diff --git a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
index 1500c42728..7fdf6ade98 100644
--- a/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
+++ b/hw/scsi/virtio-scsi.c
@@ -45,8 +45,7 @@ VirtIOSCSIReq *virtio_scsi_init_req(VirtIOSCSI *s, VirtQueue *vq)
 {
     VirtIOSCSIReq *req;
     VirtIOSCSICommon *vs = (VirtIOSCSICommon *)s;
-    const size_t zero_skip = offsetof(VirtIOSCSIReq, elem)
-                             + sizeof(VirtQueueElement);
+    const size_t zero_skip = offsetof(VirtIOSCSIReq, vring);
 
     req = g_malloc(sizeof(*req) + vs->cdb_size);
     req->vq = vq;
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-blk.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-blk.h
index ae11a63934..403ab86166 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-blk.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-blk.h
@@ -60,9 +60,9 @@ typedef struct VirtIOBlock {
 } VirtIOBlock;
 
 typedef struct VirtIOBlockReq {
+    VirtQueueElement elem;
     int64_t sector_num;
     VirtIOBlock *dev;
-    VirtQueueElement elem;
     struct virtio_blk_inhdr *in;
     struct virtio_blk_outhdr out;
     QEMUIOVector qiov;
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
index 0394eb23de..eb9d25b9fb 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-scsi.h
@@ -112,18 +112,17 @@ typedef struct VirtIOSCSI {
 } VirtIOSCSI;
 
 typedef struct VirtIOSCSIReq {
+    /* Note:
+     * - fields up to resp_iov are initialized by virtio_scsi_init_req;
+     * - fields starting at vring are zeroed by virtio_scsi_init_req.
+     * */
+    VirtQueueElement elem;
+
     VirtIOSCSI *dev;
     VirtQueue *vq;
     QEMUSGList qsgl;
     QEMUIOVector resp_iov;
 
-    /* Note:
-     * - fields before elem are initialized by virtio_scsi_init_req;
-     * - elem is uninitialized at the time of allocation.
-     * - fields after elem are zeroed by virtio_scsi_init_req.
-     * */
-
-    VirtQueueElement elem;
     /* Set by dataplane code. */
     VirtIOSCSIVring *vring;