diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index ef266afae7..7d40f26573 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -2671,8 +2671,6 @@ void virDomainDefFree(virDomainDefPtr def)
 
     VIR_FREE(def->keywrap);
 
-    VIR_FREE(def->perf);
-
     if (def->namespaceData && def->ns.free)
         (def->ns.free)(def->namespaceData);
 
@@ -13136,19 +13134,14 @@ virDomainPerfDefParseXML(virDomainDefPtr def,
     if ((n = virXPathNodeSet("./perf/event", ctxt, &nodes)) < 0)
         return n;
 
-    if (VIR_ALLOC(def->perf) < 0)
-        goto cleanup;
-
     for (i = 0; i < n; i++) {
-        if (virDomainPerfEventDefParseXML(def->perf, nodes[i]) < 0)
+        if (virDomainPerfEventDefParseXML(&def->perf, nodes[i]) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
     }
 
     ret = 0;
 
  cleanup:
-    if (ret < 0)
-        VIR_FREE(def->perf);
     VIR_FREE(nodes);
     return ret;
 }
@@ -23388,8 +23381,7 @@ virDomainDefFormatInternal(virDomainDefPtr def,
         virBufferAddLit(buf, "</pm>\n");
     }
 
-    if (def->perf)
-        virDomainPerfDefFormat(buf, def->perf);
+    virDomainPerfDefFormat(buf, &def->perf);
 
     virBufferAddLit(buf, "<devices>\n");
     virBufferAdjustIndent(buf, 2);
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 7c5cbd9169..e1990dc928 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -2140,7 +2140,7 @@ struct _virDomainDef {
 
     virDomainPowerManagement pm;
 
-    virDomainPerfDefPtr perf;
+    virDomainPerfDef perf;
 
     virDomainOSDef os;
     char *emulator;
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
index 61d184bfe4..0507be8360 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_driver.c
@@ -9642,7 +9642,7 @@ qemuDomainSetPerfEvents(virDomainPtr dom,
             if (enabled && virPerfEventEnable(priv->perf, type, vm->pid) < 0)
                 goto endjob;
 
-            def->perf->events[type] = enabled ?
+            def->perf.events[type] = enabled ?
                 VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES : VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_NO;
         }
 
@@ -9656,7 +9656,7 @@ qemuDomainSetPerfEvents(virDomainPtr dom,
             enabled = param->value.b;
             type = virPerfEventTypeFromString(param->field);
 
-            persistentDef->perf->events[type] = enabled ?
+            persistentDef->perf.events[type] = enabled ?
                 VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES : VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_NO;
         }
 
@@ -9716,7 +9716,7 @@ qemuDomainGetPerfEvents(virDomainPtr dom,
         bool perf_enabled;
 
         if (flags & VIR_DOMAIN_AFFECT_CONFIG)
-            perf_enabled = def->perf->events[i] == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES;
+            perf_enabled = def->perf.events[i] == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES;
         else
             perf_enabled = virPerfEventIsEnabled(priv->perf, i);
 
diff --git a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
index c8ff587ff2..4eb35ea93d 100644
--- a/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
+++ b/src/qemu/qemu_process.c
@@ -3142,12 +3142,12 @@ qemuDomainPerfRestart(virDomainObjPtr vm)
         return -1;
 
     for (i = 0; i < VIR_PERF_EVENT_LAST; i++) {
-        if (def->perf->events[i] &&
-            def->perf->events[i] == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES) {
+        if (def->perf.events[i] &&
+            def->perf.events[i] == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES) {
 
             /* Failure to re-enable the perf event should not be fatal */
             if (virPerfEventEnable(priv->perf, i, vm->pid) < 0)
-                def->perf->events[i] = VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_NO;
+                def->perf.events[i] = VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_NO;
         }
     }
 
@@ -5220,7 +5220,7 @@ qemuProcessLaunch(virConnectPtr conn,
         goto cleanup;
 
     for (i = 0; i < VIR_PERF_EVENT_LAST; i++) {
-        if (vm->def->perf->events[i] == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES &&
+        if (vm->def->perf.events[i] == VIR_TRISTATE_BOOL_YES &&
             virPerfEventEnable(priv->perf, i, vm->pid) < 0)
             goto cleanup;
     }