diff --git a/src/util/virnetdev.c b/src/util/virnetdev.c
index ebe20d09fb..5e8dffb204 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetdev.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetdev.c
@@ -1100,6 +1100,9 @@ virNetDevGetVirtualFunctions(const char *pfname,
     char *pci_sysfs_device_link = NULL;
     char *pciConfigAddr = NULL;
 
+    *virt_fns = NULL;
+    *n_vfname = 0;
+
     if (virNetDevSysfsFile(&pf_sysfs_device_link, pfname, "device") < 0)
         return ret;
 
diff --git a/src/util/virpci.c b/src/util/virpci.c
index 7d83bdb3c4..54f771531d 100644
--- a/src/util/virpci.c
+++ b/src/util/virpci.c
@@ -2425,6 +2425,9 @@ virPCIGetVirtualFunctions(const char *sysfs_path,
     VIR_DEBUG("Attempting to get SR IOV virtual functions for device"
               "with sysfs path '%s'", sysfs_path);
 
+    *virtual_functions = NULL;
+    *num_virtual_functions = 0;
+
     dir = opendir(sysfs_path);
     if (dir == NULL) {
         memset(errbuf, '\0', sizeof(errbuf));
@@ -2434,8 +2437,6 @@ virPCIGetVirtualFunctions(const char *sysfs_path,
         return ret;
     }
 
-    *virtual_functions = NULL;
-    *num_virtual_functions = 0;
     while ((entry = readdir(dir))) {
         if (STRPREFIX(entry->d_name, "virtfn")) {
             virPCIDeviceAddress *config_addr = NULL;