diff --git a/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c b/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
index 5175d57733..e7d3ea178a 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
@@ -938,6 +938,8 @@ static void virtio_ccw_scsi_instance_init(Object *obj)
 
     virtio_instance_init_common(obj, &dev->vdev, sizeof(dev->vdev),
                                 TYPE_VIRTIO_SCSI);
+    object_property_add_alias(obj, "iothread", OBJECT(&dev->vdev), "iothread",
+                              &error_abort);
 }
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_VHOST_SCSI
diff --git a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
index 58b420084e..91ead26ff8 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
@@ -728,6 +728,16 @@ static void virtio_scsi_device_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                     virtio_scsi_save, virtio_scsi_load, s);
 }
 
+static void virtio_scsi_instance_init(Object *obj)
+{
+    VirtIOSCSICommon *vs = VIRTIO_SCSI_COMMON(obj);
+
+    object_property_add_link(obj, "iothread", TYPE_IOTHREAD,
+                             (Object **)&vs->conf.iothread,
+                             qdev_prop_allow_set_link_before_realize,
+                             OBJ_PROP_LINK_UNREF_ON_RELEASE, &error_abort);
+}
+
 void virtio_scsi_common_unrealize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     VirtIODevice *vdev = VIRTIO_DEVICE(dev);
@@ -786,6 +796,7 @@ static const TypeInfo virtio_scsi_info = {
     .name = TYPE_VIRTIO_SCSI,
     .parent = TYPE_VIRTIO_SCSI_COMMON,
     .instance_size = sizeof(VirtIOSCSI),
+    .instance_init = virtio_scsi_instance_init,
     .class_init = virtio_scsi_class_init,
 };
 
diff --git a/hw/virtio/virtio-pci.c b/hw/virtio/virtio-pci.c
index 83a699fc23..bae62c8f66 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/virtio-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/virtio-pci.c
@@ -1186,6 +1186,8 @@ static void virtio_scsi_pci_instance_init(Object *obj)
 
     virtio_instance_init_common(obj, &dev->vdev, sizeof(dev->vdev),
                                 TYPE_VIRTIO_SCSI);
+    object_property_add_alias(obj, "iothread", OBJECT(&dev->vdev), "iothread",
+                              &error_abort);
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo virtio_scsi_pci_info = {
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
index 6cd2f5764d..2ff145a4ec 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
@@ -151,6 +151,7 @@ struct VirtIOSCSIConf {
     uint32_t cmd_per_lun;
     char *vhostfd;
     char *wwpn;
+    IOThread *iothread;
 };
 
 typedef struct VirtIOSCSICommon {