diff --git a/hw/char/milkymist-uart.c b/hw/char/milkymist-uart.c
index 03b36b2236..72f8484668 100644
--- a/hw/char/milkymist-uart.c
+++ b/hw/char/milkymist-uart.c
@@ -200,8 +200,6 @@ static void milkymist_uart_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     MilkymistUartState *s = MILKYMIST_UART(dev);
 
-    /* FIXME use a qdev chardev prop instead of qemu_char_get_next_serial() */
-    s->chr = qemu_char_get_next_serial();
     if (s->chr) {
         qemu_chr_add_handlers(s->chr, uart_can_rx, uart_rx, uart_event, s);
     }
@@ -229,6 +227,11 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_milkymist_uart = {
     }
 };
 
+static Property milkymist_uart_properties[] = {
+    DEFINE_PROP_CHR("chardev", MilkymistUartState, chr),
+    DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
+};
+
 static void milkymist_uart_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
@@ -236,8 +239,7 @@ static void milkymist_uart_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     dc->realize = milkymist_uart_realize;
     dc->reset = milkymist_uart_reset;
     dc->vmsd = &vmstate_milkymist_uart;
-    /* Reason: realize() method uses qemu_char_get_next_serial() */
-    dc->cannot_instantiate_with_device_add_yet = true;
+    dc->props = milkymist_uart_properties;
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo milkymist_uart_info = {
diff --git a/hw/lm32/milkymist-hw.h b/hw/lm32/milkymist-hw.h
index f857d2846f..eb6a3a2559 100644
--- a/hw/lm32/milkymist-hw.h
+++ b/hw/lm32/milkymist-hw.h
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@
 #include "net/net.h"
 
 static inline DeviceState *milkymist_uart_create(hwaddr base,
-        qemu_irq irq)
+                                                 qemu_irq irq,
+                                                 CharDriverState *chr)
 {
     DeviceState *dev;
 
     dev = qdev_create(NULL, "milkymist-uart");
+    qdev_prop_set_chr(dev, "chardev", chr);
     qdev_init_nofail(dev);
     sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev), 0, base);
     sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev), 0, irq);
diff --git a/hw/lm32/milkymist.c b/hw/lm32/milkymist.c
index ebd8a3c124..5cae0f19dd 100644
--- a/hw/lm32/milkymist.c
+++ b/hw/lm32/milkymist.c
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ milkymist_init(MachineState *machine)
     }
     g_free(bios_filename);
 
-    milkymist_uart_create(0x60000000, irq[0]);
+    milkymist_uart_create(0x60000000, irq[0], serial_hds[0]);
     milkymist_sysctl_create(0x60001000, irq[1], irq[2], irq[3],
             80000000, 0x10014d31, 0x0000041f, 0x00000001);
     milkymist_hpdmc_create(0x60002000);