diff --git a/softmmu/device_tree.c b/softmmu/device_tree.c
index 0a433c98e2..6ca3fad285 100644
--- a/softmmu/device_tree.c
+++ b/softmmu/device_tree.c
@@ -558,7 +558,6 @@ int qemu_fdt_add_subnode(void *fdt, const char *name)
 int qemu_fdt_add_path(void *fdt, const char *path)
 {
     const char *name;
-    const char *p = path;
     int namelen, retval;
     int parent = 0;
 
@@ -567,9 +566,9 @@ int qemu_fdt_add_path(void *fdt, const char *path)
     }
 
     do {
-        name = p + 1;
-        p = strchr(name, '/');
-        namelen = p != NULL ? p - name : strlen(name);
+        name = path + 1;
+        path = strchr(name, '/');
+        namelen = path != NULL ? path - name : strlen(name);
 
         retval = fdt_subnode_offset_namelen(fdt, parent, name, namelen);
         if (retval < 0 && retval != -FDT_ERR_NOTFOUND) {
@@ -586,7 +585,7 @@ int qemu_fdt_add_path(void *fdt, const char *path)
         }
 
         parent = retval;
-    } while (p);
+    } while (path);
 
     return retval;
 }