diff --git a/device_tree.c b/device_tree.c
index 4cb1cd50aac8..3d119ef0bdb1 100644
--- a/device_tree.c
+++ b/device_tree.c
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #include "sysemu/device_tree.h"
 #include "sysemu/sysemu.h"
 #include "hw/loader.h"
-#include "qemu/option.h"
+#include "hw/boards.h"
 #include "qemu/config-file.h"
 
 #include <libfdt.h>
@@ -245,8 +245,7 @@ uint32_t qemu_fdt_alloc_phandle(void *fdt)
      * which phandle id to start allocting phandles.
      */
     if (!phandle) {
-        phandle = qemu_opt_get_number(qemu_get_machine_opts(),
-                                      "phandle_start", 0);
+        phandle = machine_phandle_start(current_machine);
     }
 
     if (!phandle) {
diff --git a/hw/core/machine.c b/hw/core/machine.c
index 0ad5b12781c3..5ad24093ada6 100644
--- a/hw/core/machine.c
+++ b/hw/core/machine.c
@@ -420,6 +420,11 @@ int machine_kvm_shadow_mem(MachineState *machine)
     return machine->kvm_shadow_mem;
 }
 
+int machine_phandle_start(MachineState *machine)
+{
+    return machine->phandle_start;
+}
+
 static const TypeInfo machine_info = {
     .name = TYPE_MACHINE,
     .parent = TYPE_OBJECT,
diff --git a/include/hw/boards.h b/include/hw/boards.h
index 4be3cd141630..1f21bdf7ee37 100644
--- a/include/hw/boards.h
+++ b/include/hw/boards.h
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ bool machine_iommu(MachineState *machine);
 bool machine_kernel_irqchip_allowed(MachineState *machine);
 bool machine_kernel_irqchip_required(MachineState *machine);
 int machine_kvm_shadow_mem(MachineState *machine);
+int machine_phandle_start(MachineState *machine);
 
 /**
  * MachineClass: