diff --git a/hw/isa/piix4.c b/hw/isa/piix4.c
index 9ebe98bdc3..c07a1e14a8 100644
--- a/hw/isa/piix4.c
+++ b/hw/isa/piix4.c
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 #include "hw/isa/isa.h"
 #include "hw/sysbus.h"
 #include "hw/dma/i8257.h"
+#include "hw/timer/i8254.h"
 #include "migration/vmstate.h"
 #include "sysemu/reset.h"
 #include "sysemu/runstate.h"
@@ -168,6 +169,9 @@ static void piix4_realize(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
     /* initialize ISA irqs */
     isa_bus_irqs(isa_bus, s->isa);
 
+    /* initialize pit */
+    i8254_pit_init(isa_bus, 0x40, 0, NULL);
+
     /* DMA */
     i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0);
 
diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_malta.c b/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
index 44e5f8b26b..9af486c77c 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@
 #include "hw/loader.h"
 #include "elf.h"
 #include "hw/rtc/mc146818rtc.h"
-#include "hw/timer/i8254.h"
 #include "exec/address-spaces.h"
 #include "hw/sysbus.h"             /* SysBusDevice */
 #include "qemu/host-utils.h"
@@ -99,8 +98,6 @@ typedef struct {
     qemu_irq i8259[ISA_NUM_IRQS];
 } MaltaState;
 
-static ISADevice *pit;
-
 static struct _loaderparams {
     int ram_size, ram_low_size;
     const char *kernel_filename;
@@ -1428,7 +1425,6 @@ void mips_malta_init(MachineState *machine)
     pci_create_simple(pci_bus, piix4_devfn + 2, "piix4-usb-uhci");
     smbus = piix4_pm_init(pci_bus, piix4_devfn + 3, 0x1100,
                           isa_get_irq(NULL, 9), NULL, 0, NULL);
-    pit = i8254_pit_init(isa_bus, 0x40, 0, NULL);
     mc146818_rtc_init(isa_bus, 2000, NULL);
 
     /* generate SPD EEPROM data */