diff --git a/hw/core/qdev.c b/hw/core/qdev.c
index ff81f675da..10bf086a0a 100644
--- a/hw/core/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/core/qdev.c
@@ -373,10 +373,15 @@ void qdev_simple_device_unplug_cb(HotplugHandler *hotplug_dev,
    way is somewhat unclean, and best avoided.  */
 void qdev_init_nofail(DeviceState *dev)
 {
-    const char *typename = object_get_typename(OBJECT(dev));
+    Error *err = NULL;
 
-    if (qdev_init(dev) < 0) {
-        error_report("Initialization of device %s failed", typename);
+    assert(!dev->realized);
+
+    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(dev), true, "realized", &err);
+    if (err) {
+        error_report("Initialization of device %s failed: %s",
+                     object_get_typename(OBJECT(dev)),
+                     error_get_pretty(err));
         exit(1);
     }
 }