diff --git a/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c b/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
index 5ba5b77561..5c4208f430 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
@@ -331,15 +331,6 @@ void ics_kvm_set_irq(ICSState *ics, int srcno, int val)
     }
 }
 
-static void rtas_dummy(PowerPCCPU *cpu, SpaprMachineState *spapr,
-                       uint32_t token,
-                       uint32_t nargs, target_ulong args,
-                       uint32_t nret, target_ulong rets)
-{
-    error_report("pseries: %s must never be called for in-kernel XICS",
-                 __func__);
-}
-
 int xics_kvm_init(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
 {
     int rc;
@@ -360,11 +351,6 @@ int xics_kvm_init(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
         goto fail;
     }
 
-    spapr_rtas_register(RTAS_IBM_SET_XIVE, "ibm,set-xive", rtas_dummy);
-    spapr_rtas_register(RTAS_IBM_GET_XIVE, "ibm,get-xive", rtas_dummy);
-    spapr_rtas_register(RTAS_IBM_INT_OFF, "ibm,int-off", rtas_dummy);
-    spapr_rtas_register(RTAS_IBM_INT_ON, "ibm,int-on", rtas_dummy);
-
     rc = kvmppc_define_rtas_kernel_token(RTAS_IBM_SET_XIVE, "ibm,set-xive");
     if (rc < 0) {
         error_setg(errp, "kvmppc_define_rtas_kernel_token: ibm,set-xive");
@@ -454,11 +440,6 @@ void xics_kvm_disconnect(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
     close(kernel_xics_fd);
     kernel_xics_fd = -1;
 
-    spapr_rtas_unregister(RTAS_IBM_SET_XIVE);
-    spapr_rtas_unregister(RTAS_IBM_GET_XIVE);
-    spapr_rtas_unregister(RTAS_IBM_INT_OFF);
-    spapr_rtas_unregister(RTAS_IBM_INT_ON);
-
     kvmppc_define_rtas_kernel_token(0, "ibm,set-xive");
     kvmppc_define_rtas_kernel_token(0, "ibm,get-xive");
     kvmppc_define_rtas_kernel_token(0, "ibm,int-on");
diff --git a/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c b/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
index d470ab5f7a..8d605b68a7 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
@@ -285,14 +285,6 @@ static void rtas_int_on(PowerPCCPU *cpu, SpaprMachineState *spapr,
 
 void xics_spapr_init(SpaprMachineState *spapr)
 {
-    /* Emulated mode can only be initialized once. */
-    if (spapr->ics->init) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    spapr->ics->init = true;
-
-    /* Registration of global state belongs into realize */
     spapr_rtas_register(RTAS_IBM_SET_XIVE, "ibm,set-xive", rtas_set_xive);
     spapr_rtas_register(RTAS_IBM_GET_XIVE, "ibm,get-xive", rtas_get_xive);
     spapr_rtas_register(RTAS_IBM_INT_OFF, "ibm,int-off", rtas_int_off);
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
index 3156daf093..dfb99f35ea 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
@@ -114,6 +114,8 @@ static void spapr_irq_init_xics(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int nr_irqs,
     }
 
     spapr->ics = ICS_BASE(obj);
+
+    xics_spapr_init(spapr);
 }
 
 #define ICS_IRQ_FREE(ics, srcno)   \
@@ -236,7 +238,6 @@ static const char *spapr_irq_get_nodename_xics(SpaprMachineState *spapr)
 
 static void spapr_irq_init_emu_xics(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
 {
-    xics_spapr_init(spapr);
 }
 
 static void spapr_irq_init_kvm_xics(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
index 4f5becf1f3..60553d32c4 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr.h
@@ -676,10 +676,6 @@ typedef void (*spapr_rtas_fn)(PowerPCCPU *cpu, SpaprMachineState *sm,
                               uint32_t nargs, target_ulong args,
                               uint32_t nret, target_ulong rets);
 void spapr_rtas_register(int token, const char *name, spapr_rtas_fn fn);
-static inline void spapr_rtas_unregister(int token)
-{
-    spapr_rtas_register(token, NULL, NULL);
-}
 target_ulong spapr_rtas_call(PowerPCCPU *cpu, SpaprMachineState *sm,
                              uint32_t token, uint32_t nargs, target_ulong args,
                              uint32_t nret, target_ulong rets);
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/xics.h b/include/hw/ppc/xics.h
index d6f8e4c4c2..eb65ad7e43 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/xics.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/xics.h
@@ -119,7 +119,6 @@ struct ICSState {
     uint32_t offset;
     ICSIRQState *irqs;
     XICSFabric *xics;
-    bool init; /* sPAPR ICS device initialized */
 };
 
 #define ICS_PROP_XICS "xics"
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/xics_spapr.h b/include/hw/ppc/xics_spapr.h
index 2476b540ed..6c1d9ee559 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/xics_spapr.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/xics_spapr.h
@@ -36,5 +36,6 @@ void spapr_dt_xics(SpaprMachineState *spapr, uint32_t nr_servers, void *fdt,
 int xics_kvm_init(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp);
 void xics_kvm_disconnect(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp);
 void xics_spapr_init(SpaprMachineState *spapr);
+void xics_spapr_connect(SpaprMachineState *spapr);
 
 #endif /* XICS_SPAPR_H */