diff --git a/hw/usb/bus.c b/hw/usb/bus.c
index 5c4d31614e..a81aee2051 100644
--- a/hw/usb/bus.c
+++ b/hw/usb/bus.c
@@ -318,35 +318,22 @@ USBDevice *usb_new(const char *name)
     return USB_DEVICE(qdev_new(name));
 }
 
+static USBDevice *usb_try_new(const char *name)
+{
+    return USB_DEVICE(qdev_try_new(name));
+}
+
 bool usb_realize_and_unref(USBDevice *dev, USBBus *bus, Error **errp)
 {
     return qdev_realize_and_unref(&dev->qdev, &bus->qbus, errp);
 }
 
-static USBDevice *usb_try_create_simple(USBBus *bus, const char *name,
-                                        Error **errp)
-{
-    Error *err = NULL;
-    DeviceState *dev;
-
-    dev = qdev_try_new(name);
-    if (!dev) {
-        error_setg(errp, "Failed to create USB device '%s'", name);
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    qdev_realize_and_unref(dev, &bus->qbus, &err);
-    if (err) {
-        error_propagate_prepend(errp, err,
-                                "Failed to initialize USB device '%s': ",
-                                name);
-        return NULL;
-    }
-    return USB_DEVICE(dev);
-}
-
 USBDevice *usb_create_simple(USBBus *bus, const char *name)
 {
-    return usb_try_create_simple(bus, name, &error_abort);
+    USBDevice *dev = usb_new(name);
+
+    usb_realize_and_unref(dev, bus, &error_abort);
+    return dev;
 }
 
 static void usb_fill_port(USBPort *port, void *opaque, int index,
@@ -426,6 +413,7 @@ void usb_claim_port(USBDevice *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     USBBus *bus = usb_bus_from_device(dev);
     USBPort *port;
+    USBDevice *hub;
 
     assert(dev->port == NULL);
 
@@ -443,7 +431,10 @@ void usb_claim_port(USBDevice *dev, Error **errp)
     } else {
         if (bus->nfree == 1 && strcmp(object_get_typename(OBJECT(dev)), "usb-hub") != 0) {
             /* Create a new hub and chain it on */
-            usb_try_create_simple(bus, "usb-hub", NULL);
+            hub = usb_try_new("usb-hub");
+            if (hub) {
+                usb_realize_and_unref(hub, bus, NULL);
+            }
         }
         if (bus->nfree == 0) {
             error_setg(errp, "tried to attach usb device %s to a bus "