diff --git a/src/conf/virnodedeviceobj.c b/src/conf/virnodedeviceobj.c
index 2e4ef2df3c..7a560349d4 100644
--- a/src/conf/virnodedeviceobj.c
+++ b/src/conf/virnodedeviceobj.c
@@ -524,7 +524,7 @@ virNodeDeviceObjListRemove(virNodeDeviceObjList *devs,
     virObjectRWLockWrite(devs);
     virObjectLock(obj);
     virNodeDeviceObjListRemoveLocked(devs, obj);
-    virNodeDeviceObjEndAPI(&obj);
+    virObjectUnref(obj);
     virObjectRWUnlock(devs);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 9e1fc65972..f900123941 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -6810,7 +6810,7 @@ testDestroyVport(testDriver *privconn,
                                            0);
 
     virNodeDeviceObjListRemove(privconn->devs, obj);
-    virObjectUnref(obj);
+    virNodeDeviceObjEndAPI(&obj);
 
     virObjectEventStateQueue(privconn->eventState, event);
     return 0;
@@ -7797,8 +7797,6 @@ testNodeDeviceDestroy(virNodeDevicePtr dev)
 
     virObjectLock(obj);
     virNodeDeviceObjListRemove(driver->devs, obj);
-    virObjectUnref(obj);
-    obj = NULL;
 
  cleanup:
     virNodeDeviceObjEndAPI(&obj);