diff --git a/include/hw/qdev-core.h b/include/hw/qdev-core.h
index b870c8ceeb..e5b62dd2fc 100644
--- a/include/hw/qdev-core.h
+++ b/include/hw/qdev-core.h
@@ -35,8 +35,6 @@ typedef void (*DeviceReset)(DeviceState *dev);
 typedef void (*BusRealize)(BusState *bus, Error **errp);
 typedef void (*BusUnrealize)(BusState *bus, Error **errp);
 
-struct VMStateDescription;
-
 /**
  * DeviceClass:
  * @props: Properties accessing state fields.
@@ -112,7 +110,7 @@ typedef struct DeviceClass {
     DeviceUnrealize unrealize;
 
     /* device state */
-    const struct VMStateDescription *vmsd;
+    const VMStateDescription *vmsd;
 
     /* Private to qdev / bus.  */
     const char *bus_type;
@@ -425,7 +423,7 @@ void device_class_set_parent_unrealize(DeviceClass *dc,
                                        DeviceUnrealize dev_unrealize,
                                        DeviceUnrealize *parent_unrealize);
 
-const struct VMStateDescription *qdev_get_vmsd(DeviceState *dev);
+const VMStateDescription *qdev_get_vmsd(DeviceState *dev);
 
 const char *qdev_fw_name(DeviceState *dev);
 
diff --git a/include/migration/vmstate.h b/include/migration/vmstate.h
index c2bfa7a7f0..1fbfd099dd 100644
--- a/include/migration/vmstate.h
+++ b/include/migration/vmstate.h
@@ -28,7 +28,6 @@
 #define QEMU_VMSTATE_H
 
 typedef struct VMStateInfo VMStateInfo;
-typedef struct VMStateDescription VMStateDescription;
 typedef struct VMStateField VMStateField;
 
 /* VMStateInfo allows customized migration of objects that don't fit in
diff --git a/include/qemu/typedefs.h b/include/qemu/typedefs.h
index 2738343bf7..a95ad6a113 100644
--- a/include/qemu/typedefs.h
+++ b/include/qemu/typedefs.h
@@ -117,6 +117,7 @@ typedef struct SHPCDevice SHPCDevice;
 typedef struct SSIBus SSIBus;
 typedef struct VirtIODevice VirtIODevice;
 typedef struct Visitor Visitor;
+typedef struct VMStateDescription VMStateDescription;
 
 /*
  * Pointer types
diff --git a/include/qom/cpu.h b/include/qom/cpu.h
index 5ee0046b62..ddb91bbaff 100644
--- a/include/qom/cpu.h
+++ b/include/qom/cpu.h
@@ -215,7 +215,7 @@ typedef struct CPUClass {
     int (*write_elf32_qemunote)(WriteCoreDumpFunction f, CPUState *cpu,
                                 void *opaque);
 
-    const struct VMStateDescription *vmsd;
+    const VMStateDescription *vmsd;
     const char *gdb_core_xml_file;
     gchar * (*gdb_arch_name)(CPUState *cpu);
     const char * (*gdb_get_dynamic_xml)(CPUState *cpu, const char *xmlname);
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ bool target_words_bigendian(void);
 #ifdef NEED_CPU_H
 
 #ifdef CONFIG_SOFTMMU
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_cpu_common;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_cpu_common;
 #else
 #define vmstate_cpu_common vmstate_dummy
 #endif
diff --git a/target/alpha/cpu.h b/target/alpha/cpu.h
index b3e8a823e1..4619530660 100644
--- a/target/alpha/cpu.h
+++ b/target/alpha/cpu.h
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@ struct AlphaCPU {
 
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_alpha_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_alpha_cpu;
 #endif
 
 void alpha_cpu_do_interrupt(CPUState *cpu);
diff --git a/target/arm/cpu.h b/target/arm/cpu.h
index 94c990cddb..2cdde6c4bc 100644
--- a/target/arm/cpu.h
+++ b/target/arm/cpu.h
@@ -922,7 +922,7 @@ void arm_cpu_post_init(Object *obj);
 uint64_t arm_cpu_mp_affinity(int idx, uint8_t clustersz);
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_arm_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_arm_cpu;
 #endif
 
 void arm_cpu_do_interrupt(CPUState *cpu);
diff --git a/target/cris/cpu.h b/target/cris/cpu.h
index fb14ad51f1..aba0a66474 100644
--- a/target/cris/cpu.h
+++ b/target/cris/cpu.h
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ struct CRISCPU {
 
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_cris_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_cris_cpu;
 #endif
 
 void cris_cpu_do_interrupt(CPUState *cpu);
diff --git a/target/hppa/cpu.h b/target/hppa/cpu.h
index e9fba96be9..4b816cc13a 100644
--- a/target/hppa/cpu.h
+++ b/target/hppa/cpu.h
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ bool hppa_cpu_tlb_fill(CPUState *cs, vaddr address, int size,
 int hppa_get_physical_address(CPUHPPAState *env, vaddr addr, int mmu_idx,
                               int type, hwaddr *pphys, int *pprot);
 extern const MemoryRegionOps hppa_io_eir_ops;
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_hppa_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_hppa_cpu;
 void hppa_cpu_alarm_timer(void *);
 int hppa_artype_for_page(CPUHPPAState *env, target_ulong vaddr);
 #endif
diff --git a/target/i386/cpu.h b/target/i386/cpu.h
index 8b3dc5533e..ecd0ec0899 100644
--- a/target/i386/cpu.h
+++ b/target/i386/cpu.h
@@ -1516,7 +1516,7 @@ struct X86CPU {
 
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern struct VMStateDescription vmstate_x86_cpu;
+extern VMStateDescription vmstate_x86_cpu;
 #endif
 
 /**
diff --git a/target/lm32/cpu.h b/target/lm32/cpu.h
index c2bbfa2780..064c6b1267 100644
--- a/target/lm32/cpu.h
+++ b/target/lm32/cpu.h
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ struct LM32CPU {
 
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_lm32_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_lm32_cpu;
 #endif
 
 void lm32_cpu_do_interrupt(CPUState *cpu);
diff --git a/target/mips/internal.h b/target/mips/internal.h
index b2b41a51ab..d5aa5490d3 100644
--- a/target/mips/internal.h
+++ b/target/mips/internal.h
@@ -148,7 +148,7 @@ hwaddr cpu_mips_translate_address(CPUMIPSState *env, target_ulong address,
 #define cpu_signal_handler cpu_mips_signal_handler
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_mips_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_mips_cpu;
 #endif
 
 static inline bool cpu_mips_hw_interrupts_enabled(CPUMIPSState *env)
diff --git a/target/openrisc/cpu.h b/target/openrisc/cpu.h
index f23b25262d..61ade1d4f0 100644
--- a/target/openrisc/cpu.h
+++ b/target/openrisc/cpu.h
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ int print_insn_or1k(bfd_vma addr, disassemble_info *info);
 #define cpu_signal_handler cpu_openrisc_signal_handler
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_openrisc_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_openrisc_cpu;
 
 /* hw/openrisc_pic.c */
 void cpu_openrisc_pic_init(OpenRISCCPU *cpu);
diff --git a/target/ppc/cpu-qom.h b/target/ppc/cpu-qom.h
index be9b4c30c3..a2f202f021 100644
--- a/target/ppc/cpu-qom.h
+++ b/target/ppc/cpu-qom.h
@@ -203,7 +203,7 @@ typedef struct PPCTimebase {
     int64_t time_of_the_day_ns;
 } PPCTimebase;
 
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_ppc_timebase;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_ppc_timebase;
 
 #define VMSTATE_PPC_TIMEBASE_V(_field, _state, _version) {            \
     .name       = (stringify(_field)),                                \
diff --git a/target/ppc/cpu.h b/target/ppc/cpu.h
index c9beba2a5c..4ea33cf696 100644
--- a/target/ppc/cpu.h
+++ b/target/ppc/cpu.h
@@ -1255,7 +1255,7 @@ int ppc32_cpu_write_elf32_note(WriteCoreDumpFunction f, CPUState *cs,
                                int cpuid, void *opaque);
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
 void ppc_cpu_do_system_reset(CPUState *cs);
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_ppc_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_ppc_cpu;
 #endif
 
 /*****************************************************************************/
diff --git a/target/s390x/cpu.h b/target/s390x/cpu.h
index a606547b4d..3d9de25f7c 100644
--- a/target/s390x/cpu.h
+++ b/target/s390x/cpu.h
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ struct S390CPU {
 
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_s390_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_s390_cpu;
 #endif
 
 /* distinguish between 24 bit and 31 bit addressing */
diff --git a/target/sparc/cpu.h b/target/sparc/cpu.h
index 8ed2250cd0..0d5b01efe5 100644
--- a/target/sparc/cpu.h
+++ b/target/sparc/cpu.h
@@ -532,7 +532,7 @@ struct SPARCCPU {
 
 
 #ifndef CONFIG_USER_ONLY
-extern const struct VMStateDescription vmstate_sparc_cpu;
+extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_sparc_cpu;
 #endif
 
 void sparc_cpu_do_interrupt(CPUState *cpu);