diff --git a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
index 596cc8eada..2d11f45301 100644
--- a/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
+++ b/src/bitcoin-cli.cpp
@@ -17,10 +17,9 @@
 #include <boost/filesystem/operations.hpp>
 #include <stdio.h>
 
-#include <event2/event.h>
-#include <event2/http.h>
 #include <event2/buffer.h>
 #include <event2/keyvalq_struct.h>
+#include "support/events.h"
 
 #include <univalue.h>
 
@@ -190,23 +189,19 @@ UniValue CallRPC(const std::string& strMethod, const UniValue& params)
     std::string host = GetArg("-rpcconnect", DEFAULT_RPCCONNECT);
     int port = GetArg("-rpcport", BaseParams().RPCPort());
 
-    // Create event base
-    struct event_base *base = event_base_new(); // TODO RAII
-    if (!base)
-        throw std::runtime_error("cannot create event_base");
+    // Obtain event base
+    raii_event_base base = obtain_event_base();
 
     // Synchronously look up hostname
-    struct evhttp_connection *evcon = evhttp_connection_base_new(base, NULL, host.c_str(), port); // TODO RAII
-    if (evcon == NULL)
-        throw std::runtime_error("create connection failed");
-    evhttp_connection_set_timeout(evcon, GetArg("-rpcclienttimeout", DEFAULT_HTTP_CLIENT_TIMEOUT));
+    raii_evhttp_connection evcon = obtain_evhttp_connection_base(base.get(), host, port);
+    evhttp_connection_set_timeout(evcon.get(), GetArg("-rpcclienttimeout", DEFAULT_HTTP_CLIENT_TIMEOUT));
 
     HTTPReply response;
-    struct evhttp_request *req = evhttp_request_new(http_request_done, (void*)&response); // TODO RAII
+    raii_evhttp_request req = obtain_evhttp_request(http_request_done, (void*)&response);
     if (req == NULL)
         throw std::runtime_error("create http request failed");
 #if LIBEVENT_VERSION_NUMBER >= 0x02010300
-    evhttp_request_set_error_cb(req, http_error_cb);
+    evhttp_request_set_error_cb(req.get(), http_error_cb);
 #endif
 
     // Get credentials
@@ -223,7 +218,7 @@ UniValue CallRPC(const std::string& strMethod, const UniValue& params)
         strRPCUserColonPass = mapArgs["-rpcuser"] + ":" + mapArgs["-rpcpassword"];
     }
 
-    struct evkeyvalq *output_headers = evhttp_request_get_output_headers(req);
+    struct evkeyvalq* output_headers = evhttp_request_get_output_headers(req.get());
     assert(output_headers);
     evhttp_add_header(output_headers, "Host", host.c_str());
     evhttp_add_header(output_headers, "Connection", "close");
@@ -231,20 +226,17 @@ UniValue CallRPC(const std::string& strMethod, const UniValue& params)
 
     // Attach request data
     std::string strRequest = JSONRPCRequestObj(strMethod, params, 1).write() + "\n";
-    struct evbuffer * output_buffer = evhttp_request_get_output_buffer(req);
+    struct evbuffer* output_buffer = evhttp_request_get_output_buffer(req.get());
     assert(output_buffer);
     evbuffer_add(output_buffer, strRequest.data(), strRequest.size());
 
-    int r = evhttp_make_request(evcon, req, EVHTTP_REQ_POST, "/");
+    int r = evhttp_make_request(evcon.get(), req.get(), EVHTTP_REQ_POST, "/");
+    req.release(); // ownership moved to evcon in above call
     if (r != 0) {
-        evhttp_connection_free(evcon);
-        event_base_free(base);
         throw CConnectionFailed("send http request failed");
     }
 
-    event_base_dispatch(base);
-    evhttp_connection_free(evcon);
-    event_base_free(base);
+    event_base_dispatch(base.get());
 
     if (response.status == 0)
         throw CConnectionFailed(strprintf("couldn't connect to server: %s (code %d)\n(make sure server is running and you are connecting to the correct RPC port)", http_errorstring(response.error), response.error));