diff --git a/hw/arm/musicpal.c b/hw/arm/musicpal.c
index c807010e839c..9648b3af44ed 100644
--- a/hw/arm/musicpal.c
+++ b/hw/arm/musicpal.c
@@ -1693,9 +1693,10 @@ static void musicpal_init(MachineState *machine)
     }
 
     wm8750_dev = i2c_create_slave(i2c, TYPE_WM8750, MP_WM_ADDR);
-    dev = qdev_create(NULL, "mv88w8618_audio");
+    dev = qdev_create(NULL, TYPE_MV88W8618_AUDIO);
     s = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
-    qdev_prop_set_ptr(dev, "wm8750", wm8750_dev);
+    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(dev), OBJECT(wm8750_dev),
+                             TYPE_WM8750, NULL);
     qdev_init_nofail(dev);
     sysbus_mmio_map(s, 0, MP_AUDIO_BASE);
     sysbus_connect_irq(s, 0, pic[MP_AUDIO_IRQ]);
diff --git a/hw/audio/ac97.c b/hw/audio/ac97.c
index 337402e9c6f7..d799533aa991 100644
--- a/hw/audio/ac97.c
+++ b/hw/audio/ac97.c
@@ -123,6 +123,10 @@ enum {
 
 #define MUTE_SHIFT 15
 
+#define TYPE_AC97 "AC97"
+#define AC97(obj) \
+    OBJECT_CHECK(AC97LinkState, (obj), TYPE_AC97)
+
 #define REC_MASK 7
 enum {
     REC_MIC = 0,
@@ -1340,7 +1344,7 @@ static void ac97_on_reset (DeviceState *dev)
 
 static void ac97_realize(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
 {
-    AC97LinkState *s = DO_UPCAST (AC97LinkState, dev, dev);
+    AC97LinkState *s = AC97(dev);
     uint8_t *c = s->dev.config;
 
     /* TODO: no need to override */
@@ -1389,7 +1393,7 @@ static void ac97_realize(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
 
 static void ac97_exit(PCIDevice *dev)
 {
-    AC97LinkState *s = DO_UPCAST(AC97LinkState, dev, dev);
+    AC97LinkState *s = AC97(dev);
 
     AUD_close_in(&s->card, s->voice_pi);
     AUD_close_out(&s->card, s->voice_po);
@@ -1399,7 +1403,7 @@ static void ac97_exit(PCIDevice *dev)
 
 static int ac97_init (PCIBus *bus)
 {
-    pci_create_simple (bus, -1, "AC97");
+    pci_create_simple(bus, -1, TYPE_AC97);
     return 0;
 }
 
@@ -1427,7 +1431,7 @@ static void ac97_class_init (ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo ac97_info = {
-    .name          = "AC97",
+    .name          = TYPE_AC97,
     .parent        = TYPE_PCI_DEVICE,
     .instance_size = sizeof (AC97LinkState),
     .class_init    = ac97_class_init,
diff --git a/hw/audio/marvell_88w8618.c b/hw/audio/marvell_88w8618.c
index e546892d3c48..6600ab485163 100644
--- a/hw/audio/marvell_88w8618.c
+++ b/hw/audio/marvell_88w8618.c
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #include "hw/i2c/i2c.h"
 #include "hw/audio/wm8750.h"
 #include "audio/audio.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
 
 #define MP_AUDIO_SIZE           0x00001000
 
@@ -38,7 +39,6 @@
 #define MP_AUDIO_CLOCK_24MHZ    (1 << 9)
 #define MP_AUDIO_MONO           (1 << 14)
 
-#define TYPE_MV88W8618_AUDIO "mv88w8618_audio"
 #define MV88W8618_AUDIO(obj) \
     OBJECT_CHECK(mv88w8618_audio_state, (obj), TYPE_MV88W8618_AUDIO)
 
@@ -252,6 +252,11 @@ static void mv88w8618_audio_init(Object *obj)
     memory_region_init_io(&s->iomem, obj, &mv88w8618_audio_ops, s,
                           "audio", MP_AUDIO_SIZE);
     sysbus_init_mmio(dev, &s->iomem);
+
+    object_property_add_link(OBJECT(dev), "wm8750", TYPE_WM8750,
+                             (Object **) &s->wm,
+                             qdev_prop_allow_set_link_before_realize,
+                             0, &error_abort);
 }
 
 static void mv88w8618_audio_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
@@ -279,11 +284,6 @@ static const VMStateDescription mv88w8618_audio_vmsd = {
     }
 };
 
-static Property mv88w8618_audio_properties[] = {
-    DEFINE_PROP_PTR("wm8750", mv88w8618_audio_state, wm),
-    {/* end of list */},
-};
-
 static void mv88w8618_audio_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
@@ -291,8 +291,6 @@ static void mv88w8618_audio_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     dc->realize = mv88w8618_audio_realize;
     dc->reset = mv88w8618_audio_reset;
     dc->vmsd = &mv88w8618_audio_vmsd;
-    dc->props = mv88w8618_audio_properties;
-    /* Reason: pointer property "wm8750" */
     dc->user_creatable = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/include/hw/audio/wm8750.h b/include/hw/audio/wm8750.h
index 84e7a119bbf9..e12cb886d16b 100644
--- a/include/hw/audio/wm8750.h
+++ b/include/hw/audio/wm8750.h
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #include "hw/hw.h"
 
 #define TYPE_WM8750 "wm8750"
+#define TYPE_MV88W8618_AUDIO "mv88w8618_audio"
 
 typedef void data_req_cb(void *opaque, int free_out, int free_in);