diff --git a/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c b/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
index 24c4a9c80ea40ce5f2d5a69100addf9de89371f3..bd8c6b30ed438bd174cde1e78e3b8aa04afeb1be 100644
--- a/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
+++ b/src/bhyve/bhyve_driver.c
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ bhyveDomObjFromDomain(virDomainPtr domain)
     bhyveConnPtr privconn = domain->conn->privateData;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(privconn->domains, domain->uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(privconn->domains, domain->uuid);
     if (!vm) {
         virUUIDFormat(domain->uuid, uuidstr);
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,
@@ -791,7 +791,7 @@ bhyveDomainLookupByUUID(virConnectPtr conn,
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(privconn->domains, uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(privconn->domains, uuid);
 
     if (!vm) {
         char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 35666c1347309dabb9337e20d0025e42eb6692f0..65b429460a30ca8e7d1edc551c1417d73561a7fe 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -3226,7 +3226,7 @@ void virDomainObjAssignDef(virDomainObjPtr domain,
  *
  * Finish working with a domain object in an API.  This function
  * clears whatever was left of a domain that was gathered using
- * virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(). Currently that means only unlocking and
+ * virDomainObjListFindByUUID(). Currently that means only unlocking and
  * decrementing the reference counter of that domain.  And in order to
  * make sure the caller does not access the domain, the pointer is
  * cleared.
diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
index c09e5e5d2f8d911040394d2d2d6d06fda5091cc1..02b52465d0d882ce14b7808fc87b4b07f540ee9f 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.c
@@ -149,10 +149,10 @@ virDomainObjListFindByIDRef(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     return virDomainObjListFindByIDInternal(doms, id, true);
 }
 
-static virDomainObjPtr
-virDomainObjListFindByUUIDInternal(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
-                                   const unsigned char *uuid,
-                                   bool ref)
+
+virDomainObjPtr
+virDomainObjListFindByUUID(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
+                           const unsigned char *uuid)
 {
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
     virDomainObjPtr obj;
@@ -161,41 +161,20 @@ virDomainObjListFindByUUIDInternal(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
     virUUIDFormat(uuid, uuidstr);
 
     obj = virHashLookup(doms->objs, uuidstr);
-    if (ref) {
-        virObjectRef(obj);
-        virObjectRWUnlock(doms);
-    }
+    virObjectRef(obj);
+    virObjectRWUnlock(doms);
     if (obj) {
         virObjectLock(obj);
         if (obj->removing) {
             virObjectUnlock(obj);
-            if (ref)
-                virObjectUnref(obj);
+            virObjectUnref(obj);
             obj = NULL;
         }
     }
-    if (!ref)
-        virObjectRWUnlock(doms);
     return obj;
 }
 
 
-virDomainObjPtr
-virDomainObjListFindByUUID(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
-                           const unsigned char *uuid)
-{
-    return virDomainObjListFindByUUIDInternal(doms, uuid, false);
-}
-
-
-virDomainObjPtr
-virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
-                              const unsigned char *uuid)
-{
-    return virDomainObjListFindByUUIDInternal(doms, uuid, true);
-}
-
-
 virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByName(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
                                            const char *name)
 {
diff --git a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.h b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.h
index bb186bde30c94a38a14fd1592306538cf5228dbf..1b77a95ba9ea42486c89f2251690fca18ba4c65d 100644
--- a/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.h
+++ b/src/conf/virdomainobjlist.h
@@ -38,8 +38,6 @@ virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByIDRef(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
                                             int id);
 virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByUUID(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
                                            const unsigned char *uuid);
-virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
-                                              const unsigned char *uuid);
 virDomainObjPtr virDomainObjListFindByName(virDomainObjListPtr doms,
                                            const char *name);
 
diff --git a/src/libvirt_private.syms b/src/libvirt_private.syms
index b31f599bd29e49712a60a85ed43b892488700763..f6c76d4341e5cff8886fe52f6089a288fe44b470 100644
--- a/src/libvirt_private.syms
+++ b/src/libvirt_private.syms
@@ -955,7 +955,6 @@ virDomainObjListFindByID;
 virDomainObjListFindByIDRef;
 virDomainObjListFindByName;
 virDomainObjListFindByUUID;
-virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef;
 virDomainObjListForEach;
 virDomainObjListGetActiveIDs;
 virDomainObjListGetInactiveNames;
diff --git a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
index b66a1de5f14a0bbd544bd1c751c69a5fd68c7921..24553c7272d02355840313968a0b6cc1f2c159d9 100644
--- a/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
+++ b/src/libxl/libxl_driver.c
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ libxlDomObjFromDomain(virDomainPtr dom)
     libxlDriverPrivatePtr driver = dom->conn->privateData;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, dom->uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, dom->uuid);
     if (!vm) {
         virUUIDFormat(dom->uuid, uuidstr);
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,
@@ -1105,7 +1105,7 @@ libxlDomainLookupByUUID(virConnectPtr conn, const unsigned char *uuid)
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid);
     if (!vm) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN, NULL);
         goto cleanup;
diff --git a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
index 4097cef9348f42b55e5978f3775a992324673778..8773a3fd45d7a018b936dea1f715f105af3833fe 100644
--- a/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
+++ b/src/lxc/lxc_driver.c
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ lxcDomObjFromDomain(virDomainPtr domain)
     virLXCDriverPtr driver = domain->conn->privateData;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, domain->uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, domain->uuid);
     if (!vm) {
         virUUIDFormat(domain->uuid, uuidstr);
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ static virDomainPtr lxcDomainLookupByUUID(virConnectPtr conn,
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid);
 
     if (!vm) {
         char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
diff --git a/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c b/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
index ba5ad8eeb478f7c276c56d892ab30fdce3b3fb4f..f5a5526d28b99df62817a27a9d0b67e083ae395d 100644
--- a/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
+++ b/src/openvz/openvz_driver.c
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ openvzDomObjFromDomainLocked(struct openvz_driver *driver,
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    if (!(vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid))) {
+    if (!(vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid))) {
         virUUIDFormat(uuid, uuidstr);
 
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 5673d9fd8de7ed8e3249a0e164a494297059f9c2..8a5b04929603e7537300ebe43188acf96fcd8aa2 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ qemuDomObjFromDomain(virDomainPtr domain)
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = domain->conn->privateData;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, domain->uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, domain->uuid);
     if (!vm) {
         virUUIDFormat(domain->uuid, uuidstr);
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,
@@ -1555,7 +1555,7 @@ static virDomainPtr qemuDomainLookupByUUID(virConnectPtr conn,
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid);
 
     if (!vm) {
         char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 3560c76fa53c4299487899aec51415b4a05060be..249932de064e5b190ab4a5020e0bdfd1dedebfa9 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -578,7 +578,7 @@ testDomObjFromDomain(virDomainPtr domain)
     testDriverPtr driver = domain->conn->privateData;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, domain->uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, domain->uuid);
     if (!vm) {
         virUUIDFormat(domain->uuid, uuidstr);
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,
@@ -1726,7 +1726,7 @@ static virDomainPtr testDomainLookupByUUID(virConnectPtr conn,
     virDomainPtr ret = NULL;
     virDomainObjPtr dom;
 
-    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(privconn->domains, uuid))) {
+    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(privconn->domains, uuid))) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN, NULL);
         return NULL;
     }
diff --git a/src/uml/uml_driver.c b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
index 5b941f1dd8a20066fc01c995410aff23a2101f36..0bafd0902e1797e6930e181bab21056b1e6541d3 100644
--- a/src/uml/uml_driver.c
+++ b/src/uml/uml_driver.c
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ umlDomObjFromDomainLocked(struct uml_driver *driver,
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    if (!(vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid))) {
+    if (!(vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid))) {
         virUUIDFormat(uuid, uuidstr);
 
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,
@@ -773,7 +773,7 @@ static int umlProcessAutoDestroyDom(void *payload,
         return 0;
     }
 
-    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(data->driver->domains, uuid))) {
+    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(data->driver->domains, uuid))) {
         VIR_DEBUG("No domain object to kill");
         return 0;
     }
diff --git a/src/util/virclosecallbacks.c b/src/util/virclosecallbacks.c
index 0a395eb1678b2b5f75cf23f98689fc9b1443fe19..60070dc8d9c1b023a009f4deb1545e2857a535c4 100644
--- a/src/util/virclosecallbacks.c
+++ b/src/util/virclosecallbacks.c
@@ -342,8 +342,8 @@ virCloseCallbacksRun(virCloseCallbacksPtr closeCallbacks,
         virDomainObjPtr vm;
 
         /* Grab a ref and lock to the vm */
-        if (!(vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(domains,
-                                                 list->entries[i].uuid))) {
+        if (!(vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(domains,
+                                              list->entries[i].uuid))) {
             char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
             virUUIDFormat(list->entries[i].uuid, uuidstr);
             VIR_DEBUG("No domain object with UUID %s", uuidstr);
diff --git a/src/vmware/vmware_driver.c b/src/vmware/vmware_driver.c
index f36fcc60a925c786b4977bd5331521fa6d5e73a8..f94d192fd163e1b4a08a4b6b06388d5ac183dcdf 100644
--- a/src/vmware/vmware_driver.c
+++ b/src/vmware/vmware_driver.c
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ vmwareDomObjFromDomainLocked(struct vmware_driver *driver,
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
 
-    if (!(vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid))) {
+    if (!(vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid))) {
         virUUIDFormat(uuid, uuidstr);
 
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,
diff --git a/src/vz/vz_driver.c b/src/vz/vz_driver.c
index 2f1e00f420b16e9a93534d8d13d6f7fc367d5375..8f8720a037aff1a92586a5d8b52a8e8b19f8a95e 100644
--- a/src/vz/vz_driver.c
+++ b/src/vz/vz_driver.c
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ vzDomainLookupByUUID(virConnectPtr conn, const unsigned char *uuid)
     virDomainPtr ret = NULL;
     virDomainObjPtr dom;
 
-    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(privconn->driver->domains, uuid);
+    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(privconn->driver->domains, uuid);
 
     if (dom == NULL) {
         char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
@@ -814,7 +814,7 @@ vzDomainDefineXMLFlags(virConnectPtr conn, const char *xml, unsigned int flags)
     if (virDomainDefineXMLFlagsEnsureACL(conn, def) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, def->uuid);
+    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, def->uuid);
     if (dom == NULL) {
         virResetLastError();
         if (def->os.type == VIR_DOMAIN_OSTYPE_HVM) {
diff --git a/src/vz/vz_sdk.c b/src/vz/vz_sdk.c
index 871ad843e2895b151f583635d5bded07ff326641..bb8f15e4fed15eb3a3ae44540638c0a30af01b01 100644
--- a/src/vz/vz_sdk.c
+++ b/src/vz/vz_sdk.c
@@ -1958,7 +1958,7 @@ prlsdkLoadDomain(vzDriverPtr driver,
             goto error;
 
         virObjectLock(driver);
-        if (!(olddom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, def->uuid)))
+        if (!(olddom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, def->uuid)))
             dom = virDomainObjListAdd(driver->domains, def, driver->xmlopt, 0, NULL);
         virObjectUnlock(driver);
 
@@ -2144,7 +2144,7 @@ prlsdkHandleVmStateEvent(vzDriverPtr driver,
     virDomainEventType lvEventType = 0;
     int lvEventTypeDetails = 0;
 
-    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid);
+    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid);
     if (dom == NULL)
         return;
 
@@ -2177,7 +2177,7 @@ prlsdkHandleVmConfigEvent(vzDriverPtr driver,
     virDomainObjPtr dom = NULL;
     bool job = false;
 
-    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid);
+    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid);
     if (dom == NULL)
         return;
 
@@ -2207,7 +2207,7 @@ prlsdkHandleVmAddedEvent(vzDriverPtr driver,
 {
     virDomainObjPtr dom = NULL;
 
-    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid)) &&
+    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid)) &&
         !(dom = prlsdkAddDomainByUUID(driver, uuid)))
         goto cleanup;
 
@@ -2225,7 +2225,7 @@ prlsdkHandleVmRemovedEvent(vzDriverPtr driver,
 {
     virDomainObjPtr dom = NULL;
 
-    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid);
+    dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid);
     /* domain was removed from the list from the libvirt
      * API function in current connection */
     if (dom == NULL)
@@ -2248,7 +2248,7 @@ prlsdkHandlePerfEvent(vzDriverPtr driver,
     virDomainObjPtr dom = NULL;
     vzDomObjPtr privdom = NULL;
 
-    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid))) {
+    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid))) {
         PrlHandle_Free(event);
         return;
     }
@@ -2271,7 +2271,7 @@ prlsdkHandleMigrationProgress(vzDriverPtr driver,
     PRL_HANDLE param = PRL_INVALID_HANDLE;
     PRL_RESULT pret;
 
-    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, uuid)))
+    if (!(dom = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, uuid)))
         return;
 
     pret = PrlEvent_GetParam(event, 0, &param);
diff --git a/src/vz/vz_utils.c b/src/vz/vz_utils.c
index 8f4e3e34740ca3ae2bae68aa79aa606aa28c4f1e..13f5deeaa5e834779a7fc02505bd85d2cc0ee502 100644
--- a/src/vz/vz_utils.c
+++ b/src/vz/vz_utils.c
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ vzDomObjFromDomain(virDomainPtr domain)
     char uuidstr[VIR_UUID_STRING_BUFLEN];
     vzDriverPtr driver = privconn->driver;
 
-    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUIDRef(driver->domains, domain->uuid);
+    vm = virDomainObjListFindByUUID(driver->domains, domain->uuid);
     if (!vm) {
         virUUIDFormat(domain->uuid, uuidstr);
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_NO_DOMAIN,