diff --git a/qdev-monitor.c b/qdev-monitor.c
index c72145127e..754437b777 100644
--- a/qdev-monitor.c
+++ b/qdev-monitor.c
@@ -686,15 +686,20 @@ int do_device_add(Monitor *mon, const QDict *qdict, QObject **ret_data)
 
 void qmp_device_del(const char *id, Error **errp)
 {
-    DeviceState *dev;
+    Object *obj;
+    char *root_path = object_get_canonical_path(qdev_get_peripheral());
+    char *path = g_strdup_printf("%s/%s", root_path, id);
 
-    dev = qdev_find_recursive(sysbus_get_default(), id);
-    if (!dev) {
+    g_free(root_path);
+    obj = object_resolve_path_type(path, TYPE_DEVICE, NULL);
+    g_free(path);
+
+    if (!obj) {
         error_set(errp, QERR_DEVICE_NOT_FOUND, id);
         return;
     }
 
-    qdev_unplug(dev, errp);
+    qdev_unplug(DEVICE(obj), errp);
 }
 
 void qdev_machine_init(void)