diff --git a/README b/README
index 81920861b..7307ac53a 100644
--- a/README
+++ b/README
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ The full requirements are described below.
 +--------------+-------------+---+-----------------------------------------+
 | libmagic     |             | O | The library used by the 'file' command. |
 +--------------+-------------+---+-----------------------------------------+
-| libvirt      |             | O | >= 0.10.2 is needed if you want to use  |
+| libvirt      |             | O | >= 1.1.1 is needed if you want to use   |
 |              |             |   | libvirt to manage transient VMs.        |
 +--------------+-------------+---+-----------------------------------------+
 | xmllint      |             | O | Part of libxml2.  Used for tests only.  |
diff --git a/src/launch-libvirt.c b/src/launch-libvirt.c
index 08e2a5de5..f28b288c8 100644
--- a/src/launch-libvirt.c
+++ b/src/launch-libvirt.c
@@ -63,15 +63,14 @@
  * This is also checked at runtime because you can dynamically link
  * with a different version from what you were compiled with.
  */
-#define MIN_LIBVIRT_MAJOR 0
-#define MIN_LIBVIRT_MINOR 10
-#define MIN_LIBVIRT_MICRO 2 /* XXX patches in > 2 already */
+#define MIN_LIBVIRT_MAJOR 1
+#define MIN_LIBVIRT_MINOR 1
+#define MIN_LIBVIRT_MICRO 1
 #define MIN_LIBVIRT_VERSION (MIN_LIBVIRT_MAJOR * 1000000 + \
                              MIN_LIBVIRT_MINOR * 1000 + \
                              MIN_LIBVIRT_MICRO)
 
-#if defined(HAVE_LIBVIRT) && \
-  LIBVIR_VERSION_NUMBER >= MIN_LIBVIRT_VERSION
+#if defined(HAVE_LIBVIRT) && LIBVIR_VERSION_NUMBER >= MIN_LIBVIRT_VERSION
 
 #ifndef HAVE_XMLBUFFERDETACH
 /* Added in libxml2 2.8.0.  This is mostly a copy of the function from
@@ -1865,4 +1864,4 @@ init_backend (void)
   guestfs___register_backend ("libvirt", &backend_libvirt_ops);
 }
 
-#endif
+#endif /* libvirt is new enough */