diff --git a/src/conf/virnwfilterobj.c b/src/conf/virnwfilterobj.c
index cb697f946be4b7127dadf1af93f3e0973d229756..5570c721189339c2e7015d8e378b831da0e3e9f2 100644
--- a/src/conf/virnwfilterobj.c
+++ b/src/conf/virnwfilterobj.c
@@ -87,12 +87,16 @@ virNWFilterObjFindByUUID(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                          const unsigned char *uuid)
 {
     size_t i;
+    virNWFilterObjPtr obj;
+    virNWFilterDefPtr def;
 
     for (i = 0; i < nwfilters->count; i++) {
-        virNWFilterObjLock(nwfilters->objs[i]);
-        if (!memcmp(nwfilters->objs[i]->def->uuid, uuid, VIR_UUID_BUFLEN))
-            return nwfilters->objs[i];
-        virNWFilterObjUnlock(nwfilters->objs[i]);
+        obj = nwfilters->objs[i];
+        virNWFilterObjLock(obj);
+        def = obj->def;
+        if (!memcmp(def->uuid, uuid, VIR_UUID_BUFLEN))
+            return obj;
+        virNWFilterObjUnlock(obj);
     }
 
     return NULL;
@@ -104,12 +108,16 @@ virNWFilterObjFindByName(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                          const char *name)
 {
     size_t i;
+    virNWFilterObjPtr obj;
+    virNWFilterDefPtr def;
 
     for (i = 0; i < nwfilters->count; i++) {
-        virNWFilterObjLock(nwfilters->objs[i]);
-        if (STREQ_NULLABLE(nwfilters->objs[i]->def->name, name))
-            return nwfilters->objs[i];
-        virNWFilterObjUnlock(nwfilters->objs[i]);
+        obj = nwfilters->objs[i];
+        virNWFilterObjLock(obj);
+        def = obj->def;
+        if (STREQ_NULLABLE(def->name, name))
+            return obj;
+        virNWFilterObjUnlock(obj);
     }
 
     return NULL;
@@ -141,9 +149,8 @@ _virNWFilterObjDefLoopDetect(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
             obj = virNWFilterObjFindByName(nwfilters,
                                            entry->include->filterref);
             if (obj) {
-                rc = _virNWFilterObjDefLoopDetect(nwfilters,
-                                                  obj->def, filtername);
-
+                rc = _virNWFilterObjDefLoopDetect(nwfilters, obj->def,
+                                                  filtername);
                 virNWFilterObjUnlock(obj);
                 if (rc < 0)
                     break;
@@ -226,24 +233,26 @@ virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
                         virNWFilterDefPtr def)
 {
     virNWFilterObjPtr obj;
+    virNWFilterDefPtr objdef;
 
-    obj = virNWFilterObjFindByUUID(nwfilters, def->uuid);
+    if ((obj = virNWFilterObjFindByUUID(nwfilters, def->uuid))) {
+        objdef = obj->def;
 
-    if (obj) {
-        if (STRNEQ(def->name, obj->def->name)) {
+        if (STRNEQ(def->name, objdef->name)) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
                            _("filter with same UUID but different name "
                              "('%s') already exists"),
-                           obj->def->name);
+                           objdef->name);
             virNWFilterObjUnlock(obj);
             return NULL;
         }
         virNWFilterObjUnlock(obj);
     } else {
-        obj = virNWFilterObjFindByName(nwfilters, def->name);
-        if (obj) {
+        if ((obj = virNWFilterObjFindByName(nwfilters, def->name))) {
             char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
-            virUUIDFormat(obj->def->uuid, uuidstr);
+
+            objdef = obj->def;
+            virUUIDFormat(objdef->uuid, uuidstr);
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_OPERATION_FAILED,
                            _("filter '%s' already exists with uuid %s"),
                            def->name, uuidstr);
@@ -261,8 +270,9 @@ virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
 
     if ((obj = virNWFilterObjFindByName(nwfilters, def->name))) {
 
-        if (virNWFilterDefEqual(def, obj->def, false)) {
-            virNWFilterDefFree(obj->def);
+        objdef = obj->def;
+        if (virNWFilterDefEqual(def, objdef, false)) {
+            virNWFilterDefFree(objdef);
             obj->def = def;
             return obj;
         }
@@ -275,7 +285,7 @@ virNWFilterObjAssignDef(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
             return NULL;
         }
 
-        virNWFilterDefFree(obj->def);
+        virNWFilterDefFree(objdef);
         obj->def = def;
         obj->newDef = NULL;
         return obj;
@@ -334,12 +344,14 @@ virNWFilterObjGetNames(virNWFilterObjListPtr nwfilters,
 {
     int nnames = 0;
     size_t i;
+    virNWFilterDefPtr def;
 
     for (i = 0; i < nwfilters->count && nnames < maxnames; i++) {
         virNWFilterObjPtr obj = nwfilters->objs[i];
         virNWFilterObjLock(obj);
-        if (!aclfilter || aclfilter(conn, obj->def)) {
-            if (VIR_STRDUP(names[nnames], obj->def->name) < 0) {
+        def = obj->def;
+        if (!aclfilter || aclfilter(conn, def)) {
+            if (VIR_STRDUP(names[nnames], def->name) < 0) {
                 virNWFilterObjUnlock(obj);
                 goto failure;
             }
@@ -368,6 +380,7 @@ virNWFilterObjListExport(virConnectPtr conn,
     int nfilters = 0;
     virNWFilterPtr filter = NULL;
     virNWFilterObjPtr obj = NULL;
+    virNWFilterDefPtr def;
     size_t i;
     int ret = -1;
 
@@ -382,9 +395,9 @@ virNWFilterObjListExport(virConnectPtr conn,
     for (i = 0; i < nwfilters->count; i++) {
         obj = nwfilters->objs[i];
         virNWFilterObjLock(obj);
-        if (!aclfilter || aclfilter(conn, obj->def)) {
-            if (!(filter = virGetNWFilter(conn, obj->def->name,
-                                          obj->def->uuid))) {
+        def = obj->def;
+        if (!aclfilter || aclfilter(conn, def)) {
+            if (!(filter = virGetNWFilter(conn, def->name, def->uuid))) {
                 virNWFilterObjUnlock(obj);
                 goto cleanup;
             }
diff --git a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
index 72b9b8e62dd2ba8a337cdcf7e12679644be5e859..f3f75a3508e73fc816baa23055d315f595d20a32 100644
--- a/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
+++ b/src/nwfilter/nwfilter_driver.c
@@ -358,6 +358,7 @@ nwfilterLookupByUUID(virConnectPtr conn,
                      const unsigned char *uuid)
 {
     virNWFilterObjPtr obj;
+    virNWFilterDefPtr def;
     virNWFilterPtr ret = NULL;
 
     nwfilterDriverLock();
@@ -369,11 +370,12 @@ nwfilterLookupByUUID(virConnectPtr conn,
                        "%s", _("no nwfilter with matching uuid"));
         goto cleanup;
     }
+    def = obj->def;
 
-    if (virNWFilterLookupByUUIDEnsureACL(conn, obj->def) < 0)
+    if (virNWFilterLookupByUUIDEnsureACL(conn, def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    ret = virGetNWFilter(conn, obj->def->name, obj->def->uuid);
+    ret = virGetNWFilter(conn, def->name, def->uuid);
 
  cleanup:
     if (obj)
@@ -387,6 +389,7 @@ nwfilterLookupByName(virConnectPtr conn,
                      const char *name)
 {
     virNWFilterObjPtr obj;
+    virNWFilterDefPtr def;
     virNWFilterPtr ret = NULL;
 
     nwfilterDriverLock();
@@ -398,11 +401,12 @@ nwfilterLookupByName(virConnectPtr conn,
                        _("no nwfilter with matching name '%s'"), name);
         goto cleanup;
     }
+    def = obj->def;
 
-    if (virNWFilterLookupByNameEnsureACL(conn, obj->def) < 0)
+    if (virNWFilterLookupByNameEnsureACL(conn, def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    ret = virGetNWFilter(conn, obj->def->name, obj->def->uuid);
+    ret = virGetNWFilter(conn, def->name, def->uuid);
 
  cleanup:
     if (obj)
@@ -467,6 +471,7 @@ nwfilterDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn,
 {
     virNWFilterDefPtr def;
     virNWFilterObjPtr obj = NULL;
+    virNWFilterDefPtr objdef;
     virNWFilterPtr ret = NULL;
 
     if (!driver->privileged) {
@@ -487,15 +492,15 @@ nwfilterDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn,
 
     if (!(obj = virNWFilterObjAssignDef(&driver->nwfilters, def)))
         goto cleanup;
+    def = NULL;
+    objdef = obj->def;
 
-    if (virNWFilterSaveDef(driver->configDir, def) < 0) {
+    if (virNWFilterSaveDef(driver->configDir, objdef) < 0) {
         virNWFilterObjRemove(&driver->nwfilters, obj);
-        def = NULL;
         goto cleanup;
     }
-    def = NULL;
 
-    ret = virGetNWFilter(conn, obj->def->name, obj->def->uuid);
+    ret = virGetNWFilter(conn, objdef->name, objdef->uuid);
 
  cleanup:
     virNWFilterDefFree(def);