diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 2d8ff652b0..e6cbd4c0cb 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -1576,7 +1576,7 @@ qemuDomainSecretGraphicsPrepare(virQEMUDriverConfig *cfg,
  *
  * Removes all unnecessary data which was needed to generate 'secret' objects.
  */
-void
+static void
 qemuDomainSecretDestroy(virDomainObj *vm)
 {
     size_t i;
@@ -12211,3 +12211,16 @@ qemuDomainSchedCoreStop(qemuDomainObjPrivate *priv)
         priv->schedCoreChildPID = -1;
     }
 }
+
+
+/**
+ * qemuDomainStartupCleanup:
+ *
+ * Performs a cleanup of data which is not required after a startup of a VM
+ * (successful or not).
+ */
+void
+qemuDomainStartupCleanup(virDomainObj *vm)
+{
+    qemuDomainSecretDestroy(vm);
+}
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
index 69b7e7da5d..11ef3e7b64 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.h
@@ -925,8 +925,7 @@ int qemuDomainSecretChardevPrepare(virQEMUDriverConfig *cfg,
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(2) ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(3)
     ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(4);
 
-void qemuDomainSecretDestroy(virDomainObj *vm)
-    ATTRIBUTE_NONNULL(1);
+void qemuDomainStartupCleanup(virDomainObj *vm);
 
 int qemuDomainSecretPrepare(virQEMUDriver *driver,
                             virDomainObj *vm)
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index cc65e6befa..9fc7eada52 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -7973,7 +7973,7 @@ qemuProcessLaunch(virConnectPtr conn,
 
  cleanup:
     qemuDomainSchedCoreStop(priv);
-    qemuDomainSecretDestroy(vm);
+    qemuDomainStartupCleanup(vm);
     return ret;
 }