diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 3497e84bf5..d73bac5cc5 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -31557,8 +31557,7 @@ virDomainObjGetMetadata(virDomainObj *vm,
     virDomainDef *def;
     char *ret = NULL;
 
-    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE |
-                  VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG, NULL);
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_OBJ_GET_METADATA_FLAGS, NULL);
 
     if (type >= VIR_DOMAIN_METADATA_LAST) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INVALID_ARG,
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index a8f90803da..bdfb99ed1d 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -4543,6 +4543,10 @@ const char *virDomainChrSourceDefGetPath(virDomainChrSourceDef *chr);
 
 void virDomainChrSourceDefClear(virDomainChrSourceDef *def);
 
+#define VIR_DOMAIN_OBJ_GET_METADATA_FLAGS \
+    VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE | \
+    VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG
+
 char *virDomainObjGetMetadata(virDomainObj *vm,
                               int type,
                               const char *uri,
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 2b061c56e5..794493525a 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -16004,6 +16004,8 @@ qemuDomainGetMetadata(virDomainPtr dom,
     virDomainObj *vm;
     char *ret = NULL;
 
+    virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_OBJ_GET_METADATA_FLAGS, NULL);
+
     if (!(vm = qemuDomainObjFromDomain(dom)))
         return NULL;