diff --git a/hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c b/hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c
index 5dca4eab09..9117222456 100644
--- a/hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c
+++ b/hw/block/vhost-user-blk.c
@@ -337,6 +337,7 @@ static int vhost_user_blk_connect(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     vhost_dev_set_config_notifier(&s->dev, &blk_ops);
 
+    s->vhost_user.supports_config = true;
     ret = vhost_dev_init(&s->dev, &s->vhost_user, VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_USER, 0,
                          errp);
     if (ret < 0) {
diff --git a/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
index 9be21d07ee..1b2f7eed98 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/vhost-user-scsi.c
@@ -121,7 +121,6 @@ static void vhost_user_scsi_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     vsc->dev.backend_features = 0;
     vqs = vsc->dev.vqs;
 
-    s->vhost_user.supports_config = true;
     ret = vhost_dev_init(&vsc->dev, &s->vhost_user,
                          VHOST_BACKEND_TYPE_USER, 0, errp);
     if (ret < 0) {