diff --git a/src/httpserver.cpp b/src/httpserver.cpp
--- a/src/httpserver.cpp
+++ b/src/httpserver.cpp
@@ -17,12 +17,12 @@
 
 #include <event2/buffer.h>
 #include <event2/bufferevent.h>
-#include <event2/event.h>
-#include <event2/http.h>
 #include <event2/keyvalq_struct.h>
 #include <event2/thread.h>
 #include <event2/util.h>
 
+#include <support/events.h>
+
 #ifdef EVENT__HAVE_NETINET_IN_H
 #include <netinet/in.h>
 #ifdef _XOPEN_SOURCE_EXTENDED
@@ -359,10 +359,9 @@
 }
 
 bool InitHTTPServer(Config &config) {
-    struct evhttp *http = 0;
-    struct event_base *base = 0;
-
-    if (!InitHTTPAllowList()) return false;
+    if (!InitHTTPAllowList()) {
+        return false;
+    }
 
     if (gArgs.GetBoolArg("-rpcssl", false)) {
         uiInterface.ThreadSafeMessageBox(
@@ -388,18 +387,13 @@
     evthread_use_pthreads();
 #endif
 
-    // XXX RAII: Create a new event_base for Libevent use
-    base = event_base_new();
-    if (!base) {
-        LogPrintf("Couldn't create an event_base: exiting\n");
-        return false;
-    }
+    raii_event_base base_ctr = obtain_event_base();
 
-    // XXX RAII: Create a new evhttp object to handle requests
-    http = evhttp_new(base);
+    /* Create a new evhttp object to handle requests. */
+    raii_evhttp http_ctr = obtain_evhttp(base_ctr.get());
+    struct evhttp *http = http_ctr.get();
     if (!http) {
         LogPrintf("couldn't create evhttp. Exiting.\n");
-        event_base_free(base);
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -418,8 +412,6 @@
 
     if (!HTTPBindAddresses(http)) {
         LogPrintf("Unable to bind any endpoint for RPC server\n");
-        evhttp_free(http);
-        event_base_free(base);
         return false;
     }
 
@@ -429,8 +421,9 @@
     LogPrintf("HTTP: creating work queue of depth %d\n", workQueueDepth);
 
     workQueue = new WorkQueue<HTTPClosure>(workQueueDepth);
-    eventBase = base;
-    eventHTTP = http;
+    // tranfer ownership to eventBase/HTTP via .release()
+    eventBase = base_ctr.release();
+    eventHTTP = http_ctr.release();
     return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/support/events.h b/src/support/events.h
--- a/src/support/events.h
+++ b/src/support/events.h
@@ -25,32 +25,36 @@
 MAKE_RAII(evhttp_request);
 MAKE_RAII(evhttp_connection);
 
-raii_event_base obtain_event_base() {
+inline raii_event_base obtain_event_base() {
     auto result = raii_event_base(event_base_new());
-    if (!result.get()) throw std::runtime_error("cannot create event_base");
+    if (!result.get()) {
+        throw std::runtime_error("cannot create event_base");
+    }
     return result;
 }
 
-raii_event obtain_event(struct event_base *base, evutil_socket_t s,
-                        short events, event_callback_fn cb, void *arg) {
+inline raii_event obtain_event(struct event_base *base, evutil_socket_t s,
+                               short events, event_callback_fn cb, void *arg) {
     return raii_event(event_new(base, s, events, cb, arg));
 }
 
-raii_evhttp obtain_evhttp(struct event_base *base) {
+inline raii_evhttp obtain_evhttp(struct event_base *base) {
     return raii_evhttp(evhttp_new(base));
 }
 
-raii_evhttp_request
+inline raii_evhttp_request
 obtain_evhttp_request(void (*cb)(struct evhttp_request *, void *), void *arg) {
     return raii_evhttp_request(evhttp_request_new(cb, arg));
 }
 
-raii_evhttp_connection obtain_evhttp_connection_base(struct event_base *base,
-                                                     std::string host,
-                                                     uint16_t port) {
+inline raii_evhttp_connection
+obtain_evhttp_connection_base(struct event_base *base, std::string host,
+                              uint16_t port) {
     auto result = raii_evhttp_connection(
         evhttp_connection_base_new(base, nullptr, host.c_str(), port));
-    if (!result.get()) throw std::runtime_error("create connection failed");
+    if (!result.get()) {
+        throw std::runtime_error("create connection failed");
+    }
     return result;
 }