diff --git a/monitor.c b/monitor.c
index fa3e3ac251..12935a7d71 100644
--- a/monitor.c
+++ b/monitor.c
@@ -3842,7 +3842,7 @@ static void handle_qmp_command(JSONMessageParser *parser, GQueue *tokens)
 
     req_json = qobject_to_json(req);
     trace_handle_qmp_command(mon, qstring_get_str(req_json));
-    qobject_decref(QOBJECT(req_json));
+    QDECREF(req_json);
 
     rsp = qmp_dispatch(cur_mon->qmp.commands, req);
 
diff --git a/qemu-img.c b/qemu-img.c
index 28022145d5..182e697f81 100644
--- a/qemu-img.c
+++ b/qemu-img.c
@@ -327,7 +327,7 @@ static int img_add_key_secrets(void *opaque,
     QDict *options = opaque;
 
     if (g_str_has_suffix(name, "key-secret")) {
-        qdict_put(options, name, qstring_from_str(value));
+        qdict_put_str(options, name, value);
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/scripts/coccinelle/qobject.cocci b/scripts/coccinelle/qobject.cocci
index c3253deb1b..c518caf7b1 100644
--- a/scripts/coccinelle/qobject.cocci
+++ b/scripts/coccinelle/qobject.cocci
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@
 expression Obj, Key, E;
 @@
 (
+- qobject_incref(QOBJECT(E));
++ QINCREF(E);
+|
+- qobject_decref(QOBJECT(E));
++ QDECREF(E);
+|
 - qdict_put_obj(Obj, Key, QOBJECT(E));
 + qdict_put(Obj, Key, E);
 |
diff --git a/scripts/qapi-commands.py b/scripts/qapi-commands.py
index 1943de4852..974d0a4a80 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi-commands.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi-commands.py
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ def gen_command_decl(name, arg_type, boxed, ret_type):
 ''',
                  c_type=(ret_type and ret_type.c_type()) or 'void',
                  c_name=c_name(name),
-                 params=gen_params(arg_type, boxed, 'Error **errp'))
+                 params=build_params(arg_type, boxed, 'Error **errp'))
 
 
 def gen_call(name, arg_type, boxed, ret_type):
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ static void qmp_marshal_output_%(c_name)s(%(c_type)s ret_in, QObject **ret_out,
                  c_type=ret_type.c_type(), c_name=ret_type.c_name())
 
 
-def gen_marshal_proto(name):
+def build_marshal_proto(name):
     return ('void qmp_marshal_%s(QDict *args, QObject **ret, Error **errp)'
             % c_name(name))
 
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ def gen_marshal_decl(name):
     return mcgen('''
 %(proto)s;
 ''',
-                 proto=gen_marshal_proto(name))
+                 proto=build_marshal_proto(name))
 
 
 def gen_marshal(name, arg_type, boxed, ret_type):
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ def gen_marshal(name, arg_type, boxed, ret_type):
 {
     Error *err = NULL;
 ''',
-                proto=gen_marshal_proto(name))
+                proto=build_marshal_proto(name))
 
     if ret_type:
         ret += mcgen('''
diff --git a/scripts/qapi-event.py b/scripts/qapi-event.py
index 0485e39145..bcbef1035f 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi-event.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi-event.py
@@ -14,10 +14,10 @@
 from qapi import *
 
 
-def gen_event_send_proto(name, arg_type, boxed):
+def build_event_send_proto(name, arg_type, boxed):
     return 'void qapi_event_send_%(c_name)s(%(param)s)' % {
         'c_name': c_name(name.lower()),
-        'param': gen_params(arg_type, boxed, 'Error **errp')}
+        'param': build_params(arg_type, boxed, 'Error **errp')}
 
 
 def gen_event_send_decl(name, arg_type, boxed):
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@ def gen_event_send_decl(name, arg_type, boxed):
 
 %(proto)s;
 ''',
-                 proto=gen_event_send_proto(name, arg_type, boxed))
+                 proto=build_event_send_proto(name, arg_type, boxed))
 
 
-# Declare and initialize an object 'qapi' using parameters from gen_params()
+# Declare and initialize an object 'qapi' using parameters from build_params()
 def gen_param_var(typ):
     assert not typ.variants
     ret = mcgen('''
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ def gen_param_var(typ):
         if memb.optional:
             ret += 'has_' + c_name(memb.name) + sep
         if memb.type.name == 'str':
-            # Cast away const added in gen_params()
+            # Cast away const added in build_params()
             ret += '(char *)'
         ret += c_name(memb.name)
     ret += mcgen('''
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ def gen_event_send(name, arg_type, boxed):
     Error *err = NULL;
     QMPEventFuncEmit emit;
 ''',
-                proto=gen_event_send_proto(name, arg_type, boxed))
+                proto=build_event_send_proto(name, arg_type, boxed))
 
     if arg_type and not arg_type.is_empty():
         ret += mcgen('''
diff --git a/scripts/qapi.py b/scripts/qapi.py
index 0de809f56b..84e2eb441b 100644
--- a/scripts/qapi.py
+++ b/scripts/qapi.py
@@ -1897,7 +1897,7 @@ extern const char *const %(c_name)s_lookup[];
     return ret
 
 
-def gen_params(arg_type, boxed, extra):
+def build_params(arg_type, boxed, extra):
     if not arg_type:
         assert not boxed
         return extra