diff --git a/hw/riscv/virt.c b/hw/riscv/virt.c
index 13030619d4..bdbdfadd29 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/virt.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/virt.c
@@ -360,8 +360,7 @@ static inline DeviceState *gpex_pcie_init(MemoryRegion *sys_mem,
 static void riscv_virt_board_init(MachineState *machine)
 {
     const struct MemmapEntry *memmap = virt_memmap;
-
-    RISCVVirtState *s = g_new0(RISCVVirtState, 1);
+    RISCVVirtState *s = RISCV_VIRT_MACHINE(machine);
     MemoryRegion *system_memory = get_system_memory();
     MemoryRegion *main_mem = g_new(MemoryRegion, 1);
     MemoryRegion *mask_rom = g_new(MemoryRegion, 1);
@@ -497,12 +496,31 @@ static void riscv_virt_board_init(MachineState *machine)
     g_free(plic_hart_config);
 }
 
-static void riscv_virt_board_machine_init(MachineClass *mc)
+static void riscv_virt_machine_instance_init(Object *obj)
 {
-    mc->desc = "RISC-V VirtIO Board (Privileged ISA v1.10)";
+}
+
+static void riscv_virt_machine_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
+{
+    MachineClass *mc = MACHINE_CLASS(oc);
+
+    mc->desc = "RISC-V VirtIO board";
     mc->init = riscv_virt_board_init;
-    mc->max_cpus = 8; /* hardcoded limit in BBL */
+    mc->max_cpus = 8;
     mc->default_cpu_type = VIRT_CPU;
 }
 
-DEFINE_MACHINE("virt", riscv_virt_board_machine_init)
+static const TypeInfo riscv_virt_machine_typeinfo = {
+    .name       = MACHINE_TYPE_NAME("virt"),
+    .parent     = TYPE_MACHINE,
+    .class_init = riscv_virt_machine_class_init,
+    .instance_init = riscv_virt_machine_instance_init,
+    .instance_size = sizeof(RISCVVirtState),
+};
+
+static void riscv_virt_machine_init_register_types(void)
+{
+    type_register_static(&riscv_virt_machine_typeinfo);
+}
+
+type_init(riscv_virt_machine_init_register_types)
diff --git a/include/hw/riscv/virt.h b/include/hw/riscv/virt.h
index 68978a13e8..3d875305d3 100644
--- a/include/hw/riscv/virt.h
+++ b/include/hw/riscv/virt.h
@@ -22,13 +22,18 @@
 #include "hw/riscv/riscv_hart.h"
 #include "hw/sysbus.h"
 
+#define TYPE_RISCV_VIRT_MACHINE MACHINE_TYPE_NAME("virt")
+#define RISCV_VIRT_MACHINE(obj) \
+    OBJECT_CHECK(RISCVVirtState, (obj), TYPE_RISCV_VIRT_MACHINE)
+
 typedef struct {
     /*< private >*/
-    SysBusDevice parent_obj;
+    MachineState parent;
 
     /*< public >*/
     RISCVHartArrayState soc;
     DeviceState *plic;
+
     void *fdt;
     int fdt_size;
 } RISCVVirtState;