diff --git a/hw/intc/pnv_xive.c b/hw/intc/pnv_xive.c
index 6aa7aeed6f..4e56c2e468 100644
--- a/hw/intc/pnv_xive.c
+++ b/hw/intc/pnv_xive.c
@@ -1675,17 +1675,8 @@ static void pnv_xive_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     XiveSource *xsrc = &xive->ipi_source;
     XiveENDSource *end_xsrc = &xive->end_source;
     Error *local_err = NULL;
-    Object *obj;
 
-    obj = object_property_get_link(OBJECT(dev), "chip", &local_err);
-    if (!obj) {
-        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        error_prepend(errp, "required link 'chip' not found: ");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    /* The PnvChip id identifies the XIVE interrupt controller. */
-    xive->chip = PNV_CHIP(obj);
+    assert(xive->chip);
 
     /*
      * The XiveSource and XiveENDSource objects are realized with the
@@ -1800,6 +1791,8 @@ static Property pnv_xive_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT64("vc-bar", PnvXive, vc_base, 0),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT64("pc-bar", PnvXive, pc_base, 0),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT64("tm-bar", PnvXive, tm_base, 0),
+    /* The PnvChip id identifies the XIVE interrupt controller. */
+    DEFINE_PROP_LINK("chip", PnvXive, chip, TYPE_PNV_CHIP, PnvChip *),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
diff --git a/hw/ppc/pnv.c b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
index 2bf8a3b23b..a2a8b97330 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/pnv.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
@@ -1091,8 +1091,6 @@ static void pnv_chip_power9_instance_init(Object *obj)
 
     object_initialize_child(obj, "xive", &chip9->xive, sizeof(chip9->xive),
                             TYPE_PNV_XIVE, &error_abort, NULL);
-    object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&chip9->xive), "chip", obj,
-                                   &error_abort);
 
     object_initialize_child(obj, "psi",  &chip9->psi, sizeof(chip9->psi),
                             TYPE_PNV9_PSI, &error_abort, NULL);
@@ -1172,6 +1170,8 @@ static void pnv_chip_power9_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                             "pc-bar", &error_fatal);
     object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&chip9->xive), PNV9_XIVE_TM_BASE(chip),
                             "tm-bar", &error_fatal);
+    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&chip9->xive), OBJECT(chip), "chip",
+                             &error_abort);
     object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&chip9->xive), true, "realized",
                              &local_err);
     if (local_err) {