diff --git a/hw/pc_piix.c b/hw/pc_piix.c
index ec5118f848..fadca4c710 100644
--- a/hw/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/pc_piix.c
@@ -149,7 +149,6 @@ static void pc_init1(MemoryRegion *system_memory,
     MemoryRegion *ram_memory;
     MemoryRegion *pci_memory;
     MemoryRegion *rom_memory;
-    DeviceState *dev;
 
     pc_cpus_init(cpu_model);
 
@@ -227,11 +226,7 @@ static void pc_init1(MemoryRegion *system_memory,
 
     pc_register_ferr_irq(gsi[13]);
 
-    dev = pc_vga_init(isa_bus, pci_enabled ? pci_bus : NULL);
-    if (dev) {
-        object_property_add_child(object_get_root(), "vga", OBJECT(dev), NULL);
-    }
-
+    pc_vga_init(isa_bus, pci_enabled ? pci_bus : NULL);
     if (xen_enabled()) {
         pci_create_simple(pci_bus, -1, "xen-platform");
     }
@@ -258,17 +253,6 @@ static void pc_init1(MemoryRegion *system_memory,
         }
         idebus[0] = qdev_get_child_bus(&dev->qdev, "ide.0");
         idebus[1] = qdev_get_child_bus(&dev->qdev, "ide.1");
-
-        /* FIXME there's some major spaghetti here.  Somehow we create the
-         * devices on the PIIX before we actually create it.  We create the
-         * PIIX3 deep in the recess of the i440fx creation too and then lose
-         * the DeviceState.
-         *
-         * For now, let's "fix" this by making judicious use of paths.  This
-         * is not generally the right way to do this.
-         */
-        object_property_add_child(object_resolve_path("/i440fx/piix3", NULL),
-                                  "rtc", (Object *)rtc_state, NULL);
     } else {
         for(i = 0; i < MAX_IDE_BUS; i++) {
             ISADevice *dev;
diff --git a/hw/piix_pci.c b/hw/piix_pci.c
index e0268fe053..9017565424 100644
--- a/hw/piix_pci.c
+++ b/hw/piix_pci.c
@@ -276,8 +276,8 @@ static PCIBus *i440fx_common_init(const char *device_name,
     b = pci_bus_new(&s->busdev.qdev, NULL, pci_address_space,
                     address_space_io, 0);
     s->bus = b;
-    qdev_init_nofail(dev);
     object_property_add_child(object_get_root(), "i440fx", OBJECT(dev), NULL);
+    qdev_init_nofail(dev);
 
     d = pci_create_simple(b, 0, device_name);
     *pi440fx_state = DO_UPCAST(PCII440FXState, dev, d);
@@ -316,7 +316,6 @@ static PCIBus *i440fx_common_init(const char *device_name,
         pci_bus_irqs(b, piix3_set_irq, pci_slot_get_pirq, piix3,
                 PIIX_NUM_PIRQS);
     }
-    object_property_add_child(OBJECT(dev), "piix3", OBJECT(piix3), NULL);
     piix3->pic = pic;
     *isa_bus = DO_UPCAST(ISABus, qbus,
                          qdev_get_child_bus(&piix3->dev.qdev, "isa.0"));
diff --git a/hw/ppc_prep.c b/hw/ppc_prep.c
index 06d589d97b..86c93364dd 100644
--- a/hw/ppc_prep.c
+++ b/hw/ppc_prep.c
@@ -615,8 +615,8 @@ static void ppc_prep_init (ram_addr_t ram_size,
     sys = sysbus_from_qdev(dev);
     pcihost = DO_UPCAST(PCIHostState, busdev, sys);
     pcihost->address_space = get_system_memory();
-    qdev_init_nofail(dev);
     object_property_add_child(object_get_root(), "raven", OBJECT(dev), NULL);
+    qdev_init_nofail(dev);
     pci_bus = (PCIBus *)qdev_get_child_bus(dev, "pci.0");
     if (pci_bus == NULL) {
         fprintf(stderr, "Couldn't create PCI host controller.\n");
diff --git a/hw/qdev-monitor.c b/hw/qdev-monitor.c
index 2e82962fc3..031cb83e1a 100644
--- a/hw/qdev-monitor.c
+++ b/hw/qdev-monitor.c
@@ -458,10 +458,6 @@ DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts)
         qdev_free(qdev);
         return NULL;
     }
-    if (qdev_init(qdev) < 0) {
-        qerror_report(QERR_DEVICE_INIT_FAILED, driver);
-        return NULL;
-    }
     if (qdev->id) {
         object_property_add_child(qdev_get_peripheral(), qdev->id,
                                   OBJECT(qdev), NULL);
@@ -472,6 +468,10 @@ DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts)
                                   OBJECT(qdev), NULL);
         g_free(name);
     }        
+    if (qdev_init(qdev) < 0) {
+        qerror_report(QERR_DEVICE_INIT_FAILED, driver);
+        return NULL;
+    }
     qdev->opts = opts;
     return qdev;
 }