diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.h b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.h
index 1cc277f69831ec73d78d5cfdfceec6f31a78f549..2b27a3e5e3d0f1228cdd7ef720d1739de61ee00d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_conf.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_conf.h
@@ -158,8 +158,6 @@ struct _virQEMUDriver {
 
     virThreadPoolPtr workerPool;
 
-    unsigned int qemuVersion;
-
     int nextvmid;
 
     virCgroupPtr cgroup;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 86cdf63b51d1099f320d2ebf2ad9249a283c191d..a59f514c36dc555d292878509631fc8c51347c3e 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -1501,14 +1501,15 @@ cleanup:
 static int qemuGetVersion(virConnectPtr conn, unsigned long *version) {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = conn->privateData;
     int ret = -1;
+    unsigned int qemuVersion;
 
     qemuDriverLock(driver);
     if (qemuCapsGetDefaultVersion(driver->caps,
                                   driver->capsCache,
-                                  &driver->qemuVersion) < 0)
+                                  &qemuVersion) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    *version = driver->qemuVersion;
+    *version = qemuVersion;
     ret = 0;
 
 cleanup: