diff --git a/chardev/char-socket.c b/chardev/char-socket.c
index c43668cc15..836cfa0bc2 100644
--- a/chardev/char-socket.c
+++ b/chardev/char-socket.c
@@ -1520,7 +1520,7 @@ static void qemu_chr_parse_socket(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend,
     addr = g_new0(SocketAddressLegacy, 1);
     if (path) {
         UnixSocketAddress *q_unix;
-        addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_UNIX;
+        addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_UNIX;
         q_unix = addr->u.q_unix.data = g_new0(UnixSocketAddress, 1);
         q_unix->path = g_strdup(path);
 #ifdef CONFIG_LINUX
@@ -1530,7 +1530,7 @@ static void qemu_chr_parse_socket(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend,
         q_unix->abstract = abstract;
 #endif
     } else if (host) {
-        addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_INET;
+        addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET;
         addr->u.inet.data = g_new(InetSocketAddress, 1);
         *addr->u.inet.data = (InetSocketAddress) {
             .host = g_strdup(host),
@@ -1543,7 +1543,7 @@ static void qemu_chr_parse_socket(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend,
             .ipv6 = qemu_opt_get_bool(opts, "ipv6", 0),
         };
     } else if (fd) {
-        addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_FD;
+        addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_FD;
         addr->u.fd.data = g_new(String, 1);
         addr->u.fd.data->str = g_strdup(fd);
     } else {
diff --git a/chardev/char-udp.c b/chardev/char-udp.c
index 16b5dbce58..6756e69924 100644
--- a/chardev/char-udp.c
+++ b/chardev/char-udp.c
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ static void qemu_chr_parse_udp(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend,
     qemu_chr_parse_common(opts, qapi_ChardevUdp_base(udp));
 
     addr = g_new0(SocketAddressLegacy, 1);
-    addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_INET;
+    addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET;
     addr->u.inet.data = g_new(InetSocketAddress, 1);
     *addr->u.inet.data = (InetSocketAddress) {
         .host = g_strdup(host),
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ static void qemu_chr_parse_udp(QemuOpts *opts, ChardevBackend *backend,
     if (has_local) {
         udp->has_local = true;
         addr = g_new0(SocketAddressLegacy, 1);
-        addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_INET;
+        addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET;
         addr->u.inet.data = g_new(InetSocketAddress, 1);
         *addr->u.inet.data = (InetSocketAddress) {
             .host = g_strdup(localaddr),
diff --git a/qapi/sockets.json b/qapi/sockets.json
index 7866dc27d6..ef4b16d6f2 100644
--- a/qapi/sockets.json
+++ b/qapi/sockets.json
@@ -110,6 +110,38 @@
     'cid': 'str',
     'port': 'str' } }
 
+##
+# @InetSocketAddressWrapper:
+#
+# Since: 1.3
+##
+{ 'struct': 'InetSocketAddressWrapper',
+  'data': { 'data': 'InetSocketAddress' } }
+
+##
+# @UnixSocketAddressWrapper:
+#
+# Since: 1.3
+##
+{ 'struct': 'UnixSocketAddressWrapper',
+  'data': { 'data': 'UnixSocketAddress' } }
+
+##
+# @VsockSocketAddressWrapper:
+#
+# Since: 2.8
+##
+{ 'struct': 'VsockSocketAddressWrapper',
+  'data': { 'data': 'VsockSocketAddress' } }
+
+##
+# @StringWrapper:
+#
+# Since: 1.3
+##
+{ 'struct': 'StringWrapper',
+  'data': { 'data': 'String' } }
+
 ##
 # @SocketAddressLegacy:
 #
@@ -117,18 +149,18 @@
 #
 # Note: This type is deprecated in favor of SocketAddress.  The
 #       difference between SocketAddressLegacy and SocketAddress is that the
-#       latter is a flat union rather than a simple union. Flat is nicer
-#       because it avoids nesting on the wire, i.e. that form has fewer {}.
-
+#       latter is has fewer {} on the wire.
 #
 # Since: 1.3
 ##
 { 'union': 'SocketAddressLegacy',
+  'base': { 'type': 'SocketAddressType' },
+  'discriminator': 'type',
   'data': {
-    'inet': 'InetSocketAddress',
-    'unix': 'UnixSocketAddress',
-    'vsock': 'VsockSocketAddress',
-    'fd': 'String' } }
+    'inet': 'InetSocketAddressWrapper',
+    'unix': 'UnixSocketAddressWrapper',
+    'vsock': 'VsockSocketAddressWrapper',
+    'fd': 'StringWrapper' } }
 
 ##
 # @SocketAddressType:
diff --git a/tests/unit/test-yank.c b/tests/unit/test-yank.c
index 2383d2908c..e6c036a64d 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test-yank.c
+++ b/tests/unit/test-yank.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ static void char_change_test(gconstpointer opaque)
             .type = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_SOCKET,
             .u.socket.data = &(ChardevSocket) {
                 .addr = &(SocketAddressLegacy) {
-                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_INET,
+                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET,
                     .u.inet.data = &addr->u.inet
                 },
                 .has_server = true,
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ static void char_change_test(gconstpointer opaque)
             .type = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_UDP,
             .u.udp.data = &(ChardevUdp) {
                 .remote = &(SocketAddressLegacy) {
-                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_UNIX,
+                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_UNIX,
                     .u.q_unix.data = &(UnixSocketAddress) {
                         .path = (char *)""
                     }
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ static void char_change_test(gconstpointer opaque)
             .type = CHARDEV_BACKEND_KIND_SOCKET,
             .u.socket.data = &(ChardevSocket) {
                 .addr = &(SocketAddressLegacy) {
-                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_INET,
+                    .type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET,
                     .u.inet.data = &(InetSocketAddress) {
                         .host = (char *)"127.0.0.1",
                         .port = (char *)"0"
diff --git a/util/qemu-sockets.c b/util/qemu-sockets.c
index c5043999e9..72216ef980 100644
--- a/util/qemu-sockets.c
+++ b/util/qemu-sockets.c
@@ -1455,22 +1455,22 @@ SocketAddress *socket_address_flatten(SocketAddressLegacy *addr_legacy)
     addr = g_new(SocketAddress, 1);
 
     switch (addr_legacy->type) {
-    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_INET:
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET:
         addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_INET;
         QAPI_CLONE_MEMBERS(InetSocketAddress, &addr->u.inet,
                            addr_legacy->u.inet.data);
         break;
-    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_UNIX:
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_UNIX:
         addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_UNIX;
         QAPI_CLONE_MEMBERS(UnixSocketAddress, &addr->u.q_unix,
                            addr_legacy->u.q_unix.data);
         break;
-    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_VSOCK:
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_VSOCK:
         addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_VSOCK;
         QAPI_CLONE_MEMBERS(VsockSocketAddress, &addr->u.vsock,
                            addr_legacy->u.vsock.data);
         break;
-    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_LEGACY_KIND_FD:
+    case SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_FD:
         addr->type = SOCKET_ADDRESS_TYPE_FD;
         QAPI_CLONE_MEMBERS(String, &addr->u.fd, addr_legacy->u.fd.data);
         break;