diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
index 7c39c1c53835a65ab9216fa7f68616720a85c3c4..17095b4c90b3755fcfce90eb8583dc1a94accc24 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_capabilities.c
@@ -2587,7 +2587,8 @@ virQEMUCapsInitQMP(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
     char *monpath = NULL;
     char *pidfile = NULL;
     pid_t pid = 0;
-    virDomainObj vm;
+    virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
+    virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt = NULL;
 
     /* the ".sock" sufix is important to avoid a possible clash with a qemu
      * domain called "capabilities"
@@ -2650,10 +2651,13 @@ virQEMUCapsInitQMP(virQEMUCapsPtr qemuCaps,
         goto cleanup;
     }
 
-    memset(&vm, 0, sizeof(vm));
-    vm.pid = pid;
+    if (!(xmlopt = virDomainXMLOptionNew(NULL, NULL, NULL)) ||
+        !(vm = virDomainObjNew(xmlopt)))
+        goto cleanup;
+
+    vm->pid = pid;
 
-    if (!(mon = qemuMonitorOpen(&vm, &config, true, &callbacks, NULL))) {
+    if (!(mon = qemuMonitorOpen(vm, &config, true, &callbacks, NULL))) {
         ret = 0;
         goto cleanup;
     }
@@ -2673,6 +2677,8 @@ cleanup:
     virCommandFree(cmd);
     VIR_FREE(monarg);
     VIR_FREE(monpath);
+    virObjectUnref(vm);
+    virObjectUnref(xmlopt);
 
     if (pid != 0) {
         char ebuf[1024];
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
index a601ee0f7ba45e49922acff4aa1e3dbdf2c2e85c..2bafe28713a29b89ba9a415d612e5f0ec3e3ef62 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_monitor.c
@@ -255,6 +255,8 @@ static void qemuMonitorDispose(void *obj)
     VIR_DEBUG("mon=%p", mon);
     if (mon->cb && mon->cb->destroy)
         (mon->cb->destroy)(mon, mon->vm, mon->callbackOpaque);
+    virObjectUnref(mon->vm);
+
     virCondDestroy(&mon->notify);
     VIR_FREE(mon->buffer);
     virJSONValueFree(mon->options);
@@ -781,7 +783,7 @@ qemuMonitorOpenInternal(virDomainObjPtr vm,
     }
     mon->fd = fd;
     mon->hasSendFD = hasSendFD;
-    mon->vm = vm;
+    mon->vm = virObjectRef(vm);
     mon->json = json;
     if (json)
         mon->waitGreeting = true;