diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 8e20a931a2..38e88c8335 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -1737,7 +1737,7 @@ static virDomainPtr qemuDomainCreateXML(virConnectPtr conn,
                                         unsigned int flags)
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = conn->privateData;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
     virObjectEventPtr event = NULL;
@@ -1810,7 +1810,6 @@ static virDomainPtr qemuDomainCreateXML(virConnectPtr conn,
     qemuProcessEndJob(driver, vm);
 
  cleanup:
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
     virObjectEventStateQueue(driver->domainEventState, event);
     virObjectEventStateQueue(driver->domainEventState, event2);
@@ -5997,7 +5996,7 @@ qemuDomainRestoreFlags(virConnectPtr conn,
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = conn->privateData;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = NULL;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     g_autofree char *xmlout = NULL;
     const char *newxml = dxml;
@@ -6078,7 +6077,6 @@ qemuDomainRestoreFlags(virConnectPtr conn,
     qemuProcessEndJob(driver, vm);
 
  cleanup:
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
     if (virFileWrapperFdClose(wrapperFd) < 0)
         ret = -1;
@@ -6104,7 +6102,7 @@ qemuDomainSaveImageGetXMLDesc(virConnectPtr conn, const char *path,
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = conn->privateData;
     char *ret = NULL;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     int fd = -1;
     virQEMUSaveDataPtr data = NULL;
 
@@ -6123,7 +6121,6 @@ qemuDomainSaveImageGetXMLDesc(virConnectPtr conn, const char *path,
 
  cleanup:
     virQEMUSaveDataFree(data);
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
     return ret;
 }
@@ -6134,8 +6131,8 @@ qemuDomainSaveImageDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn, const char *path,
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = conn->privateData;
     int ret = -1;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
-    virDomainDefPtr newdef = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) newdef = NULL;
     int fd = -1;
     virQEMUSaveDataPtr data = NULL;
     int state = -1;
@@ -6194,8 +6191,6 @@ qemuDomainSaveImageDefineXML(virConnectPtr conn, const char *path,
     ret = 0;
 
  cleanup:
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
-    virDomainDefFree(newdef);
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
     virQEMUSaveDataFree(data);
     return ret;
@@ -6208,7 +6203,7 @@ qemuDomainManagedSaveGetXMLDesc(virDomainPtr dom, unsigned int flags)
     virDomainObjPtr vm;
     g_autofree char *path = NULL;
     char *ret = NULL;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     int fd = -1;
     virQEMUSaveDataPtr data = NULL;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
@@ -6240,7 +6235,6 @@ qemuDomainManagedSaveGetXMLDesc(virDomainPtr dom, unsigned int flags)
 
  cleanup:
     virQEMUSaveDataFree(data);
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
     return ret;
@@ -6289,7 +6283,7 @@ qemuDomainObjRestore(virConnectPtr conn,
                      bool bypass_cache,
                      qemuDomainAsyncJob asyncJob)
 {
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
     int fd = -1;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -6350,7 +6344,6 @@ qemuDomainObjRestore(virConnectPtr conn,
 
  cleanup:
     virQEMUSaveDataFree(data);
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     VIR_FORCE_CLOSE(fd);
     if (virFileWrapperFdClose(wrapperFd) < 0)
         ret = -1;
@@ -6689,8 +6682,8 @@ qemuDomainDefineXMLFlags(virConnectPtr conn,
                          unsigned int flags)
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = conn->privateData;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
-    virDomainDefPtr oldDef = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) oldDef = NULL;
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     virDomainPtr dom = NULL;
     virObjectEventPtr event = NULL;
@@ -6754,8 +6747,16 @@ qemuDomainDefineXMLFlags(virConnectPtr conn,
             qemuDomainRemoveInactiveJob(driver, vm);
         }
     }
-    virDomainDefFree(oldDef);
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
+
+    event = virDomainEventLifecycleNewFromObj(vm,
+                                     VIR_DOMAIN_EVENT_DEFINED,
+                                     !oldDef ?
+                                     VIR_DOMAIN_EVENT_DEFINED_ADDED :
+                                     VIR_DOMAIN_EVENT_DEFINED_UPDATED);
+
+    VIR_INFO("Creating domain '%s'", vm->def->name);
+    dom = virGetDomain(conn, vm->def->name, vm->def->uuid, vm->def->id);
+
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
     virObjectEventStateQueue(driver->domainEventState, event);
     return dom;
@@ -7758,7 +7759,7 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceLiveAndConfig(virDomainObjPtr vm,
                                     unsigned int flags)
 {
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv = vm->privateData;
-    virDomainDefPtr vmdef = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) vmdef = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virQEMUDriverConfig) cfg = NULL;
     virDomainDeviceDefPtr devConf = NULL;
     virDomainDeviceDef devConfSave = { 0 };
@@ -7848,7 +7849,6 @@ qemuDomainAttachDeviceLiveAndConfig(virDomainObjPtr vm,
 
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
-    virDomainDefFree(vmdef);
     virDomainDeviceDefFree(devConf);
     virDomainDeviceDefFree(devLive);
 
@@ -7906,7 +7906,7 @@ static int qemuDomainUpdateDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = dom->conn->privateData;
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     qemuDomainObjPrivatePtr priv;
-    virDomainDefPtr vmdef = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) vmdef = NULL;
     virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev = NULL, dev_copy = NULL;
     bool force = (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_MODIFY_FORCE) != 0;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -8001,7 +8001,6 @@ static int qemuDomainUpdateDeviceFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     qemuDomainObjEndJob(driver, vm);
 
  cleanup:
-    virDomainDefFree(vmdef);
     if (dev != dev_copy)
         virDomainDeviceDefFree(dev_copy);
     virDomainDeviceDefFree(dev);
@@ -8020,7 +8019,7 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceLiveAndConfig(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     g_autoptr(virQEMUDriverConfig) cfg = NULL;
     virDomainDeviceDefPtr dev = NULL, dev_copy = NULL;
     unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_VALIDATE;
-    virDomainDefPtr vmdef = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) vmdef = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
 
     virCheckFlags(VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_LIVE |
@@ -8095,7 +8094,6 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceLiveAndConfig(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     if (dev != dev_copy)
         virDomainDeviceDefFree(dev_copy);
     virDomainDeviceDefFree(dev);
-    virDomainDefFree(vmdef);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -8110,7 +8108,7 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceAliasLiveAndConfig(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
     g_autoptr(virQEMUDriverConfig) cfg = NULL;
     virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
     virDomainDefPtr persistentDef = NULL;
-    virDomainDefPtr vmdef = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) vmdef = NULL;
     unsigned int parse_flags = VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_SKIP_VALIDATE;
     int ret = -1;
 
@@ -8164,7 +8162,6 @@ qemuDomainDetachDeviceAliasLiveAndConfig(virQEMUDriverPtr driver,
 
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
-    virDomainDefFree(vmdef);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -9284,7 +9281,7 @@ qemuDomainSetSchedulerParametersFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     virDomainObjPtr vm = NULL;
     virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
     virDomainDefPtr persistentDef = NULL;
-    virDomainDefPtr persistentDefCopy = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) persistentDefCopy = NULL;
     unsigned long long value_ul;
     long long value_l;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -9572,7 +9569,6 @@ qemuDomainSetSchedulerParametersFlags(virDomainPtr dom,
     qemuDomainObjEndJob(driver, vm);
 
  cleanup:
-    virDomainDefFree(persistentDefCopy);
     virDomainObjEndAPI(&vm);
     if (eventNparams)
         virTypedParamsFree(eventParams, eventNparams);
@@ -11171,7 +11167,7 @@ qemuDomainMigratePrepareTunnel(virConnectPtr dconn,
                                const char *dom_xml)
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = dconn->privateData;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     g_autofree char *origname = NULL;
     qemuMigrationParamsPtr migParams = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -11207,7 +11203,6 @@ qemuDomainMigratePrepareTunnel(virConnectPtr dconn,
 
  cleanup:
     qemuMigrationParamsFree(migParams);
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -11227,7 +11222,7 @@ qemuDomainMigratePrepare2(virConnectPtr dconn,
                           const char *dom_xml)
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = dconn->privateData;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     g_autofree char *origname = NULL;
     qemuMigrationParamsPtr migParams = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -11273,7 +11268,6 @@ qemuDomainMigratePrepare2(virConnectPtr dconn,
 
  cleanup:
     qemuMigrationParamsFree(migParams);
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -11615,7 +11609,7 @@ qemuDomainMigratePrepareTunnel3(virConnectPtr dconn,
                                 const char *dom_xml)
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = dconn->privateData;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     g_autofree char *origname = NULL;
     qemuMigrationParamsPtr migParams = NULL;
     int ret = -1;
@@ -11645,7 +11639,6 @@ qemuDomainMigratePrepareTunnel3(virConnectPtr dconn,
 
  cleanup:
     qemuMigrationParamsFree(migParams);
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     return ret;
 }
 
@@ -11661,7 +11654,7 @@ qemuDomainMigratePrepareTunnel3Params(virConnectPtr dconn,
                                       unsigned int flags)
 {
     virQEMUDriverPtr driver = dconn->privateData;
-    virDomainDefPtr def = NULL;
+    g_autoptr(virDomainDef) def = NULL;
     const char *dom_xml = NULL;
     const char *dname = NULL;
     g_autofree char *origname = NULL;
@@ -11703,7 +11696,6 @@ qemuDomainMigratePrepareTunnel3Params(virConnectPtr dconn,
 
  cleanup:
     qemuMigrationParamsFree(migParams);
-    virDomainDefFree(def);
     return ret;
 }