diff --git a/src/util/vircgroup.c b/src/util/vircgroup.c
index b7e5f03521..da506fc0b0 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroup.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroup.c
@@ -381,22 +381,6 @@ virCgroupDetect(virCgroupPtr group,
             return -1;
     }
 
-    for (i = 0; i < VIR_CGROUP_BACKEND_TYPE_LAST; i++) {
-        if (group->backends[i]) {
-            int rc = group->backends[i]->detectControllers(group, controllers, parent);
-            if (rc < 0)
-                return -1;
-            controllersAvailable |= rc;
-        }
-    }
-
-    /* Check that at least 1 controller is available */
-    if (controllersAvailable == 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(ENXIO, "%s",
-                             _("At least one cgroup controller is required"));
-        return -1;
-    }
-
     /* In some cases we can copy part of the placement info
      * based on the parent cgroup...
      */
@@ -421,6 +405,22 @@ virCgroupDetect(virCgroupPtr group,
         }
     }
 
+    for (i = 0; i < VIR_CGROUP_BACKEND_TYPE_LAST; i++) {
+        if (group->backends[i]) {
+            int rc = group->backends[i]->detectControllers(group, controllers, parent);
+            if (rc < 0)
+                return -1;
+            controllersAvailable |= rc;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Check that at least 1 controller is available */
+    if (controllersAvailable == 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(ENXIO, "%s",
+                             _("At least one cgroup controller is required"));
+        return -1;
+    }
+
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroupv1.c b/src/util/vircgroupv1.c
index fb3e0b2d47..4231d8d6fa 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroupv1.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroupv1.c
@@ -464,6 +464,7 @@ virCgroupV1DetectControllers(virCgroupPtr group,
                     }
                 }
                 VIR_FREE(group->legacy[i].mountPoint);
+                VIR_FREE(group->legacy[i].placement);
             }
         }
     } else {
diff --git a/src/util/vircgroupv2.c b/src/util/vircgroupv2.c
index 2d09d77a29..29b5806a01 100644
--- a/src/util/vircgroupv2.c
+++ b/src/util/vircgroupv2.c
@@ -250,8 +250,9 @@ virCgroupV2ParseControllersFile(virCgroupPtr group)
     char **contList = NULL;
     char **tmp;
 
-    if (virAsprintf(&contFile, "%s/cgroup.controllers",
-                    group->unified.mountPoint) < 0)
+    if (virAsprintf(&contFile, "%s%s/cgroup.controllers",
+                    group->unified.mountPoint,
+                    NULLSTR_EMPTY(group->unified.placement)) < 0)
         return -1;
 
     rc = virFileReadAll(contFile, 1024 * 1024, &contStr);