads-pthread.c b/src/util/threads-pthread.c
index 02070ae3509065a0fe1595e2b3134a1fe3b35df1..bff49797bcb0fc0e8e0f595e766e3549488187db 100644
--- a/src/util/threads-pthread.c
+++ b/src/util/threads-pthread.c
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@
 # include <sys/syscall.h>
 #endif
 
+#include "memory.h"
+
 
 /* Nothing special required for pthreads */
 int virThreadInitialize(void)
@@ -143,6 +145,7 @@ static void *virThreadHelper(void *data)
 {
     struct virThreadArgs *args = data;
     args->func(args->opaque);
+    VIR_FREE(args);
     return NULL;
 }
 
@@ -151,17 +154,25 @@ int virThreadCreate(virThreadPtr thread,
                     virThreadFunc func,
                     void *opaque)
 {
-    struct virThreadArgs args = { func, opaque };
+    struct virThreadArgs *args;
     pthread_attr_t attr;
     pthread_attr_init(&attr);
+    if (VIR_ALLOC(args) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    args->func = func;
+    args->opaque = opaque;
+
     if (!joinable)
         pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&attr, 1);
 
-    int ret = pthread_create(&thread->thread, &attr, virThreadHelper, &args);
+    int ret = pthread_create(&thread->thread, &attr, virThreadHelper, args);
     if (ret != 0) {
+        VIR_FREE(args);
         errno = ret;
         return -1;
     }
+    /* New thread owns 'args' in success case, so don't free */
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/threads-win32.c b/src/util/threads-win32.c
index 33be4cf47739e6c4a1e35a661ba5f05acc23a1fb..436b3bd31ddc31414e186d63325b89698dc86940 100644
--- a/src/util/threads-win32.c
+++ b/src/util/threads-win32.c
@@ -230,6 +230,8 @@ static void virThreadHelperDaemon(void *data)
 
     TlsSetValue(selfkey, NULL);
     CloseHandle(self.thread);
+
+    VIR_FREE(args);
 }
 
 static unsigned int __stdcall virThreadHelperJoinable(void *data)
@@ -249,6 +251,8 @@ static unsigned int __stdcall virThreadHelperJoinable(void *data)
 
     TlsSetValue(selfkey, NULL);
     CloseHandle(self.thread);
+
+    VIR_FREE(args);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -257,17 +261,24 @@ int virThreadCreate(virThreadPtr thread,
                     virThreadFunc func,
                     void *opaque)
 {
-    struct virThreadArgs args = { func, opaque };
+    struct virThreadArgs *args;
+
+    if (VIR_ALLOC(args) < 0)
+        return -1;
+
+    args->func = func;
+    args->opaque = opaque;
+
     thread->joinable = joinable;
     if (joinable) {
         thread->thread = (HANDLE)_beginthreadex(NULL, 0,
                                                 virThreadHelperJoinable,
-                                                &args, 0, NULL);
+                                                args, 0, NULL);
         if (thread->thread == 0)
             return -1;
     } else {
         thread->thread = (HANDLE)_beginthread(virThreadHelperDaemon,
-                                              0, &args);
+                                              0, args);
         if (thread->thread == (HANDLE)-1L)
             return -1;
     }