diff --git a/hw/i386/microvm.c b/hw/i386/microvm.c
index ca55aecc3b..61a772dfe6 100644
--- a/hw/i386/microvm.c
+++ b/hw/i386/microvm.c
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ static void microvm_devices_init(MicrovmMachineState *mms)
                           &error_abort);
     isa_bus_register_input_irqs(isa_bus, x86ms->gsi);
 
-    ioapic_init_gsi(gsi_state, "machine");
+    ioapic_init_gsi(gsi_state, OBJECT(mms));
     if (ioapics > 1) {
         x86ms->ioapic2 = ioapic_init_secondary(gsi_state);
     }
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
index ec7c07b362..7724396ead 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
     X86MachineState *x86ms = X86_MACHINE(machine);
     MemoryRegion *system_memory = get_system_memory();
     MemoryRegion *system_io = get_system_io();
+    Object *phb = NULL;
     PCIBus *pci_bus = NULL;
     ISABus *isa_bus;
     Object *piix4_pm = NULL;
@@ -189,8 +190,6 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
     }
 
     if (pcmc->pci_enabled) {
-        Object *phb;
-
         pci_memory = g_new(MemoryRegion, 1);
         memory_region_init(pci_memory, NULL, "pci", UINT64_MAX);
         rom_memory = pci_memory;
@@ -303,8 +302,8 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
         pc_i8259_create(isa_bus, gsi_state->i8259_irq);
     }
 
-    if (pcmc->pci_enabled) {
-        ioapic_init_gsi(gsi_state, "i440fx");
+    if (phb) {
+        ioapic_init_gsi(gsi_state, phb);
     }
 
     if (tcg_enabled()) {
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
index 53fb3db26d..c89ff63579 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ static void pc_q35_init(MachineState *machine)
         pc_i8259_create(isa_bus, gsi_state->i8259_irq);
     }
 
-    ioapic_init_gsi(gsi_state, "q35");
+    ioapic_init_gsi(gsi_state, OBJECT(phb));
 
     if (tcg_enabled()) {
         x86_register_ferr_irq(x86ms->gsi[13]);
diff --git a/hw/i386/x86.c b/hw/i386/x86.c
index 684dce90e9..807e09bcdb 100644
--- a/hw/i386/x86.c
+++ b/hw/i386/x86.c
@@ -640,20 +640,19 @@ void gsi_handler(void *opaque, int n, int level)
     }
 }
 
-void ioapic_init_gsi(GSIState *gsi_state, const char *parent_name)
+void ioapic_init_gsi(GSIState *gsi_state, Object *parent)
 {
     DeviceState *dev;
     SysBusDevice *d;
     unsigned int i;
 
-    assert(parent_name);
+    assert(parent);
     if (kvm_ioapic_in_kernel()) {
         dev = qdev_new(TYPE_KVM_IOAPIC);
     } else {
         dev = qdev_new(TYPE_IOAPIC);
     }
-    object_property_add_child(object_resolve_path(parent_name, NULL),
-                              "ioapic", OBJECT(dev));
+    object_property_add_child(parent, "ioapic", OBJECT(dev));
     d = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
     sysbus_realize_and_unref(d, &error_fatal);
     sysbus_mmio_map(d, 0, IO_APIC_DEFAULT_ADDRESS);
diff --git a/include/hw/i386/x86.h b/include/hw/i386/x86.h
index 8e306db7bb..4dc30dcb4d 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/x86.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/x86.h
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ typedef struct GSIState {
 
 qemu_irq x86_allocate_cpu_irq(void);
 void gsi_handler(void *opaque, int n, int level);
-void ioapic_init_gsi(GSIState *gsi_state, const char *parent_name);
+void ioapic_init_gsi(GSIState *gsi_state, Object *parent);
 DeviceState *ioapic_init_secondary(GSIState *gsi_state);
 
 /* pc_sysfw.c */