diff --git a/hw/arm/cubieboard.c b/hw/arm/cubieboard.c
index 1c6c792eb6..9d0d728180 100644
--- a/hw/arm/cubieboard.c
+++ b/hw/arm/cubieboard.c
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ static void cubieboard_init(MachineState *machine)
     DeviceState *carddev;
 
     /* BIOS is not supported by this board */
-    if (bios_name) {
+    if (machine->firmware) {
         error_report("BIOS not supported for this machine");
         exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/hw/arm/highbank.c b/hw/arm/highbank.c
index f71087860d..fd3429720e 100644
--- a/hw/arm/highbank.c
+++ b/hw/arm/highbank.c
@@ -297,16 +297,16 @@ static void calxeda_init(MachineState *machine, enum cxmachines machine_id)
     memory_region_init_ram(sysram, NULL, "highbank.sysram", 0x8000,
                            &error_fatal);
     memory_region_add_subregion(sysmem, 0xfff88000, sysram);
-    if (bios_name != NULL) {
-        sysboot_filename = qemu_find_file(QEMU_FILE_TYPE_BIOS, bios_name);
+    if (machine->firmware != NULL) {
+        sysboot_filename = qemu_find_file(QEMU_FILE_TYPE_BIOS, machine->firmware);
         if (sysboot_filename != NULL) {
             if (load_image_targphys(sysboot_filename, 0xfff88000, 0x8000) < 0) {
-                error_report("Unable to load %s", bios_name);
+                error_report("Unable to load %s", machine->firmware);
                 exit(1);
             }
             g_free(sysboot_filename);
         } else {
-            error_report("Unable to find %s", bios_name);
+            error_report("Unable to find %s", machine->firmware);
             exit(1);
         }
     }
diff --git a/hw/arm/npcm7xx_boards.c b/hw/arm/npcm7xx_boards.c
index 79e2e2744c..9821013bc6 100644
--- a/hw/arm/npcm7xx_boards.c
+++ b/hw/arm/npcm7xx_boards.c
@@ -33,13 +33,10 @@ static const char npcm7xx_default_bootrom[] = "npcm7xx_bootrom.bin";
 
 static void npcm7xx_load_bootrom(MachineState *machine, NPCM7xxState *soc)
 {
+    const char *bios_name = machine->firmware ?: npcm7xx_default_bootrom;
     g_autofree char *filename = NULL;
     int ret;
 
-    if (!bios_name) {
-        bios_name = npcm7xx_default_bootrom;
-    }
-
     filename = qemu_find_file(QEMU_FILE_TYPE_BIOS, bios_name);
     if (!filename) {
         error_report("Could not find ROM image '%s'", bios_name);
diff --git a/hw/arm/orangepi.c b/hw/arm/orangepi.c
index 17a568a2b4..d6306dfdda 100644
--- a/hw/arm/orangepi.c
+++ b/hw/arm/orangepi.c
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ static void orangepi_init(MachineState *machine)
     DeviceState *carddev;
 
     /* BIOS is not supported by this board */
-    if (bios_name) {
+    if (machine->firmware) {
         error_report("BIOS not supported for this machine");
         exit(1);
     }
diff --git a/hw/arm/sbsa-ref.c b/hw/arm/sbsa-ref.c
index 4a5ea42938..8272983664 100644
--- a/hw/arm/sbsa-ref.c
+++ b/hw/arm/sbsa-ref.c
@@ -319,6 +319,7 @@ static bool sbsa_firmware_init(SBSAMachineState *sms,
                                MemoryRegion *sysmem,
                                MemoryRegion *secure_sysmem)
 {
+    const char *bios_name;
     int i;
     BlockBackend *pflash_blk0;
 
@@ -332,6 +333,7 @@ static bool sbsa_firmware_init(SBSAMachineState *sms,
 
     pflash_blk0 = pflash_cfi01_get_blk(sms->flash[0]);
 
+    bios_name = MACHINE(sms)->firmware;
     if (bios_name) {
         char *fname;
         MemoryRegion *mr;
diff --git a/hw/arm/vexpress.c b/hw/arm/vexpress.c
index 531f3a122a..1adb663d77 100644
--- a/hw/arm/vexpress.c
+++ b/hw/arm/vexpress.c
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ static void vexpress_common_init(MachineState *machine)
     /*
      * If a bios file was provided, attempt to map it into memory
      */
-    if (bios_name) {
+    if (machine->firmware) {
         char *fn;
         int image_size;
 
@@ -570,16 +570,16 @@ static void vexpress_common_init(MachineState *machine)
                          "but you cannot use both options at once");
             exit(1);
         }
-        fn = qemu_find_file(QEMU_FILE_TYPE_BIOS, bios_name);
+        fn = qemu_find_file(QEMU_FILE_TYPE_BIOS, machine->firmware);
         if (!fn) {
-            error_report("Could not find ROM image '%s'", bios_name);
+            error_report("Could not find ROM image '%s'", machine->firmware);
             exit(1);
         }
         image_size = load_image_targphys(fn, map[VE_NORFLASH0],
                                          VEXPRESS_FLASH_SIZE);
         g_free(fn);
         if (image_size < 0) {
-            error_report("Could not load ROM image '%s'", bios_name);
+            error_report("Could not load ROM image '%s'", machine->firmware);
             exit(1);
         }
     }
diff --git a/hw/arm/virt.c b/hw/arm/virt.c
index 22572c32b7..d09124832d 100644
--- a/hw/arm/virt.c
+++ b/hw/arm/virt.c
@@ -1047,6 +1047,7 @@ static bool virt_firmware_init(VirtMachineState *vms,
                                MemoryRegion *secure_sysmem)
 {
     int i;
+    const char *bios_name;
     BlockBackend *pflash_blk0;
 
     /* Map legacy -drive if=pflash to machine properties */
@@ -1059,6 +1060,7 @@ static bool virt_firmware_init(VirtMachineState *vms,
 
     pflash_blk0 = pflash_cfi01_get_blk(vms->flash[0]);
 
+    bios_name = MACHINE(vms)->firmware;
     if (bios_name) {
         char *fname;
         MemoryRegion *mr;