diff --git a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
index 9348c2b9be5b4680e55952db8977f9cca69f2964..4e5bf69da0aa099fff2182981c7bdef4b958810b 100644
--- a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
@@ -2761,8 +2761,7 @@ cleanup:
 
 
 static int
-_virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(virConnectPtr conn,
-                          virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
+_virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                           virNWFilterDefPtr def,
                           const char *filtername)
 {
@@ -2786,7 +2785,7 @@ _virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(virConnectPtr conn,
             obj = virNWFilterObjFindByName(nwfilters,
                                            entry->include->filterref);
             if (obj) {
-                rc = _virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(conn, nwfilters,
+                rc = _virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(nwfilters,
                                                obj->def, filtername);
 
                 virNWFilterObjUnlock(obj);
@@ -2802,7 +2801,6 @@ _virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(virConnectPtr conn,
 
 /*
  * virNWFilterDefLoopDetect:
- * @conn: pointer to virConnect object
  * @nwfilters : the nwfilters to search
  * @def : the filter definition that may add a loop and is to be tested
  *
@@ -2812,11 +2810,10 @@ _virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(virConnectPtr conn,
  * Returns 0 in case no loop was detected, -1 otherwise.
  */
 static int
-virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(virConnectPtr conn,
-                         virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
+virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                          virNWFilterDefPtr def)
 {
-    return _virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(conn, nwfilters, def, def->name);
+    return _virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(nwfilters, def, def->name);
 }
 
 int nCallbackDriver;
@@ -2875,7 +2872,7 @@ static void *virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateOpaque;
  * error. This should be called upon reloading of the driver.
  */
 int
-virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(virConnectPtr conn)
+virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(void)
 {
     int i;
     struct domUpdateCBStruct cb = {
@@ -2885,15 +2882,14 @@ virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(virConnectPtr conn)
     };
 
     for (i = 0; i < nCallbackDriver; i++)
-        callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(conn,
-                                             virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
+        callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
                                              &cb);
 
     return 0;
 }
 
 static int
-virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn)
+virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(void)
 {
     int i;
     int ret = 0;
@@ -2907,8 +2903,7 @@ virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn)
         return -1;
 
     for (i = 0; i < nCallbackDriver; i++) {
-        if (callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(conn,
-                                                 virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
+        if (callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
                                                  &cb) < 0)
             ret = -1;
     }
@@ -2917,15 +2912,13 @@ virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn)
         cb.step = STEP_TEAR_NEW; /* rollback */
 
         for (i = 0; i < nCallbackDriver; i++)
-            callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(conn,
-                                                 virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
+            callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
                                                  &cb);
     } else {
         cb.step = STEP_TEAR_OLD; /* switch over */
 
         for (i = 0; i < nCallbackDriver; i++)
-            callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(conn,
-                                                 virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
+            callbackDrvArray[i]->vmFilterRebuild(virNWFilterDomainFWUpdateCB,
                                                  &cb);
     }
 
@@ -2936,14 +2929,13 @@ virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn)
 
 
 int
-virNWFilterTestUnassignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
-                           virNWFilterObjPtr nwfilter)
+virNWFilterTestUnassignDef(virNWFilterObjPtr nwfilter)
 {
     int rc = 0;
 
     nwfilter->wantRemoved = 1;
     /* trigger the update on VMs referencing the filter */
-    if (virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(conn))
+    if (virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild())
         rc = -1;
 
     nwfilter->wantRemoved = 0;
@@ -2982,8 +2974,7 @@ cleanup:
 }
 
 virNWFilterObjPtr
-virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
-                        virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
+virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                         virNWFilterDefPtr def)
 {
     virNWFilterObjPtr nwfilter;
@@ -3002,7 +2993,7 @@ virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
         virNWFilterObjUnlock(nwfilter);
     }
 
-    if (virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(conn, nwfilters, def) < 0) {
+    if (virNWFilterDefLoopDetect(nwfilters, def) < 0) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
                        "%s", _("filter would introduce a loop"));
         return NULL;
@@ -3021,7 +3012,7 @@ virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
 
         nwfilter->newDef = def;
         /* trigger the update on VMs referencing the filter */
-        if (virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild(conn)) {
+        if (virNWFilterTriggerVMFilterRebuild()) {
             nwfilter->newDef = NULL;
             virNWFilterUnlockFilterUpdates();
             virNWFilterObjUnlock(nwfilter);
@@ -3066,8 +3057,7 @@ virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
 
 
 static virNWFilterObjPtr
-virNWFilterObjLoad(virConnectPtr conn,
-                   virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
+virNWFilterObjLoad(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                    const char *file,
                    const char *path)
 {
@@ -3086,7 +3076,7 @@ virNWFilterObjLoad(virConnectPtr conn,
         return NULL;
     }
 
-    if (!(nwfilter = virNWFilterObjAssignDef(conn, nwfilters, def))) {
+    if (!(nwfilter = virNWFilterObjAssignDef(nwfilters, def))) {
         virNWFilterDefFree(def);
         return NULL;
     }
@@ -3104,8 +3094,7 @@ virNWFilterObjLoad(virConnectPtr conn,
 
 
 int
-virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(virConnectPtr conn,
-                          virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
+virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                           const char *configDir)
 {
     DIR *dir;
@@ -3133,7 +3122,7 @@ virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(virConnectPtr conn,
         if (!(path = virFileBuildPath(configDir, entry->d_name, NULL)))
             continue;
 
-        nwfilter = virNWFilterObjLoad(conn, nwfilters, entry->d_name, path);
+        nwfilter = virNWFilterObjLoad(nwfilters, entry->d_name, path);
         if (nwfilter)
             virNWFilterObjUnlock(nwfilter);
 
diff --git a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.h b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.h
index ea90fbd425dbab46ca238cfa3a355561492d4287..1b72ba8cba4074d071c5a7c26045da695cd340c2 100644
--- a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.h
@@ -688,12 +688,10 @@ int virNWFilterObjSaveDef(virNWFilterDriverStatePtr driver,
 
 int virNWFilterObjDeleteDef(virNWFilterObjPtr nwfilter);
 
-virNWFilterObjPtr virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
-                                          virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
+virNWFilterObjPtr virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                                           virNWFilterDefPtr def);
 
-int virNWFilterTestUnassignDef(virConnectPtr conn,
-                               virNWFilterObjPtr nwfilter);
+int virNWFilterTestUnassignDef(virNWFilterObjPtr nwfilter);
 
 virNWFilterDefPtr virNWFilterDefParseNode(xmlDocPtr xml,
                                           xmlNodePtr root);
@@ -707,8 +705,7 @@ int virNWFilterSaveXML(const char *configDir,
 int virNWFilterSaveConfig(const char *configDir,
                           virNWFilterDefPtr def);
 
-int virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(virConnectPtr conn,
-                              virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
+int virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                               const char *configDir);
 
 char *virNWFilterConfigFile(const char *dir,
@@ -726,11 +723,10 @@ void virNWFilterUnlockFilterUpdates(void);
 int virNWFilterConfLayerInit(virDomainObjListIterator domUpdateCB, void *opaque);
 void virNWFilterConfLayerShutdown(void);
 
-int virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(virConnectPtr conn);
+int virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(void);
 
 
-typedef int (*virNWFilterRebuild)(virConnectPtr conn,
-                                  virDomainObjListIterator domUpdateCB,
+typedef int (*virNWFilterRebuild)(virDomainObjListIterator domUpdateCB,
                                   void *data);
 typedef void (*virNWFilterVoidCall)(void);
 
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index 94c1f37a706c4a86a46009fd7d4115cb3e4de973..a5eab7696f6fa8316a82c9b9a24d8f806dd53275 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -82,8 +82,7 @@ virLXCDriverPtr lxc_driver = NULL;
 
 /* callbacks for nwfilter */
 static int
-lxcVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                   virDomainObjListIterator iter, void *data)
+lxcVMFilterRebuild(virDomainObjListIterator iter, void *data)
 {
     return virDomainObjListForEach(lxc_driver->domains, iter, data);
 }
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
index d69721c21771057d9ea8286ce29f2700f224f7e4..51a991f192298327b5218d1ad95520d42c9192e9 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
@@ -230,8 +230,7 @@ nwfilterStateInitialize(bool privileged,
 
     VIR_FREE(base);
 
-    if (virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(NULL,
-                                  &driverState->nwfilters,
+    if (virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(&driverState->nwfilters,
                                   driverState->configDir) < 0)
         goto error;
 
@@ -270,37 +269,28 @@ err_free_driverstate:
  * files and update its state
  */
 static int
-nwfilterStateReload(void) {
-    virConnectPtr conn;
-
-    if (!driverState) {
+nwfilterStateReload(void)
+{
+    if (!driverState)
         return -1;
-    }
 
     if (!driverState->privileged)
         return 0;
 
-    conn = virConnectOpen("qemu:///system");
-
-    if (conn) {
-        virNWFilterDHCPSnoopEnd(NULL);
-        /* shut down all threads -- they will be restarted if necessary */
-        virNWFilterLearnThreadsTerminate(true);
-
-        nwfilterDriverLock(driverState);
-        virNWFilterCallbackDriversLock();
+    virNWFilterDHCPSnoopEnd(NULL);
+    /* shut down all threads -- they will be restarted if necessary */
+    virNWFilterLearnThreadsTerminate(true);
 
-        virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(conn,
-                                  &driverState->nwfilters,
-                                  driverState->configDir);
+    nwfilterDriverLock(driverState);
+    virNWFilterCallbackDriversLock();
 
-        virNWFilterCallbackDriversUnlock();
-        nwfilterDriverUnlock(driverState);
+    virNWFilterLoadAllConfigs(&driverState->nwfilters,
+                              driverState->configDir);
 
-        virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs(conn);
+    virNWFilterCallbackDriversUnlock();
+    nwfilterDriverUnlock(driverState);
 
-        virConnectClose(conn);
-    }
+    virNWFilterInstFiltersOnAllVMs();
 
     return 0;
 }
@@ -538,7 +528,7 @@ nwfilterDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn,
     if (!(def = virNWFilterDefParseString(xml)))
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!(nwfilter = virNWFilterObjAssignDef(conn, &driver->nwfilters, def)))
+    if (!(nwfilter = virNWFilterObjAssignDef(&driver->nwfilters, def)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     if (virNWFilterObjSaveDef(driver, nwfilter, def) < 0) {
@@ -579,7 +569,7 @@ nwfilterUndefine(virNWFilterPtr obj) {
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    if (virNWFilterTestUnassignDef(obj->conn, nwfilter) < 0) {
+    if (virNWFilterTestUnassignDef(nwfilter) < 0) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_INVALID,
                        "%s",
                        _("nwfilter is in use"));
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index bdb7adb40397e0d1278b323b8182d893e29df3aa..10e2b86d4cf0fa939c3dd8ad8bca3fc696e794a4 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -157,8 +157,7 @@ static void
 qemuVMDriverUnlock(void) {}
 
 static int
-qemuVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                    virDomainObjListIterator iter, void *data)
+qemuVMFilterRebuild(virDomainObjListIterator iter, void *data)
 {
     return virDomainObjListForEach(qemu_driver->domains, iter, data);
 }
diff --git a/src/uml/uml_driver.c b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
index 9b0aba6f093d8473f31687360ff8d3494434a8d1..61586b0f835ca71d9ab7aaaea45aeaa265ef7f1c 100644
--- a/src/uml/uml_driver.c
+++ b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
@@ -147,8 +147,7 @@ static int umlMonitorCommand(const struct uml_driver *driver,
 static struct uml_driver *uml_driver = NULL;
 
 static int
-umlVMFilterRebuild(virConnectPtr conn ATTRIBUTE_UNUSED,
-                   virDomainObjListIterator iter, void *data)
+umlVMFilterRebuild(virDomainObjListIterator iter, void *data)
 {
     return virDomainObjListForEach(uml_driver->domains, iter, data);
 }