diff --git a/hw/qdev.c b/hw/qdev.c
index 0465632dff..d0cf66de56 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/qdev.c
@@ -1529,3 +1529,9 @@ void qdev_property_add_str(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
                       qdev_property_release_str,
                       prop, errp);
 }
+
+void qdev_machine_init(void)
+{
+    qdev_get_peripheral_anon();
+    qdev_get_peripheral();
+}
diff --git a/hw/qdev.h b/hw/qdev.h
index d5896be40e..2abb767389 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.h
+++ b/hw/qdev.h
@@ -616,4 +616,12 @@ void qdev_property_add_str(DeviceState *dev, const char *name,
  */
 char *qdev_get_type(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp);
 
+/**
+ * @qdev_machine_init
+ *
+ * Initialize platform devices before machine init.  This is a hack until full
+ * support for composition is added.
+ */
+void qdev_machine_init(void);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/vl.c b/vl.c
index da69f94dd1..78b790c919 100644
--- a/vl.c
+++ b/vl.c
@@ -3335,6 +3335,8 @@ int main(int argc, char **argv, char **envp)
     }
     qemu_add_globals();
 
+    qdev_machine_init();
+
     machine->init(ram_size, boot_devices,
                   kernel_filename, kernel_cmdline, initrd_filename, cpu_model);