diff --git a/include/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.h b/include/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.h
index 8d69388810..95985e25e5 100644
--- a/include/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.h
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #ifndef QOBJECT_INPUT_VISITOR_H
 #define QOBJECT_INPUT_VISITOR_H
 
-#include "qapi/qapi-types-compat.h"
 #include "qapi/visitor.h"
 
 typedef struct QObjectInputVisitor QObjectInputVisitor;
@@ -59,9 +58,6 @@ typedef struct QObjectInputVisitor QObjectInputVisitor;
  */
 Visitor *qobject_input_visitor_new(QObject *obj);
 
-void qobject_input_visitor_set_policy(Visitor *v,
-                                      CompatPolicyInput deprecated);
-
 /*
  * Create a QObject input visitor for @obj for use with keyval_parse()
  *
diff --git a/include/qapi/qobject-output-visitor.h b/include/qapi/qobject-output-visitor.h
index f2a2f92a00..2b1726baf5 100644
--- a/include/qapi/qobject-output-visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/qobject-output-visitor.h
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@
 #define QOBJECT_OUTPUT_VISITOR_H
 
 #include "qapi/visitor.h"
-#include "qapi/qapi-types-compat.h"
 
 typedef struct QObjectOutputVisitor QObjectOutputVisitor;
 
@@ -54,7 +53,4 @@ typedef struct QObjectOutputVisitor QObjectOutputVisitor;
  */
 Visitor *qobject_output_visitor_new(QObject **result);
 
-void qobject_output_visitor_set_policy(Visitor *v,
-                                       CompatPolicyOutput deprecated);
-
 #endif
diff --git a/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h b/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
index 3b950f6e3d..72b6537bef 100644
--- a/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
+++ b/include/qapi/visitor-impl.h
@@ -122,6 +122,9 @@ struct Visitor
     /* Must be set */
     VisitorType type;
 
+    /* Optional */
+    struct CompatPolicy compat_policy;
+
     /* Must be set for output visitors, optional otherwise. */
     void (*complete)(Visitor *v, void *opaque);
 
diff --git a/include/qapi/visitor.h b/include/qapi/visitor.h
index b3c9ef7a81..dcb96018a9 100644
--- a/include/qapi/visitor.h
+++ b/include/qapi/visitor.h
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 #define QAPI_VISITOR_H
 
 #include "qapi/qapi-builtin-types.h"
+#include "qapi/qapi-types-compat.h"
 
 /*
  * The QAPI schema defines both a set of C data types, and a QMP wire
@@ -477,6 +478,14 @@ bool visit_deprecated_accept(Visitor *v, const char *name, Error **errp);
  */
 bool visit_deprecated(Visitor *v, const char *name);
 
+/*
+ * Set policy for handling deprecated management interfaces.
+ *
+ * Intended use: call visit_set_policy(v, &compat_policy) when
+ * visiting management interface input or output.
+ */
+void visit_set_policy(Visitor *v, CompatPolicy *policy);
+
 /*
  * Visit an enum value.
  *
diff --git a/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c b/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
index 7310f0a0ca..93fb154ef3 100644
--- a/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
+++ b/qapi/qapi-visit-core.c
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
 #include "qapi/visitor-impl.h"
 #include "trace.h"
 
+/* Zero-initialization must result in default policy */
+QEMU_BUILD_BUG_ON(COMPAT_POLICY_INPUT_ACCEPT || COMPAT_POLICY_OUTPUT_ACCEPT);
+
+
 void visit_complete(Visitor *v, void *opaque)
 {
     assert(v->type != VISITOR_OUTPUT || v->complete);
@@ -153,6 +157,11 @@ bool visit_deprecated(Visitor *v, const char *name)
     return true;
 }
 
+void visit_set_policy(Visitor *v, CompatPolicy *policy)
+{
+    v->compat_policy = *policy;
+}
+
 bool visit_is_input(Visitor *v)
 {
     return v->type == VISITOR_INPUT;
diff --git a/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c b/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
index 59600210ce..7e943a0af5 100644
--- a/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
+++ b/qapi/qmp-dispatch.c
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Visitor *qobject_input_visitor_new_qmp(QObject *obj)
 {
     Visitor *v = qobject_input_visitor_new(obj);
 
-    qobject_input_visitor_set_policy(v, compat_policy.deprecated_input);
+    visit_set_policy(v, &compat_policy);
     return v;
 }
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ Visitor *qobject_output_visitor_new_qmp(QObject **result)
 {
     Visitor *v = qobject_output_visitor_new(result);
 
-    qobject_output_visitor_set_policy(v, compat_policy.deprecated_output);
+    visit_set_policy(v, &compat_policy);
     return v;
 }
 
diff --git a/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c b/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
index 04b790412e..71b24a4429 100644
--- a/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/qobject-input-visitor.c
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include <math.h>
-#include "qapi/compat-policy.h"
 #include "qapi/error.h"
 #include "qapi/qobject-input-visitor.h"
 #include "qapi/visitor-impl.h"
@@ -44,7 +43,6 @@ typedef struct StackObject {
 
 struct QObjectInputVisitor {
     Visitor visitor;
-    CompatPolicyInput deprecated_policy;
 
     /* Root of visit at visitor creation. */
     QObject *root;
@@ -667,9 +665,7 @@ static void qobject_input_optional(Visitor *v, const char *name, bool *present)
 static bool qobject_input_deprecated_accept(Visitor *v, const char *name,
                                             Error **errp)
 {
-    QObjectInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-
-    switch (qiv->deprecated_policy) {
+    switch (v->compat_policy.deprecated_input) {
     case COMPAT_POLICY_INPUT_ACCEPT:
         return true;
     case COMPAT_POLICY_INPUT_REJECT:
@@ -739,14 +735,6 @@ Visitor *qobject_input_visitor_new(QObject *obj)
     return &v->visitor;
 }
 
-void qobject_input_visitor_set_policy(Visitor *v,
-                                       CompatPolicyInput deprecated)
-{
-    QObjectInputVisitor *qiv = to_qiv(v);
-
-    qiv->deprecated_policy = deprecated;
-}
-
 Visitor *qobject_input_visitor_new_keyval(QObject *obj)
 {
     QObjectInputVisitor *v = qobject_input_visitor_base_new(obj);
diff --git a/qapi/qobject-output-visitor.c b/qapi/qobject-output-visitor.c
index e4873308d4..9b7f510036 100644
--- a/qapi/qobject-output-visitor.c
+++ b/qapi/qobject-output-visitor.c
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@
  */
 
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
-#include "qapi/compat-policy.h"
 #include "qapi/qobject-output-visitor.h"
 #include "qapi/visitor-impl.h"
 #include "qemu/queue.h"
@@ -32,7 +31,6 @@ typedef struct QStackEntry {
 
 struct QObjectOutputVisitor {
     Visitor visitor;
-    CompatPolicyOutput deprecated_policy;
 
     QSLIST_HEAD(, QStackEntry) stack; /* Stack of unfinished containers */
     QObject *root; /* Root of the output visit */
@@ -212,9 +210,7 @@ static bool qobject_output_type_null(Visitor *v, const char *name,
 
 static bool qobject_output_deprecated(Visitor *v, const char *name)
 {
-    QObjectOutputVisitor *qov = to_qov(v);
-
-    return qov->deprecated_policy != COMPAT_POLICY_OUTPUT_HIDE;
+    return v->compat_policy.deprecated_output != COMPAT_POLICY_OUTPUT_HIDE;
 }
 
 /* Finish building, and return the root object.
@@ -275,11 +271,3 @@ Visitor *qobject_output_visitor_new(QObject **result)
 
     return &v->visitor;
 }
-
-void qobject_output_visitor_set_policy(Visitor *v,
-                                       CompatPolicyOutput deprecated)
-{
-    QObjectOutputVisitor *qov = to_qov(v);
-
-    qov->deprecated_policy = deprecated;
-}