diff --git a/src/H5T.c b/src/H5T.c
index 811323e2d58..09eeff8c2f1 100644
--- a/src/H5T.c
+++ b/src/H5T.c
@@ -348,6 +348,8 @@ static herr_t H5T__set_size(H5T_t *dt, size_t size);
 static herr_t H5T__close_cb(H5T_t *dt, void **request);
 static H5T_path_t *H5T__path_find_real(const H5T_t *src, const H5T_t *dst, const char *name,
                                        H5T_conv_func_t *conv);
+static bool        H5T_path_match(H5T_path_t *path, H5T_pers_t pers, const char *name, H5T_t *src, H5T_t *dst,
+                                  H5VL_object_t *owned_vol_obj, H5T_conv_t func);
 static bool        H5T__detect_vlen_ref(const H5T_t *dt);
 static H5T_t      *H5T__initiate_copy(const H5T_t *old_dt);
 static H5T_t      *H5T__copy_transient(H5T_t *old_dt);
@@ -2693,8 +2695,22 @@ H5T_unregister(H5T_pers_t pers, const char *name, H5T_t *src, H5T_t *dst, H5VL_o
 
     FUNC_ENTER_NOAPI_NOERR
 
-    /* Remove matching entries from the soft list */
-    if (H5T_PERS_DONTCARE == pers || H5T_PERS_SOFT == pers) {
+    /*
+     * Remove matching entries from the soft list if:
+     *
+     *  - The caller didn't specify a particular type (soft or hard)
+     *    of conversion path to match against or specified that soft
+     *    conversion paths should be matched against
+     *
+     *  AND
+     *
+     *  - The caller didn't provide the `owned_vol_obj` parameter;
+     *    if this parameter is provided, we want to leave the soft
+     *    list untouched and only remove cached conversion paths
+     *    below where the file VOL object associated with the path's
+     *    source or destination types matches the given VOL object.
+     */
+    if ((H5T_PERS_DONTCARE == pers || H5T_PERS_SOFT == pers) && !owned_vol_obj) {
         for (i = H5T_g.nsoft - 1; i >= 0; --i) {
             soft = H5T_g.soft + i;
             assert(soft);
@@ -2704,8 +2720,6 @@ H5T_unregister(H5T_pers_t pers, const char *name, H5T_t *src, H5T_t *dst, H5VL_o
                 continue;
             if (dst && dst->shared->type != soft->dst)
                 continue;
-            if (owned_vol_obj)
-                continue;
             if (func && func != soft->conv.u.app_func)
                 continue;
 
@@ -2721,12 +2735,7 @@ H5T_unregister(H5T_pers_t pers, const char *name, H5T_t *src, H5T_t *dst, H5VL_o
         path = H5T_g.path[i];
         assert(path);
 
-        nomatch = ((H5T_PERS_SOFT == pers && path->is_hard) || (H5T_PERS_HARD == pers && !path->is_hard)) ||
-                  (name && *name && strcmp(name, path->name) != 0) ||
-                  (src && H5T_cmp(src, path->src, false)) || (dst && H5T_cmp(dst, path->dst, false)) ||
-                  (owned_vol_obj && (owned_vol_obj != path->src->shared->owned_vol_obj) &&
-                   (owned_vol_obj != path->dst->shared->owned_vol_obj)) ||
-                  (func && func != path->conv.u.app_func);
+        nomatch = !H5T_path_match(path, pers, name, src, dst, owned_vol_obj, func);
 
         /* Not a match */
         if (nomatch) {
@@ -5158,6 +5167,53 @@ H5T__path_find_real(const H5T_t *src, const H5T_t *dst, const char *name, H5T_co
     FUNC_LEAVE_NOAPI(ret_value)
 } /* end H5T__path_find_real() */
 
+/*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ * Function:  H5T_path_match
+ *
+ * Purpose:   Helper function to determine whether a datatype conversion
+ *            path object matches against a given set of criteria.
+ *
+ * Return:    true/false (can't fail)
+ *
+ *-------------------------------------------------------------------------
+ */
+static bool
+H5T_path_match(H5T_path_t *path, H5T_pers_t pers, const char *name, H5T_t *src, H5T_t *dst,
+               H5VL_object_t *owned_vol_obj, H5T_conv_t func)
+{
+    bool ret_value = true;
+
+    assert(path);
+
+    FUNC_ENTER_NOAPI_NOINIT_NOERR
+
+    if (
+        /* Check that the specified conversion function persistence matches */
+        ((H5T_PERS_SOFT == pers && path->is_hard) || (H5T_PERS_HARD == pers && !path->is_hard)) ||
+
+        /* Check that the specified conversion path name matches */
+        (name && *name && strcmp(name, path->name) != 0) ||
+
+        /*
+         * Check that the specified source and destination datatypes match
+         * the source and destination datatypes in the conversion path
+         */
+        (src && H5T_cmp(src, path->src, false)) || (dst && H5T_cmp(dst, path->dst, false)) ||
+
+        /*
+         * Check that the specified VOL object matches the VOL object
+         * in the conversion path
+         */
+        (owned_vol_obj && (owned_vol_obj != path->src->shared->owned_vol_obj) &&
+         (owned_vol_obj != path->dst->shared->owned_vol_obj)) ||
+
+        /* Check that the specified conversion function matches */
+        (func && func != path->conv.u.app_func))
+        ret_value = false;
+
+    FUNC_LEAVE_NOAPI(ret_value)
+} /* H5T_path_match() */
+
 /*-------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * Function:  H5T_path_noop
  *