diff -r f5d6afa46dd7 tools/libxl/libxl.c
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl.c	Tue Dec 07 18:10:46 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl.c	Wed Dec 08 12:32:04 2010 -0800
@@ -1418,11 +1418,11 @@
         goto out;
 
     /* we mustn't use the parent's handle in the child */
-    xsh = xs_daemon_open();
+    xsh = libxl__xs_open();
 
     xs_write(xsh, XBT_NULL, path, pid, len);
 
-    xs_daemon_close(xsh);
+    libxl__xs_close(xsh);
 out:
     free(path);
     free(pid);
diff -r f5d6afa46dd7 tools/libxl/libxl_device.c
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_device.c	Tue Dec 07 18:10:46 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_device.c	Wed Dec 08 12:32:04 2010 -0800
@@ -428,7 +428,7 @@
     unsigned int num;
     char **l = NULL;
 
-    xsh = xs_daemon_open();
+    xsh = libxl__xs_open(); 
     path = libxl__sprintf(&gc, "/local/domain/0/device-model/%d/state", domid);
     xs_watch(xsh, path, path);
     tv.tv_sec = LIBXL_DEVICE_MODEL_START_TIMEOUT;
@@ -450,7 +450,7 @@
 
         free(p);
         xs_unwatch(xsh, path, path);
-        xs_daemon_close(xsh);
+        libxl__xs_close(xsh);
         libxl__free_all(&gc);
         return rc;
 again:
@@ -467,7 +467,7 @@
         }
     }
     xs_unwatch(xsh, path, path);
-    xs_daemon_close(xsh);
+    libxl__xs_close(xsh);
     LIBXL__LOG(ctx, LIBXL__LOG_ERROR, "Device Model not ready");
     libxl__free_all(&gc);
     return -1;
diff -r f5d6afa46dd7 tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h	Tue Dec 07 18:10:46 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_internal.h	Wed Dec 08 12:32:04 2010 -0800
@@ -140,6 +140,8 @@
 _hidden char *libxl__xs_get_dompath(libxl__gc *gc, uint32_t domid); // logs errs
 _hidden char *libxl__xs_read(libxl__gc *gc, xs_transaction_t t, char *path);
 _hidden char **libxl__xs_directory(libxl__gc *gc, xs_transaction_t t, char *path, unsigned int *nb);
+_hidden struct xs_handle *libxl__xs_open(void);
+_hidden void libxl__xs_close(struct xs_handle *xsh);
 
 /* from xl_dom */
 _hidden int libxl__domain_is_hvm(libxl_ctx *ctx, uint32_t domid);
diff -r f5d6afa46dd7 tools/libxl/libxl_utils.c
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_utils.c	Tue Dec 07 18:10:46 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_utils.c	Wed Dec 08 12:32:04 2010 -0800
@@ -399,7 +399,7 @@
 
 int libxl_ctx_postfork(libxl_ctx *ctx) {
     if (ctx->xsh) xs_daemon_destroy_postfork(ctx->xsh);
-    ctx->xsh = xs_daemon_open();
+    ctx->xsh = libxl__xs_open();
     if (!ctx->xsh) return ERROR_FAIL;
     return 0;
 }
diff -r f5d6afa46dd7 tools/libxl/libxl_xshelp.c
--- a/tools/libxl/libxl_xshelp.c	Tue Dec 07 18:10:46 2010 +0000
+++ b/tools/libxl/libxl_xshelp.c	Wed Dec 08 12:32:04 2010 -0800
@@ -121,3 +121,19 @@
     libxl__ptr_add(gc, ret);
     return ret;
 }
+
+struct xs_handle *libxl__xs_open(void)
+{
+    struct xs_handle* xsh = NULL;
+    
+    xsh = xs_daemon_open();
+    if ( !xsh )
+        xsh = xs_domain_open();
+
+    return xsh;
+}
+
+void libxl__xs_close(struct xs_handle *xsh)
+{
+    xs_daemon_close(xsh);
+}