diff --git a/src/conf/backup_conf.c b/src/conf/backup_conf.c
index 0f2fba115d..7dfc8ee635 100644
--- a/src/conf/backup_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/backup_conf.c
@@ -277,9 +277,10 @@ virDomainBackupDefParseString(const char *xmlStr,
     virDomainBackupDef *ret = NULL;
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
     int keepBlanksDefault = xmlKeepBlanksDefault(0);
+    bool validate = !(flags & VIR_DOMAIN_BACKUP_PARSE_INTERNAL);
 
-    if ((xml = virXMLParse(NULL, xmlStr, _("(domain_backup)"), "domainbackup.rng",
-                           !(flags & VIR_DOMAIN_BACKUP_PARSE_INTERNAL)))) {
+    if ((xml = virXMLParse(NULL, xmlStr, _("(domain_backup)"),
+                           NULL, NULL, "domainbackup.rng", validate))) {
         xmlKeepBlanksDefault(keepBlanksDefault);
         ret = virDomainBackupDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml),
                                           xmlopt, flags);
diff --git a/src/conf/checkpoint_conf.c b/src/conf/checkpoint_conf.c
index 338cf10d12..0d2d2050da 100644
--- a/src/conf/checkpoint_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/checkpoint_conf.c
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ virDomainCheckpointDefParseString(const char *xmlStr,
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
     int keepBlanksDefault = xmlKeepBlanksDefault(0);
 
-    if ((xml = virXMLParse(NULL, xmlStr, _("(domain_checkpoint)"),
+    if ((xml = virXMLParse(NULL, xmlStr, _("(domain_checkpoint)"), NULL, NULL,
                            "domaincheckpoint.rng", true))) {
         xmlKeepBlanksDefault(keepBlanksDefault);
         ret = virDomainCheckpointDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml),
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index a609cc4f68..b3202c9f76 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -19083,8 +19083,10 @@ virDomainDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
     virDomainDef *def = NULL;
     int keepBlanksDefault = xmlKeepBlanksDefault(0);
     xmlNodePtr root;
-    if (!(xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(domain_definition)"), "domain.rng",
-                            flags & VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_VALIDATE_SCHEMA)))
+    bool validate = flags & VIR_DOMAIN_DEF_PARSE_VALIDATE_SCHEMA;
+
+    if (!(xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(domain_definition)"),
+                            NULL, NULL, "domain.rng", validate)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     root = xmlDocGetRootElement(xml);
diff --git a/src/conf/interface_conf.c b/src/conf/interface_conf.c
index dc61b378b9..a3f6b6bed6 100644
--- a/src/conf/interface_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/interface_conf.c
@@ -700,9 +700,10 @@ virInterfaceDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
                      unsigned int flags)
 {
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
+    bool validate = flags & VIR_INTERFACE_DEFINE_VALIDATE;
 
     xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(interface_definition)"),
-                      "interface.rng", flags & VIR_INTERFACE_DEFINE_VALIDATE);
+                      NULL, NULL, "interface.rng", validate);
     if (!xml)
         return NULL;
 
diff --git a/src/conf/network_conf.c b/src/conf/network_conf.c
index b8450b75a9..b1d77a80c3 100644
--- a/src/conf/network_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/network_conf.c
@@ -2036,7 +2036,7 @@ virNetworkDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
     int keepBlanksDefault = xmlKeepBlanksDefault(0);
 
     if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(network_definition)"),
-                           "network.rng", validate)))
+                           NULL, NULL, "network.rng", validate)))
         def = virNetworkDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml), xmlopt);
 
     xmlKeepBlanksDefault(keepBlanksDefault);
diff --git a/src/conf/node_device_conf.c b/src/conf/node_device_conf.c
index d5bfc098b2..1db9a3240a 100644
--- a/src/conf/node_device_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/node_device_conf.c
@@ -2508,7 +2508,8 @@ virNodeDeviceDefParse(const char *str,
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
     g_autoptr(virNodeDeviceDef) def = NULL;
 
-    if (!(xml = virXMLParse(filename, str, _("(node_device_definition)"), NULL, false)) ||
+    if (!(xml = virXMLParse(filename, str, _("(node_device_definition)"),
+                            NULL, NULL, NULL, false)) ||
         !(def = virNodeDeviceDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml),
                                           create, virt_type)))
         return NULL;
diff --git a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
index b5fd266457..44ea056823 100644
--- a/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/nwfilter_conf.c
@@ -2713,9 +2713,10 @@ virNWFilterDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
 {
     virNWFilterDef *def = NULL;
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
+    bool validate = flags & VIR_NWFILTER_DEFINE_VALIDATE;
 
-    if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(nwfilter_definition)"), "nwfilter.rng",
-                           flags & VIR_NWFILTER_DEFINE_VALIDATE))) {
+    if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(nwfilter_definition)"),
+                           NULL, NULL, "nwfilter.rng", validate))) {
         def = virNWFilterDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/secret_conf.c b/src/conf/secret_conf.c
index 011fdaa12b..02c2e38964 100644
--- a/src/conf/secret_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/secret_conf.c
@@ -193,9 +193,10 @@ virSecretDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
 {
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
     virSecretDef *ret = NULL;
+    bool validate = flags & VIR_SECRET_DEFINE_VALIDATE;
 
-    if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(definition_of_secret)"), "secret.rng",
-                           flags & VIR_SECRET_DEFINE_VALIDATE))) {
+    if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(definition_of_secret)"),
+                           NULL, NULL, "secret.rng", validate))) {
         ret = secretXMLParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
index ae635edd08..a5974053f4 100644
--- a/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/snapshot_conf.c
@@ -421,9 +421,10 @@ virDomainSnapshotDefParseString(const char *xmlStr,
     virDomainSnapshotDef *ret = NULL;
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
     int keepBlanksDefault = xmlKeepBlanksDefault(0);
+    bool validate = flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_VALIDATE;
 
-    if ((xml = virXMLParse(NULL, xmlStr, _("(domain_snapshot)"), "domainsnapshot.rng",
-                           flags & VIR_DOMAIN_SNAPSHOT_PARSE_VALIDATE))) {
+    if ((xml = virXMLParse(NULL, xmlStr, _("(domain_snapshot)"),
+                           NULL, NULL, "domainsnapshot.rng", validate))) {
         xmlKeepBlanksDefault(keepBlanksDefault);
         ret = virDomainSnapshotDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml),
                                             xmlopt, parseOpaque,
diff --git a/src/conf/storage_conf.c b/src/conf/storage_conf.c
index 79f16aadf3..d7375a5160 100644
--- a/src/conf/storage_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/storage_conf.c
@@ -1001,9 +1001,10 @@ virStoragePoolDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
 {
     virStoragePoolDef *ret = NULL;
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
+    bool validate = flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_DEFINE_VALIDATE;
 
     if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(storage_pool_definition)"),
-                           "storagepool.rng", flags & VIR_STORAGE_POOL_DEFINE_VALIDATE))) {
+                           NULL, NULL, "storagepool.rng", validate))) {
         ret = virStoragePoolDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml));
     }
 
@@ -1470,7 +1471,8 @@ virStorageVolDefParse(virStoragePoolDef *pool,
     virStorageVolDef *ret = NULL;
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
 
-    if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(storage_volume_definition)"), NULL, false))) {
+    if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(storage_volume_definition)"),
+                           NULL, NULL, NULL, false))) {
         ret = virStorageVolDefParseNode(pool, xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml), flags);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/virnetworkportdef.c b/src/conf/virnetworkportdef.c
index 39fa895fae..40cadc4ae8 100644
--- a/src/conf/virnetworkportdef.c
+++ b/src/conf/virnetworkportdef.c
@@ -279,10 +279,10 @@ virNetworkPortDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
 {
     virNetworkPortDef *def = NULL;
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
+    bool validate = flags & VIR_NETWORK_PORT_CREATE_VALIDATE;
 
     if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(networkport_definition)"),
-                           "networkport.rng",
-                           flags & VIR_NETWORK_PORT_CREATE_VALIDATE))) {
+                           NULL, NULL, "networkport.rng", validate))) {
         def = virNetworkPortDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/virnwfilterbindingdef.c b/src/conf/virnwfilterbindingdef.c
index cc50ba944a..e58bab3f08 100644
--- a/src/conf/virnwfilterbindingdef.c
+++ b/src/conf/virnwfilterbindingdef.c
@@ -182,10 +182,10 @@ virNWFilterBindingDefParse(const char *xmlStr,
 {
     virNWFilterBindingDef *def = NULL;
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
+    bool validate = flags & VIR_NWFILTER_BINDING_CREATE_VALIDATE;
 
     if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(nwfilterbinding_definition)"),
-                           "nwfilterbinding.rng",
-                           flags & VIR_NWFILTER_BINDING_CREATE_VALIDATE))) {
+                           NULL, NULL, "nwfilterbinding.rng", validate))) {
         def = virNWFilterBindingDefParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/conf/virnwfilterbindingobj.c b/src/conf/virnwfilterbindingobj.c
index 47455c7e35..cc6009d1f2 100644
--- a/src/conf/virnwfilterbindingobj.c
+++ b/src/conf/virnwfilterbindingobj.c
@@ -257,7 +257,8 @@ virNWFilterBindingObjParse(const char *xmlStr,
     virNWFilterBindingObj *obj = NULL;
     g_autoptr(xmlDoc) xml = NULL;
 
-    if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(nwfilterbinding_status)"), NULL, false))) {
+    if ((xml = virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, _("(nwfilterbinding_status)"),
+                           NULL, NULL, NULL, false))) {
         obj = virNWFilterBindingObjParseNode(xml, xmlDocGetRootElement(xml));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/test_driver.c b/src/test/test_driver.c
index 686ff051a8..1c10124564 100644
--- a/src/test/test_driver.c
+++ b/src/test/test_driver.c
@@ -851,7 +851,7 @@ testParseXMLDocFromFile(xmlNodePtr node, const char *file, const char *type)
     if ((relFile = virXMLPropString(node, "file"))) {
         absFile = testBuildFilename(file, relFile);
 
-        if (!(doc = virXMLParse(absFile, NULL, type, NULL, false)))
+        if (!(doc = virXMLParse(absFile, NULL, type, NULL, NULL, NULL, false)))
             return NULL;
 
         ret = xmlCopyNode(xmlDocGetRootElement(doc), 1);
diff --git a/src/util/virxml.h b/src/util/virxml.h
index 65db46ca98..0a5759fd45 100644
--- a/src/util/virxml.h
+++ b/src/util/virxml.h
@@ -204,13 +204,17 @@ virXMLPickShellSafeComment(const char *str1,
  * @filename: file to parse, or NULL for string parsing
  * @xmlStr: if @filename is NULL, a string to parse
  * @url: if @filename is NULL, an optional filename to attribute the parse to
+ * @rootelement: if non-NULL, validate that the root element name equals to this parameter
+ * @ctxt: if non-NULL, filled with a new XPath context including populating the root node
+ * @schemafile: name of the appropriate schema file for the parsed XML for validation (may be NULL)
+ * @validate: if true and @schemafile is non-NULL, validate the XML against @schemafile
  *
  * Parse xml from either a file or a string.
  *
  * Return the parsed document object, or NULL on failure.
  */
-#define virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, url, schemafile, validate) \
-    virXMLParseHelper(VIR_FROM_THIS, filename, xmlStr, url, NULL, NULL, schemafile, validate)
+#define virXMLParse(filename, xmlStr, url, rootelement, ctxt, schemafile, validate) \
+    virXMLParseHelper(VIR_FROM_THIS, filename, xmlStr, url, rootelement, ctxt, schemafile, validate)
 
 /**
  * virXMLParseString:
diff --git a/src/vbox/vbox_snapshot_conf.c b/src/vbox/vbox_snapshot_conf.c
index 90afac179e..6dce9cdf0f 100644
--- a/src/vbox/vbox_snapshot_conf.c
+++ b/src/vbox/vbox_snapshot_conf.c
@@ -584,7 +584,7 @@ virVBoxSnapshotConfLoadVboxFile(const char *filePath,
 
     machineDescription = g_new0(virVBoxSnapshotConfMachine, 1);
 
-    xml = virXMLParse(filePath, NULL, NULL, NULL, false);
+    xml = virXMLParse(filePath, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, false);
     if (xml == NULL) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
                        _("Unable to parse the xml"));
@@ -1214,7 +1214,7 @@ virVBoxSnapshotConfGetRWDisksPathsFromLibvirtXML(const char *filePath,
                        _("filePath is null"));
         goto cleanup;
     }
-    xml = virXMLParse(filePath, NULL, NULL, NULL, false);
+    xml = virXMLParse(filePath, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, false);
     if (xml == NULL) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
                        _("Unable to parse the xml"));
@@ -1271,7 +1271,7 @@ virVBoxSnapshotConfGetRODisksPathsFromLibvirtXML(const char *filePath,
                        _("filePath is null"));
         goto cleanup;
     }
-    xml = virXMLParse(filePath, NULL, NULL, NULL, false);
+    xml = virXMLParse(filePath, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, false);
     if (xml == NULL) {
         virReportError(VIR_ERR_XML_ERROR, "%s",
                        _("Unable to parse the xml"));
diff --git a/src/vz/vz_sdk.c b/src/vz/vz_sdk.c
index ecf610d7db..8fb7a9948d 100644
--- a/src/vz/vz_sdk.c
+++ b/src/vz/vz_sdk.c
@@ -4581,7 +4581,8 @@ prlsdkParseSnapshotTree(const char *treexml)
     if (*treexml == '\0')
         return snapshots;
 
-    if (!(xml = virXMLParse(NULL, treexml, _("(snapshot_tree)"), NULL, false)))
+    if (!(xml = virXMLParse(NULL, treexml, _("(snapshot_tree)"),
+                            NULL, NULL, NULL, false)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     root = xmlDocGetRootElement(xml);
diff --git a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
index b96ec69fa7..825273c8c6 100644
--- a/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
+++ b/tests/qemuxml2argvtest.c
@@ -672,7 +672,8 @@ testCompareXMLToArgv(const void *data)
     if (testCheckExclusiveFlags(info->flags) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (!(xml = virXMLParse(info->infile, NULL, "(domain_definition)", NULL, false)))
+    if (!(xml = virXMLParse(info->infile, NULL, "(domain_definition)",
+                            NULL, NULL, NULL, false)))
         goto cleanup;
 
     root = xmlDocGetRootElement(xml);