diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 0c40a98f6b..b70dca6c61 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -24042,7 +24042,6 @@ virDomainDiskDefFormatIotune(virBufferPtr buf,
                              virDomainDiskDefPtr disk)
 {
     virBuffer childBuf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
-    int ret = -1;
 
     virBufferSetChildIndent(&childBuf, buf);
 
@@ -24077,10 +24076,7 @@ virDomainDiskDefFormatIotune(virBufferPtr buf,
     FORMAT_IOTUNE(read_iops_sec_max_length);
     FORMAT_IOTUNE(write_iops_sec_max_length);
 
-    ret = virXMLFormatElement(buf, "iotune", NULL, &childBuf);
-
-    virBufferFreeAndReset(&childBuf);
-    return ret;
+    return virXMLFormatElement(buf, "iotune", NULL, &childBuf);
 }
 
 #undef FORMAT_IOTUNE
@@ -24091,7 +24087,6 @@ virDomainDiskDefFormatDriver(virBufferPtr buf,
                              virDomainDiskDefPtr disk)
 {
     virBuffer driverBuf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
-    int ret = -1;
 
     virBufferEscapeString(&driverBuf, " name='%s'", virDomainDiskGetDriver(disk));
 
@@ -24143,10 +24138,7 @@ virDomainDiskDefFormatDriver(virBufferPtr buf,
 
     virDomainVirtioOptionsFormat(&driverBuf, disk->virtio);
 
-    ret = virXMLFormatElement(buf, "driver", &driverBuf, NULL);
-
-    virBufferFreeAndReset(&driverBuf);
-    return ret;
+    return virXMLFormatElement(buf, "driver", &driverBuf, NULL);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
index 0ef490be5a..9ed7115dab 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_domain.c
@@ -2234,14 +2234,11 @@ qemuDomainObjPrivateXMLFormatBlockjobs(virBufferPtr buf,
 {
     virBuffer attrBuf = VIR_BUFFER_INITIALIZER;
     bool bj = qemuDomainHasBlockjob(vm, false);
-    int ret;
 
     virBufferAsprintf(&attrBuf, " active='%s'",
                       virTristateBoolTypeToString(virTristateBoolFromBool(bj)));
 
-    ret = virXMLFormatElement(buf, "blockjobs", &attrBuf, NULL);
-    virBufferFreeAndReset(&attrBuf);
-    return ret;
+    return virXMLFormatElement(buf, "blockjobs", &attrBuf, NULL);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/util/virxml.c b/src/util/virxml.c
index 998d974882..3ed44e9036 100644
--- a/src/util/virxml.c
+++ b/src/util/virxml.c
@@ -1359,6 +1359,8 @@ virXMLValidatorFree(virXMLValidatorPtr validator)
  * @childBuf are NULL or are empty buffers the element is not
  * formatted.
  *
+ * Both passed buffers are always consumed and freed.
+ *
  * Returns 0 on success, -1 on error.
  */
 int
@@ -1367,15 +1369,16 @@ virXMLFormatElement(virBufferPtr buf,
                     virBufferPtr attrBuf,
                     virBufferPtr childBuf)
 {
+    int ret = -1;
+
     if ((!attrBuf || virBufferUse(attrBuf) == 0) &&
         (!childBuf || virBufferUse(childBuf) == 0)) {
         return 0;
     }
 
     if ((attrBuf && virBufferCheckError(attrBuf) < 0) ||
-        (childBuf && virBufferCheckError(childBuf) < 0)) {
-        return -1;
-    }
+        (childBuf && virBufferCheckError(childBuf) < 0))
+        goto cleanup;
 
     virBufferAsprintf(buf, "<%s", name);
 
@@ -1390,5 +1393,10 @@ virXMLFormatElement(virBufferPtr buf,
         virBufferAddLit(buf, "/>\n");
     }
 
-    return 0;
+    ret = 0;
+
+ cleanup:
+    virBufferFreeAndReset(attrBuf);
+    virBufferFreeAndReset(childBuf);
+    return ret;
 }