diff --git a/src/vmware/vmware_conf.c b/src/vmware/vmware_conf.c
index 6aba4f8657..5ff6396870 100644
--- a/src/vmware/vmware_conf.c
+++ b/src/vmware/vmware_conf.c
@@ -259,7 +259,6 @@ vmwareParseVersionStr(int type, const char *verbuf, unsigned long *version)
 int
 vmwareExtractVersion(struct vmware_driver *driver)
 {
-    unsigned long version = 0;
     int ret = -1;
     virCommandPtr cmd = NULL;
     char * outbuf = NULL;
@@ -298,7 +297,7 @@ vmwareExtractVersion(struct vmware_driver *driver)
     if (virCommandRun(cmd, NULL) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
-    if (vmwareParseVersionStr(driver->type, outbuf, &version) < 0)
+    if (vmwareParseVersionStr(driver->type, outbuf, &driver->version) < 0)
         goto cleanup;
 
     ret = 0;
diff --git a/src/vmware/vmware_conf.h b/src/vmware/vmware_conf.h
index c99610d4ca..1f3c41aa83 100644
--- a/src/vmware/vmware_conf.h
+++ b/src/vmware/vmware_conf.h
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ struct vmware_driver {
     virDomainXMLOptionPtr xmlopt;
 
     virDomainObjListPtr domains;
-    int version;
+    unsigned long version;
     int type;
     char *vmrun;
 };