diff --git a/src/conf/checkpoint_conf.c b/src/conf/checkpoint_conf.c
index 89d117043b..851c84f983 100644
--- a/src/conf/checkpoint_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/checkpoint_conf.c
@@ -493,7 +493,6 @@ virDomainCheckpointDefFormatInternal(virBufferPtr buf,
     return 0;
 
  error:
-    virBufferFreeAndReset(buf);
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 3a110b330f..d33eb65f05 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -29970,7 +29970,6 @@ virDomainDefFormatInternalSetRootName(virDomainDefPtr def,
     return 0;
 
  error:
-    virBufferFreeAndReset(buf);
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
index 9767592bfc..b7ed3b42df 100644
--- a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
@@ -916,7 +916,6 @@ virDomainSnapshotDefFormatInternal(virBufferPtr buf,
     return 0;
 
  error:
-    virBufferFreeAndReset(buf);
     return -1;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/libxl/xen_xl.c b/src/libxl/xen_xl.c
index f4d6a631d1..a4b6bc3c9b 100644
--- a/src/libxl/xen_xl.c
+++ b/src/libxl/xen_xl.c
@@ -1432,7 +1432,6 @@ xenFormatXLVnode(virConfValuePtr list,
     ret = 0;
 
  cleanup:
-    virBufferFreeAndReset(buf);
     return ret;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/util/virsysinfo.c b/src/util/virsysinfo.c
index dbca99c1ef..e69fc51a1e 100644
--- a/src/util/virsysinfo.c
+++ b/src/util/virsysinfo.c
@@ -1581,7 +1581,6 @@ virSysinfoFormat(virBufferPtr buf, virSysinfoDefPtr def)
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_INTERNAL_ERROR,
                        _("unexpected sysinfo type model %d"),
                        def->type);
-        virBufferFreeAndReset(buf);
         return -1;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/util/virxml.c b/src/util/virxml.c
index 1eaf390db2..78001363df 100644
--- a/src/util/virxml.c
+++ b/src/util/virxml.c
@@ -1284,7 +1284,6 @@ virXMLValidatorValidate(virXMLValidatorPtr validator,
 
     ret = 0;
  cleanup:
-    virBufferFreeAndReset(&validator->buf);
     return ret;
 }