diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.c b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
index 7044701fac..734fa584a4 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.c
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.c
@@ -6704,14 +6704,14 @@ virDomainHostdevSubsysUSBDefParseXML(xmlNodePtr node,
     ctxt->node = node;
 
     if ((startupPolicy = virXMLPropString(node, "startupPolicy"))) {
-        def->startupPolicy =
-            virDomainStartupPolicyTypeFromString(startupPolicy);
-        if (def->startupPolicy <= 0) {
+        int value = virDomainStartupPolicyTypeFromString(startupPolicy);
+        if (value <= 0) {
             virReportError(VIR_ERR_CONFIG_UNSUPPORTED,
                            _("Unknown startup policy '%s'"),
                            startupPolicy);
             return -1;
         }
+        def->startupPolicy = value;
     }
 
     if ((autoAddress = virXMLPropString(node, "autoAddress")))
diff --git a/src/conf/domain_conf.h b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
index 2d5462bb55..41e570765e 100644
--- a/src/conf/domain_conf.h
+++ b/src/conf/domain_conf.h
@@ -332,6 +332,15 @@ struct _virDomainHostdevCaps {
 };
 
 
+typedef enum {
+    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_DEFAULT = 0,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_MANDATORY,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_REQUISITE,
+    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_OPTIONAL,
+
+    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_LAST
+} virDomainStartupPolicy;
+
 /* basic device for direct passthrough */
 struct _virDomainHostdevDef {
     /* If 'parentnet' is non-NULL it means this host dev was
@@ -343,7 +352,7 @@ struct _virDomainHostdevDef {
     virDomainNetDef *parentnet;
 
     int mode; /* enum virDomainHostdevMode */
-    int startupPolicy; /* enum virDomainStartupPolicy */
+    virDomainStartupPolicy startupPolicy;
     bool managed;
     bool missing;
     bool readonly;
@@ -432,16 +441,6 @@ typedef enum {
     VIR_DOMAIN_DISK_IO_LAST
 } virDomainDiskIo;
 
-typedef enum {
-    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_DEFAULT = 0,
-    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_MANDATORY,
-    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_REQUISITE,
-    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_OPTIONAL,
-
-    VIR_DOMAIN_STARTUP_POLICY_LAST
-} virDomainStartupPolicy;
-
-
 typedef enum {
     VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_SGIO_DEFAULT = 0,
     VIR_DOMAIN_DEVICE_SGIO_FILTERED,