diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-stattrib.c b/hw/s390x/s390-stattrib.c
index 4f1ab57437..c483b62a9b 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-stattrib.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-stattrib.c
@@ -331,6 +331,17 @@ static const TypeInfo qemu_s390_stattrib_info = {
 
 /* Generic abstract object: */
 
+static SaveVMHandlers savevm_s390_stattrib_handlers = {
+    .save_setup = cmma_save_setup,
+    .save_live_iterate = cmma_save_iterate,
+    .save_live_complete_precopy = cmma_save_complete,
+    .state_pending_exact = cmma_state_pending,
+    .state_pending_estimate = cmma_state_pending,
+    .save_cleanup = cmma_save_cleanup,
+    .load_state = cmma_load,
+    .is_active = cmma_active,
+};
+
 static void s390_stattrib_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     bool ambiguous = false;
@@ -338,7 +349,11 @@ static void s390_stattrib_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     object_resolve_path_type("", TYPE_S390_STATTRIB, &ambiguous);
     if (ambiguous) {
         error_setg(errp, "storage_attributes device already exists");
+        return;
     }
+
+    register_savevm_live(TYPE_S390_STATTRIB, 0, 0,
+                         &savevm_s390_stattrib_handlers, dev);
 }
 
 static Property s390_stattrib_props[] = {
@@ -356,24 +371,10 @@ static void s390_stattrib_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
     device_class_set_props(dc, s390_stattrib_props);
 }
 
-static SaveVMHandlers savevm_s390_stattrib_handlers = {
-    .save_setup = cmma_save_setup,
-    .save_live_iterate = cmma_save_iterate,
-    .save_live_complete_precopy = cmma_save_complete,
-    .state_pending_exact = cmma_state_pending,
-    .state_pending_estimate = cmma_state_pending,
-    .save_cleanup = cmma_save_cleanup,
-    .load_state = cmma_load,
-    .is_active = cmma_active,
-};
-
 static void s390_stattrib_instance_init(Object *obj)
 {
     S390StAttribState *sas = S390_STATTRIB(obj);
 
-    register_savevm_live(TYPE_S390_STATTRIB, 0, 0,
-                         &savevm_s390_stattrib_handlers, sas);
-
     sas->migration_cur_gfn = 0;
 }