diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 0b094a15e4..e395c4ddfa 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -1684,16 +1684,6 @@ qemuDomainSetPrivatePaths(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 }
 
 
-void
-qemuDomainClearPrivatePaths(virDomainObjPtr vm)
-{
-    qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
-
-    VIR_FREE(priv->libDir);
-    VIR_FREE(priv->channelTargetDir);
-}
-
-
 static void *
 qemuDomainObjPrivateAlloc(void *opaque)
 {
@@ -1721,24 +1711,69 @@ qemuDomainObjPrivateAlloc(void *opaque)
     return NULL;
 }
 
+/**
+ * qemuDomainObjPrivateDataClear:
+ * @priv: domain private data
+ *
+ * Clears private data entries, which are not necessary or stale if the VM is
+ * not running.
+ */
+void
+qemuDomainObjPrivateDataClear(qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv)
+{
+    virStringListFree(priv->qemuDevices);
+    priv->qemuDevices = NULL;
+
+    virCgroupFree(&priv->cgroup);
+
+    virPerfFree(priv->perf);
+    priv->perf = NULL;
+
+    VIR_FREE(priv->machineName);
+
+    virObjectUnref(priv->qemuCaps);
+    priv->qemuCaps = NULL;
+
+    VIR_FREE(priv->pidfile);
+
+    VIR_FREE(priv->libDir);
+    VIR_FREE(priv->channelTargetDir);
+
+    /* remove automatic pinning data */
+    virBitmapFree(priv->autoNodeset);
+    priv->autoNodeset = NULL;
+    virBitmapFree(priv->autoCpuset);
+    priv->autoCpuset = NULL;
+
+    /* remove address data */
+    virDomainPCIAddressSetFree(priv->pciaddrs);
+    priv->pciaddrs = NULL;
+    virDomainUSBAddressSetFree(priv->usbaddrs);
+    priv->usbaddrs = NULL;
+
+    /* clean up migration data */
+    VIR_FREE(priv->migTLSAlias);
+    virCPUDefFree(priv->origCPU);
+    priv->origCPU = NULL;
+
+    /* clear previously used namespaces */
+    virBitmapFree(priv->namespaces);
+    priv->namespaces = NULL;
+}
+
+
 static void
 qemuDomainObjPrivateFree(void *data)
 {
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = data;
 
-    virObjectUnref(priv->qemuCaps);
+    qemuDomainObjPrivateDataClear(priv);
 
-    virBitmapFree(priv->namespaces);
-
-    virCgroupFree(&priv->cgroup);
-    virDomainPCIAddressSetFree(priv->pciaddrs);
-    virDomainUSBAddressSetFree(priv->usbaddrs);
     virDomainChrSourceDefFree(priv->monConfig);
     qemuDomainObjFreeJob(priv);
     VIR_FREE(priv->lockState);
     VIR_FREE(priv->origname);
 
-    virStringListFree(priv->qemuDevices);
     virChrdevFree(priv->devs);
 
     /* This should never be non-NULL if we get here, but just in case... */
@@ -1751,19 +1786,10 @@ qemuDomainObjPrivateFree(void *data)
         qemuAgentClose(priv->agent);
     }
     VIR_FREE(priv->cleanupCallbacks);
-    virBitmapFree(priv->autoNodeset);
-    virBitmapFree(priv->autoCpuset);
-
-    VIR_FREE(priv->machineName);
-    VIR_FREE(priv->libDir);
-    VIR_FREE(priv->channelTargetDir);
 
     qemuDomainSecretInfoFree(&priv->migSecinfo);
-    VIR_FREE(priv->migTLSAlias);
     qemuDomainMasterKeyFree(priv);
 
-    virCPUDefFree(priv->origCPU);
-
     VIR_FREE(priv);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
index 09201b1a40..cdf94b2f65 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
@@ -676,6 +676,8 @@ void qemuDomainCleanupRemove(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 void qemuDomainCleanupRun(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                           virDomainObjPtr vm);
 
+void qemuDomainObjPrivateDataClear(qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv);
+
 extern virDomainXMLPrivateDataCallbacks virQEMUDriverPrivateDataCallbacks;
 extern virDomainXMLNamespace virQEMUDriverDomainXMLNamespace;
 extern virDomainDefParserConfig virQEMUDriverDomainDefParserConfig;
@@ -783,8 +785,6 @@ int qemuDomainNetVLAN(virDomainNetDefPtr def);
 int qemuDomainSetPrivatePaths(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
                               virDomainObjPtr vm);
 
-void qemuDomainClearPrivatePaths(virDomainObjPtr vm);
-
 virDomainDiskDefPtr qemuDomainDiskByName(virDomainDefPtr def, const char *name);
 
 char *qemuDomainGetMasterKeyFilePath(const char *libDir);
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index 929a0d2e96..474899aaab 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -6218,8 +6218,6 @@ void qemuProcessStop(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     virFileDeleteTree(priv->libDir);
     virFileDeleteTree(priv->channelTargetDir);
 
-    qemuDomainClearPrivatePaths(vm);
-
     ignore_value(virDomainChrDefForeach(vm->def,
                                         false,
                                         qemuProcessCleanupChardevDevice,
@@ -6270,9 +6268,6 @@ void qemuProcessStop(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         VIR_FREE(vm->def->seclabels[i]->imagelabel);
     }
 
-    virStringListFree(priv->qemuDevices);
-    priv->qemuDevices = NULL;
-
     qemuHostdevReAttachDomainDevices(driver, vm->def);
 
     def = vm->def;
@@ -6341,10 +6336,6 @@ void qemuProcessStop(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         VIR_WARN("Failed to remove cgroup for %s",
                  vm->def->name);
     }
-    virCgroupFree(&priv->cgroup);
-
-    virPerfFree(priv->perf);
-    priv->perf = NULL;
 
     qemuProcessRemoveDomainStatus(driver, vm);
 
@@ -6398,37 +6389,14 @@ void qemuProcessStop(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
         }
     }
 
-    VIR_FREE(priv->machineName);
-
     vm->taint = 0;
     vm->pid = -1;
     virDomainObjSetState(vm, VIR_DOMAIN_SHUTOFF, reason);
     for (i = 0; i < vm->def->niothreadids; i++)
         vm->def->iothreadids[i]->thread_id = 0;
-    virObjectUnref(priv->qemuCaps);
-    priv->qemuCaps = NULL;
-    VIR_FREE(priv->pidfile);
 
-    /* remove automatic pinning data */
-    virBitmapFree(priv->autoNodeset);
-    priv->autoNodeset = NULL;
-    virBitmapFree(priv->autoCpuset);
-    priv->autoCpuset = NULL;
-
-    /* remove address data */
-    virDomainPCIAddressSetFree(priv->pciaddrs);
-    priv->pciaddrs = NULL;
-    virDomainUSBAddressSetFree(priv->usbaddrs);
-    priv->usbaddrs = NULL;
-
-    /* clean up migration data */
-    VIR_FREE(priv->migTLSAlias);
-    virCPUDefFree(priv->origCPU);
-    priv->origCPU = NULL;
-
-    /* clear previously used namespaces */
-    virBitmapFree(priv->namespaces);
-    priv->namespaces = NULL;
+    /* clear all private data entries which are no longer needed */
+    qemuDomainObjPrivateDataClear(priv);
 
     /* The "release" hook cleans up additional resources */
     if (virHookPresent(VIR_HOOK_DRIVER_QEMU)) {