diff --git a/hw/core/qdev.c b/hw/core/qdev.c
index 02b632f6b3..6f1b070616 100644
--- a/hw/core/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/core/qdev.c
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@
 #include "hw/boards.h"
 #include "hw/sysbus.h"
 #include "qapi-event.h"
-#include "migration/migration.h"
+#include "migration/vmstate.h"
 
 bool qdev_hotplug = false;
 static bool qdev_hot_added = false;
@@ -861,6 +861,20 @@ static bool device_get_realized(Object *obj, Error **errp)
     return dev->realized;
 }
 
+static bool check_only_migratable(Object *obj, Error **err)
+{
+    DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_GET_CLASS(obj);
+
+    if (!vmstate_check_only_migratable(dc->vmsd)) {
+        error_setg(err, "Device %s is not migratable, but "
+                   "--only-migratable was specified",
+                   object_get_typename(obj));
+        return false;
+    }
+
+    return true;
+}
+
 static void device_set_realized(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
 {
     DeviceState *dev = DEVICE(obj);
@@ -870,7 +884,6 @@ static void device_set_realized(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
     Error *local_err = NULL;
     bool unattached_parent = false;
     static int unattached_count;
-    int ret;
 
     if (dev->hotplugged && !dc->hotpluggable) {
         error_setg(errp, QERR_DEVICE_NO_HOTPLUG, object_get_typename(obj));
@@ -878,8 +891,7 @@ static void device_set_realized(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
     }
 
     if (value && !dev->realized) {
-        ret = check_migratable(obj, &local_err);
-        if (ret < 0) {
+        if (!check_only_migratable(obj, &local_err)) {
             goto fail;
         }
 
diff --git a/include/migration/migration.h b/include/migration/migration.h
index 97e78ba908..49ec5015e5 100644
--- a/include/migration/migration.h
+++ b/include/migration/migration.h
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@
 #include "qapi-types.h"
 #include "exec/cpu-common.h"
 #include "qemu/coroutine_int.h"
-#include "qom/object.h"
 
 #define QEMU_VM_FILE_MAGIC           0x5145564d
 #define QEMU_VM_FILE_VERSION_COMPAT  0x00000002
@@ -39,9 +38,6 @@
 #define QEMU_VM_COMMAND              0x08
 #define QEMU_VM_SECTION_FOOTER       0x7e
 
-/* for vl.c */
-extern int only_migratable;
-
 struct MigrationParams {
     bool blk;
     bool shared;
@@ -253,8 +249,6 @@ int ram_discard_range(const char *block_name, uint64_t start, size_t length);
 int ram_postcopy_incoming_init(MigrationIncomingState *mis);
 void ram_postcopy_migrated_memory_release(MigrationState *ms);
 
-int check_migratable(Object *obj, Error **err);
-
 bool migrate_release_ram(void);
 bool migrate_postcopy_ram(void);
 bool migrate_zero_blocks(void);
diff --git a/include/migration/vmstate.h b/include/migration/vmstate.h
index f4bf3f1b4e..848965963a 100644
--- a/include/migration/vmstate.h
+++ b/include/migration/vmstate.h
@@ -1067,4 +1067,6 @@ int64_t self_announce_delay(int round)
 
 void dump_vmstate_json_to_file(FILE *out_fp);
 
+bool vmstate_check_only_migratable(const VMStateDescription *vmsd);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
index 282f6bc8d2..83c1ceb33e 100644
--- a/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
+++ b/include/sysemu/sysemu.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 /* vl.c */
 
 extern const char *bios_name;
-
+extern int only_migratable;
 extern const char *qemu_name;
 extern QemuUUID qemu_uuid;
 extern bool qemu_uuid_set;
diff --git a/migration/migration.c b/migration/migration.c
index ed11c1fb53..0304c013f3 100644
--- a/migration/migration.c
+++ b/migration/migration.c
@@ -1143,21 +1143,6 @@ void migrate_del_blocker(Error *reason)
     migration_blockers = g_slist_remove(migration_blockers, reason);
 }
 
-int check_migratable(Object *obj, Error **err)
-{
-    DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_GET_CLASS(obj);
-    if (only_migratable && dc->vmsd) {
-        if (dc->vmsd->unmigratable) {
-            error_setg(err, "Device %s is not migratable, but "
-                       "--only-migratable was specified",
-                       object_get_typename(obj));
-            return -1;
-        }
-    }
-
-    return 0;
-}
-
 void qmp_migrate_incoming(const char *uri, Error **errp)
 {
     Error *local_err = NULL;
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index b4f736f5f7..f5e81948e6 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -2317,3 +2317,13 @@ void vmstate_register_ram_global(MemoryRegion *mr)
 {
     vmstate_register_ram(mr, NULL);
 }
+
+bool vmstate_check_only_migratable(const VMStateDescription *vmsd)
+{
+    /* check needed if --only-migratable is specified */
+    if (!only_migratable) {
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    return !(vmsd && vmsd->unmigratable);
+}
diff --git a/stubs/vmstate.c b/stubs/vmstate.c
index 6d52f29bb2..6399474e49 100644
--- a/stubs/vmstate.c
+++ b/stubs/vmstate.c
@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "qemu-common.h"
 #include "migration/vmstate.h"
-#include "migration/migration.h"
 
 const VMStateDescription vmstate_dummy = {};
 
@@ -21,7 +20,7 @@ void vmstate_unregister(DeviceState *dev,
 {
 }
 
-int check_migratable(Object *obj, Error **err)
+bool vmstate_check_only_migratable(const VMStateDescription *vmsd)
 {
-    return 0;
+    return true;
 }