diff --git a/src/conf/network_conf.c b/src/conf/network_conf.c
index 625a1c4b7ac9384965a231a1a1866885411106de..517788fbdc220659b4720c0d2817126fbb9e42ca 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/network_conf.c
@@ -129,6 +129,16 @@ virNetworkObjNew(void)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+void
+virNetworkObjEndAPI(virNetworkObjPtr *net)
+{
+    if (!*net)
+        return;
+
+    virObjectUnlock(*net);
+    *net = NULL;
+}
+
 virNetworkObjListPtr virNetworkObjListNew(void)
 {
     virNetworkObjListPtr nets;
@@ -3034,8 +3044,8 @@ virNetworkLoadAllState(virNetworkObjListPtr nets,
         if (!virFileStripSuffix(entry->d_name, ".xml"))
             continue;
 
-        if ((net = virNetworkLoadState(nets, stateDir, entry->d_name)))
-            virObjectUnlock(net);
+        net = virNetworkLoadState(nets, stateDir, entry->d_name);
+        virNetworkObjEndAPI(&net);
     }
 
     closedir(dir);
@@ -3075,8 +3085,7 @@ int virNetworkLoadAllConfigs(virNetworkObjListPtr nets,
                                    configDir,
                                    autostartDir,
                                    entry->d_name);
-        if (net)
-            virObjectUnlock(net);
+        virNetworkObjEndAPI(&net);
     }
 
     closedir(dir);
@@ -4260,8 +4269,7 @@ virNetworkObjIsDuplicate(virNetworkObjListPtr nets,
     }
 
  cleanup:
-    if (net)
-        virObjectUnlock(net);
+    virNetworkObjEndAPI(&net);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/network_conf.h b/src/conf/network_conf.h
index 1423676a515e533516afb04e2c4d40316f2bf186..e0ed7143416fe9d71d7f67e2b8583d21d419ad56 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/network_conf.h
@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@ struct _virNetworkObj {
 };
 
 virNetworkObjPtr virNetworkObjNew(void);
+void virNetworkObjEndAPI(virNetworkObjPtr *net);
 
 typedef struct _virNetworkObjList virNetworkObjList;
 typedef virNetworkObjList *virNetworkObjListPtr;
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index 5e78cf780483912f1a46ed673dde4528346142b2..5fbe094da2fa5703245dd3697c88d44417d2c731 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -563,6 +563,7 @@ virNetworkIpDefPrefix;
 virNetworkLoadAllConfigs;
 virNetworkLoadAllState;
 virNetworkObjAssignDef;
+virNetworkObjEndAPI;
 virNetworkObjFindByName;
 virNetworkObjFindByUUID;
 virNetworkObjGetPersistentDef;