diff --git a/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-search.c b/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-search.c
index ca4bb77c61..bd7779daec 100644
--- a/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-search.c
+++ b/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-search.c
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ virtual_search_init(struct mailbox_transaction_context *t,
 
 int virtual_search_deinit(struct mail_search_context *ctx)
 {
-	struct virtual_search_context *vctx = VIRTUAL_CONTEXT(ctx);
+	struct virtual_search_context *vctx = VIRTUAL_CONTEXT_REQUIRE(ctx);
 
 	array_free(&vctx->result);
 	array_free(&vctx->records);
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@ int virtual_search_deinit(struct mail_search_context *ctx)
 bool virtual_search_next_nonblock(struct mail_search_context *ctx,
 				  struct mail **mail_r, bool *tryagain_r)
 {
-	struct virtual_search_context *vctx = VIRTUAL_CONTEXT(ctx);
+	struct virtual_search_context *vctx = VIRTUAL_CONTEXT_REQUIRE(ctx);
 	struct index_search_context *ictx = (struct index_search_context *)ctx;
 	uint32_t seq;
 
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ static void search_args_set_full_match(struct mail_search_arg *args)
 
 bool virtual_search_next_update_seq(struct mail_search_context *ctx)
 {
-	struct virtual_search_context *vctx = VIRTUAL_CONTEXT(ctx);
+	struct virtual_search_context *vctx = VIRTUAL_CONTEXT_REQUIRE(ctx);
 	const struct virtual_search_record *recs;
 	unsigned int count;
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-storage.c b/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-storage.c
index 6e0bd40f32..e096234e64 100644
--- a/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-storage.c
+++ b/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-storage.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #define VIRTUAL_DEFAULT_MAX_OPEN_MAILBOXES 64
 
 #define VIRTUAL_BACKEND_CONTEXT(obj) \
-	MODULE_CONTEXT(obj, virtual_backend_storage_module)
+	MODULE_CONTEXT_REQUIRE(obj, virtual_backend_storage_module)
 
 struct virtual_backend_mailbox {
 	union mailbox_module_context module_ctx;
diff --git a/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-storage.h b/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-storage.h
index 8a6e3a50ef..8a82a4c6c0 100644
--- a/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-storage.h
+++ b/src/plugins/virtual/virtual-storage.h
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@
 
 #define VIRTUAL_CONTEXT(obj) \
 	MODULE_CONTEXT(obj, virtual_storage_module)
+#define VIRTUAL_CONTEXT_REQUIRE(obj) \
+	MODULE_CONTEXT_REQUIRE(obj, virtual_storage_module)
 
 struct virtual_save_context;