diff --git a/qom/object.c b/qom/object.c
index e25f1e96db..8557fe8e4e 100644
--- a/qom/object.c
+++ b/qom/object.c
@@ -220,6 +220,19 @@ static size_t type_object_get_size(TypeImpl *ti)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static size_t type_object_get_align(TypeImpl *ti)
+{
+    if (ti->instance_align) {
+        return ti->instance_align;
+    }
+
+    if (type_has_parent(ti)) {
+        return type_object_get_align(type_get_parent(ti));
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 size_t object_type_get_instance_size(const char *typename)
 {
     TypeImpl *type = type_get_by_name(typename);
@@ -293,6 +306,7 @@ static void type_initialize(TypeImpl *ti)
 
     ti->class_size = type_class_get_size(ti);
     ti->instance_size = type_object_get_size(ti);
+    ti->instance_align = type_object_get_align(ti);
     /* Any type with zero instance_size is implicitly abstract.
      * This means interface types are all abstract.
      */