diff --git a/src/util/virnetlink.c b/src/util/virnetlink.c
index a5d10fa8ec..be00351db1 100644
--- a/src/util/virnetlink.c
+++ b/src/util/virnetlink.c
@@ -209,6 +209,72 @@ virNetlinkCreateSocket(int protocol)
     goto cleanup;
 }
 
+static virNetlinkHandle *
+virNetlinkSendRequest(struct nl_msg *nl_msg, uint32_t src_pid,
+                      struct sockaddr_nl nladdr,
+                      unsigned int protocol, unsigned int groups)
+{
+    ssize_t nbytes;
+    int fd;
+    int n;
+    virNetlinkHandle *nlhandle = NULL;
+    struct pollfd fds[1];
+    struct nlmsghdr *nlmsg = nlmsg_hdr(nl_msg);
+
+    if (protocol >= MAX_LINKS) {
+        virReportSystemError(EINVAL,
+                             _("invalid protocol argument: %d"), protocol);
+        goto error;
+    }
+
+    if (!(nlhandle = virNetlinkCreateSocket(protocol)))
+        goto error;
+
+    fd = nl_socket_get_fd(nlhandle);
+    if (fd < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             "%s", _("cannot get netlink socket fd"));
+        goto error;
+    }
+
+    if (groups && nl_socket_add_membership(nlhandle, groups) < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             "%s", _("cannot add netlink membership"));
+        goto error;
+    }
+
+    nlmsg_set_dst(nl_msg, &nladdr);
+
+    nlmsg->nlmsg_pid = src_pid ? src_pid : getpid();
+
+    nbytes = nl_send_auto_complete(nlhandle, nl_msg);
+    if (nbytes < 0) {
+        virReportSystemError(errno,
+                             "%s", _("cannot send to netlink socket"));
+        goto error;
+    }
+
+    memset(fds, 0, sizeof(fds));
+
+    fds[0].fd = fd;
+    fds[0].events = POLLIN;
+
+    n = poll(fds, ARRAY_CARDINALITY(fds), NETLINK_ACK_TIMEOUT_S);
+    if (n <= 0) {
+        if (n < 0)
+            virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",
+                                 _("error in poll call"));
+        if (n == 0)
+            virReportSystemError(ETIMEDOUT, "%s",
+                                 _("no valid netlink response was received"));
+    }
+
+    return nlhandle;
+
+ error:
+    virNetlinkFree(nlhandle);
+    return NULL;
+}
 
 /**
  * virNetlinkCommand:
@@ -236,61 +302,15 @@ int virNetlinkCommand(struct nl_msg *nl_msg,
             .nl_pid    = dst_pid,
             .nl_groups = 0,
     };
-    ssize_t nbytes;
     struct pollfd fds[1];
-    int fd;
-    int n;
-    struct nlmsghdr *nlmsg = nlmsg_hdr(nl_msg);
     virNetlinkHandle *nlhandle = NULL;
     int len = 0;
 
-    if (protocol >= MAX_LINKS) {
-        virReportSystemError(EINVAL,
-                             _("invalid protocol argument: %d"), protocol);
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (!(nlhandle = virNetlinkCreateSocket(protocol)))
-        goto cleanup;
-
-    fd = nl_socket_get_fd(nlhandle);
-    if (fd < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno,
-                             "%s", _("cannot get netlink socket fd"));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    if (groups && nl_socket_add_membership(nlhandle, groups) < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno,
-                             "%s", _("cannot add netlink membership"));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
-    nlmsg_set_dst(nl_msg, &nladdr);
-
-    nlmsg->nlmsg_pid = src_pid ? src_pid : getpid();
-
-    nbytes = nl_send_auto_complete(nlhandle, nl_msg);
-    if (nbytes < 0) {
-        virReportSystemError(errno,
-                             "%s", _("cannot send to netlink socket"));
-        goto cleanup;
-    }
-
     memset(fds, 0, sizeof(fds));
-    fds[0].fd = fd;
-    fds[0].events = POLLIN;
 
-    n = poll(fds, ARRAY_CARDINALITY(fds), NETLINK_ACK_TIMEOUT_S);
-    if (n <= 0) {
-        if (n < 0)
-            virReportSystemError(errno, "%s",
-                                 _("error in poll call"));
-        if (n == 0)
-            virReportSystemError(ETIMEDOUT, "%s",
-                                 _("no valid netlink response was received"));
+    if (!(nlhandle = virNetlinkSendRequest(nl_msg, src_pid, nladdr,
+                                           protocol, groups)))
         goto cleanup;
-    }
 
     len = nl_recv(nlhandle, &nladdr, (unsigned char **)resp, NULL);
     if (len == 0) {
@@ -315,7 +335,6 @@ int virNetlinkCommand(struct nl_msg *nl_msg,
     return ret;
 }
 
-
 /**
  * virNetlinkDumpLink:
  *