diff --git a/hw/9pfs/9p.c b/hw/9pfs/9p.c
index 909a611394..364c7cb446 100644
--- a/hw/9pfs/9p.c
+++ b/hw/9pfs/9p.c
@@ -3485,7 +3485,8 @@ void pdu_submit(V9fsPDU *pdu, P9MsgHeader *hdr)
 }
 
 /* Returns 0 on success, 1 on failure. */
-int v9fs_device_realize_common(V9fsState *s, Error **errp)
+int v9fs_device_realize_common(V9fsState *s, const V9fsTransport *t,
+                               Error **errp)
 {
     int i, len;
     struct stat stat;
@@ -3493,6 +3494,9 @@ int v9fs_device_realize_common(V9fsState *s, Error **errp)
     V9fsPath path;
     int rc = 1;
 
+    assert(!s->transport);
+    s->transport = t;
+
     /* initialize pdu allocator */
     QLIST_INIT(&s->free_list);
     QLIST_INIT(&s->active_list);
diff --git a/hw/9pfs/9p.h b/hw/9pfs/9p.h
index ffe658ab89..5ced427d86 100644
--- a/hw/9pfs/9p.h
+++ b/hw/9pfs/9p.h
@@ -346,7 +346,8 @@ void v9fs_path_sprintf(V9fsPath *path, const char *fmt, ...);
 void v9fs_path_copy(V9fsPath *lhs, V9fsPath *rhs);
 int v9fs_name_to_path(V9fsState *s, V9fsPath *dirpath,
                       const char *name, V9fsPath *path);
-int v9fs_device_realize_common(V9fsState *s, Error **errp);
+int v9fs_device_realize_common(V9fsState *s, const V9fsTransport *t,
+                               Error **errp);
 void v9fs_device_unrealize_common(V9fsState *s, Error **errp);
 
 V9fsPDU *pdu_alloc(V9fsState *s);
@@ -366,11 +367,4 @@ struct V9fsTransport {
     void        (*push_and_notify)(V9fsPDU *pdu);
 };
 
-static inline int v9fs_register_transport(V9fsState *s, const V9fsTransport *t)
-{
-    assert(!s->transport);
-    s->transport = t;
-    return 0;
-}
-
 #endif
diff --git a/hw/9pfs/virtio-9p-device.c b/hw/9pfs/virtio-9p-device.c
index 43f4e53f33..775e8ff766 100644
--- a/hw/9pfs/virtio-9p-device.c
+++ b/hw/9pfs/virtio-9p-device.c
@@ -198,17 +198,13 @@ static void virtio_9p_device_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     V9fsVirtioState *v = VIRTIO_9P(dev);
     V9fsState *s = &v->state;
 
-    if (v9fs_device_realize_common(s, errp)) {
-        goto out;
+    if (v9fs_device_realize_common(s, &virtio_9p_transport, errp)) {
+        return;
     }
 
     v->config_size = sizeof(struct virtio_9p_config) + strlen(s->fsconf.tag);
     virtio_init(vdev, "virtio-9p", VIRTIO_ID_9P, v->config_size);
     v->vq = virtio_add_queue(vdev, MAX_REQ, handle_9p_output);
-    v9fs_register_transport(s, &virtio_9p_transport);
-
-out:
-    return;
 }
 
 static void virtio_9p_device_unrealize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
diff --git a/hw/9pfs/xen-9p-backend.c b/hw/9pfs/xen-9p-backend.c
index df2a4100bf..14f0d6a50e 100644
--- a/hw/9pfs/xen-9p-backend.c
+++ b/hw/9pfs/xen-9p-backend.c
@@ -446,7 +446,6 @@ static int xen_9pfs_connect(struct XenDevice *xendev)
     xen_9pdev->id = s->fsconf.fsdev_id =
         g_strdup_printf("xen9p%d", xendev->dev);
     xen_9pdev->tag = s->fsconf.tag = xenstore_read_fe_str(xendev, "tag");
-    v9fs_register_transport(s, &xen_9p_transport);
     fsdev = qemu_opts_create(qemu_find_opts("fsdev"),
             s->fsconf.tag,
             1, NULL);
@@ -455,7 +454,7 @@ static int xen_9pfs_connect(struct XenDevice *xendev)
     qemu_opt_set(fsdev, "security_model", xen_9pdev->security_model, NULL);
     qemu_opts_set_id(fsdev, s->fsconf.fsdev_id);
     qemu_fsdev_add(fsdev);
-    v9fs_device_realize_common(s, NULL);
+    v9fs_device_realize_common(s, &xen_9p_transport, NULL);
 
     return 0;