diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.c b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.c
index 8d4fd72c80..76bc99a45a 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.c
@@ -162,16 +162,23 @@ static int s390_virtio_net_init(VirtIOS390Device *dev)
     return s390_virtio_device_init(dev, vdev);
 }
 
-static int s390_virtio_blk_init(VirtIOS390Device *dev)
+static int s390_virtio_blk_init(VirtIOS390Device *s390_dev)
 {
-    VirtIODevice *vdev;
-
-    vdev = virtio_blk_init((DeviceState *)dev, &dev->blk);
-    if (!vdev) {
+    VirtIOBlkS390 *dev = VIRTIO_BLK_S390(s390_dev);
+    DeviceState *vdev = DEVICE(&dev->vdev);
+    virtio_blk_set_conf(vdev, &(dev->blk));
+    qdev_set_parent_bus(vdev, BUS(&s390_dev->bus));
+    if (qdev_init(vdev) < 0) {
         return -1;
     }
+    return s390_virtio_device_init(s390_dev, VIRTIO_DEVICE(vdev));
+}
 
-    return s390_virtio_device_init(dev, vdev);
+static void s390_virtio_blk_instance_init(Object *obj)
+{
+    VirtIOBlkS390 *dev = VIRTIO_BLK_S390(obj);
+    object_initialize(OBJECT(&dev->vdev), TYPE_VIRTIO_BLK);
+    object_property_add_child(obj, "virtio-backend", OBJECT(&dev->vdev), NULL);
 }
 
 static int s390_virtio_serial_init(VirtIOS390Device *dev)
@@ -428,11 +435,11 @@ static const TypeInfo s390_virtio_net = {
 };
 
 static Property s390_virtio_blk_properties[] = {
-    DEFINE_BLOCK_PROPERTIES(VirtIOS390Device, blk.conf),
-    DEFINE_BLOCK_CHS_PROPERTIES(VirtIOS390Device, blk.conf),
-    DEFINE_PROP_STRING("serial", VirtIOS390Device, blk.serial),
+    DEFINE_BLOCK_PROPERTIES(VirtIOBlkS390, blk.conf),
+    DEFINE_BLOCK_CHS_PROPERTIES(VirtIOBlkS390, blk.conf),
+    DEFINE_PROP_STRING("serial", VirtIOBlkS390, blk.serial),
 #ifdef __linux__
-    DEFINE_PROP_BIT("scsi", VirtIOS390Device, blk.scsi, 0, true),
+    DEFINE_PROP_BIT("scsi", VirtIOBlkS390, blk.scsi, 0, true),
 #endif
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
@@ -449,7 +456,8 @@ static void s390_virtio_blk_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 static const TypeInfo s390_virtio_blk = {
     .name          = "virtio-blk-s390",
     .parent        = TYPE_VIRTIO_S390_DEVICE,
-    .instance_size = sizeof(VirtIOS390Device),
+    .instance_size = sizeof(VirtIOBlkS390),
+    .instance_init = s390_virtio_blk_instance_init,
     .class_init    = s390_virtio_blk_class_init,
 };
 
diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.h b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.h
index 4aacf83998..1a634118d1 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.h
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-virtio-bus.h
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ struct VirtIOS390Device {
     ram_addr_t feat_offs;
     uint8_t feat_len;
     VirtIODevice *vdev;
-    VirtIOBlkConf blk;
     NICConf nic;
     uint32_t host_features;
     virtio_serial_conf serial;
@@ -120,5 +119,17 @@ VirtIOS390Device *s390_virtio_bus_find_mem(VirtIOS390Bus *bus, ram_addr_t mem);
 void s390_virtio_device_sync(VirtIOS390Device *dev);
 void s390_virtio_reset_idx(VirtIOS390Device *dev);
 
+/* virtio-blk-s390 */
+
+#define TYPE_VIRTIO_BLK_S390 "virtio-blk-s390"
+#define VIRTIO_BLK_S390(obj) \
+        OBJECT_CHECK(VirtIOBlkS390, (obj), TYPE_VIRTIO_BLK_S390)
+
+typedef struct VirtIOBlkS390 {
+    VirtIOS390Device parent_obj;
+    VirtIOBlock vdev;
+    VirtIOBlkConf blk;
+} VirtIOBlkS390;
+
 
 #endif