diff --git a/hw/ide/ich.c b/hw/ide/ich.c
index 0e819f6..5cdaa99 100644
--- a/hw/ide/ich.c
+++ b/hw/ide/ich.c
@@ -158,7 +158,6 @@ static void ich_ahci_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     k->device_id = PCI_DEVICE_ID_INTEL_82801IR;
     k->revision = 0x02;
     k->class_id = PCI_CLASS_STORAGE_SATA;
-    dc->alias = "ahci";
     dc->vmsd = &vmstate_ahci;
 }
 
@@ -172,6 +171,5 @@ static TypeInfo ich_ahci_info = {
 static void ich_ahci_register(void)
 {
     type_register_static(&ich_ahci_info);
-    type_register_static_alias(&ich_ahci_info, "ahci");
 }
 device_init(ich_ahci_register);
diff --git a/hw/lsi53c895a.c b/hw/lsi53c895a.c
index 638332e..9a7ffe3 100644
--- a/hw/lsi53c895a.c
+++ b/hw/lsi53c895a.c
@@ -2131,7 +2131,6 @@ static void lsi_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     k->device_id = PCI_DEVICE_ID_LSI_53C895A;
     k->class_id = PCI_CLASS_STORAGE_SCSI;
     k->subsystem_id = 0x1000;
-    dc->alias = "lsi";
     dc->reset = lsi_scsi_reset;
     dc->vmsd = &vmstate_lsi_scsi;
 }
@@ -2146,7 +2145,6 @@ static TypeInfo lsi_info = {
 static void lsi53c895a_register_devices(void)
 {
     type_register_static(&lsi_info);
-    type_register_static_alias(&lsi_info, "lsi");
 }
 
 device_init(lsi53c895a_register_devices);
diff --git a/hw/qdev.c b/hw/qdev.c
index 4f6c3a7..5830bef 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/qdev.c
@@ -61,14 +61,56 @@ Property *qdev_get_props(DeviceState *dev)
     return dc->props;
 }
 
+/*
+ * Aliases were a bad idea from the start.  Let's keep them
+ * from spreading further.
+ */
+typedef struct QDevAlias
+{
+    const char *typename;
+    const char *alias;
+} QDevAlias;
+
+static const QDevAlias qdev_alias_table[] = {
+    { "virtio-blk-pci", "virtio-blk" },
+    { "virtio-net-pci", "virtio-net" },
+    { "virtio-serial-pci", "virtio-serial" },
+    { "virtio-balloon-pci", "virtio-balloon" },
+    { "virtio-blk-s390", "virtio-blk" },
+    { "virtio-net-s390", "virtio-net" },
+    { "virtio-serial-s390", "virtio-serial" },
+    { "lsi53c895a", "lsi" },
+    { "ich9-ahci", "ahci" },
+    { }
+};
+
+static const char *qdev_class_get_alias(DeviceClass *dc)
+{
+    const char *typename = object_class_get_name(OBJECT_CLASS(dc));
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; qdev_alias_table[i].typename; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(qdev_alias_table[i].typename, typename) == 0) {
+            return qdev_alias_table[i].alias;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
+static bool qdev_class_has_alias(DeviceClass *dc)
+{
+    return (qdev_class_get_alias(dc) != NULL);
+}
+
 const char *qdev_fw_name(DeviceState *dev)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_GET_CLASS(dev);
 
     if (dc->fw_name) {
         return dc->fw_name;
-    } else if (dc->alias) {
-        return dc->alias;
+    } else if (qdev_class_has_alias(dc)) {
+        return qdev_class_get_alias(dc);
     }
 
     return object_get_typename(OBJECT(dev));
@@ -161,8 +203,8 @@ static void qdev_print_devinfo(ObjectClass *klass, void *opaque)
     if (dc->bus_info) {
         error_printf(", bus %s", dc->bus_info->name);
     }
-    if (dc->alias) {
-        error_printf(", alias \"%s\"", dc->alias);
+    if (qdev_class_has_alias(dc)) {
+        error_printf(", alias \"%s\"", qdev_class_get_alias(dc));
     }
     if (dc->desc) {
         error_printf(", desc \"%s\"", dc->desc);
@@ -188,6 +230,19 @@ static int set_property(const char *name, const char *value, void *opaque)
     return 0;
 }
 
+static const char *find_typename_by_alias(const char *alias)
+{
+    int i;
+
+    for (i = 0; qdev_alias_table[i].alias; i++) {
+        if (strcmp(qdev_alias_table[i].alias, alias) == 0) {
+            return qdev_alias_table[i].typename;
+        }
+    }
+
+    return NULL;
+}
+
 int qdev_device_help(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
     const char *driver;
@@ -208,6 +263,15 @@ int qdev_device_help(QemuOpts *opts)
 
     klass = object_class_by_name(driver);
     if (!klass) {
+        const char *typename = find_typename_by_alias(driver);
+
+        if (typename) {
+            driver = typename;
+            klass = object_class_by_name(driver);
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!klass) {
         return 0;
     }
     info = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
@@ -263,6 +327,7 @@ static DeviceState *qdev_get_peripheral_anon(void)
 
 DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts)
 {
+    ObjectClass *obj;
     DeviceClass *k;
     const char *driver, *path, *id;
     DeviceState *qdev;
@@ -275,7 +340,22 @@ DeviceState *qdev_device_add(QemuOpts *opts)
     }
 
     /* find driver */
-    k = DEVICE_CLASS(object_class_by_name(driver));
+    obj = object_class_by_name(driver);
+    if (!obj) {
+        const char *typename = find_typename_by_alias(driver);
+
+        if (typename) {
+            driver = typename;
+            obj = object_class_by_name(driver);
+        }
+    }
+
+    if (!obj) {
+        qerror_report(QERR_INVALID_PARAMETER_VALUE, "driver", "device type");
+        return NULL;
+    }
+
+    k = DEVICE_CLASS(obj);
 
     /* find bus */
     path = qemu_opt_get(opts, "bus");
@@ -753,7 +833,8 @@ static DeviceState *qbus_find_dev(BusState *bus, char *elem)
     QTAILQ_FOREACH(dev, &bus->children, sibling) {
         DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_GET_CLASS(dev);
 
-        if (dc->alias && strcmp(dc->alias, elem) == 0) {
+        if (qdev_class_has_alias(dc) &&
+            strcmp(qdev_class_get_alias(dc), elem) == 0) {
             return dev;
         }
     }
diff --git a/hw/qdev.h b/hw/qdev.h
index 29f6daa..5aea4bf 100644
--- a/hw/qdev.h
+++ b/hw/qdev.h
@@ -78,7 +78,6 @@ typedef struct DeviceClass {
     ObjectClass parent_class;
 
     const char *fw_name;
-    const char *alias;
     const char *desc;
     Property *props;
     int no_user;
diff --git a/hw/s390-virtio-bus.c b/hw/s390-virtio-bus.c
index 4e1e888..b66ef68 100644
--- a/hw/s390-virtio-bus.c
+++ b/hw/s390-virtio-bus.c
@@ -354,7 +354,6 @@ static void s390_virtio_net_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 
     k->init = s390_virtio_net_init;
     dc->props = s390_virtio_net_properties;
-    dc->alias = "virtio-net";
 }
 
 static TypeInfo s390_virtio_net = {
@@ -377,7 +376,6 @@ static void s390_virtio_blk_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 
     k->init = s390_virtio_blk_init;
     dc->props = s390_virtio_blk_properties;
-    dc->alias = "virtio-blk";
 }
 
 static TypeInfo s390_virtio_blk = {
@@ -400,7 +398,6 @@ static void s390_virtio_serial_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 
     k->init = s390_virtio_serial_init;
     dc->props = s390_virtio_serial_properties;
-    dc->alias = "virtio-serial";
 }
 
 static TypeInfo s390_virtio_serial = {
diff --git a/hw/virtio-pci.c b/hw/virtio-pci.c
index bc96552..93fff54 100644
--- a/hw/virtio-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio-pci.c
@@ -827,7 +827,6 @@ static void virtio_blk_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     k->device_id = PCI_DEVICE_ID_VIRTIO_BLOCK;
     k->revision = VIRTIO_PCI_ABI_VERSION;
     k->class_id = PCI_CLASS_STORAGE_SCSI;
-    dc->alias = "virtio-blk";
     dc->reset = virtio_pci_reset;
     dc->props = virtio_blk_properties;
 }
@@ -862,7 +861,6 @@ static void virtio_net_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     k->device_id = PCI_DEVICE_ID_VIRTIO_NET;
     k->revision = VIRTIO_PCI_ABI_VERSION;
     k->class_id = PCI_CLASS_NETWORK_ETHERNET;
-    dc->alias = "virtio-net";
     dc->reset = virtio_pci_reset;
     dc->props = virtio_net_properties;
 }
@@ -894,7 +892,6 @@ static void virtio_serial_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     k->device_id = PCI_DEVICE_ID_VIRTIO_CONSOLE;
     k->revision = VIRTIO_PCI_ABI_VERSION;
     k->class_id = PCI_CLASS_COMMUNICATION_OTHER;
-    dc->alias = "virtio-serial";
     dc->reset = virtio_pci_reset;
     dc->props = virtio_serial_properties;
 }
@@ -922,7 +919,6 @@ static void virtio_balloon_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     k->device_id = PCI_DEVICE_ID_VIRTIO_BALLOON;
     k->revision = VIRTIO_PCI_ABI_VERSION;
     k->class_id = PCI_CLASS_MEMORY_RAM;
-    dc->alias = "virtio-balloon";
     dc->reset = virtio_pci_reset;
     dc->props = virtio_balloon_properties;
 }
@@ -937,13 +933,9 @@ static TypeInfo virtio_balloon_info = {
 static void virtio_pci_register_devices(void)
 {
     type_register_static(&virtio_blk_info);
-    type_register_static_alias(&virtio_blk_info, "virtio-blk");
     type_register_static(&virtio_net_info);
-    type_register_static_alias(&virtio_net_info, "virtio-net");
     type_register_static(&virtio_serial_info);
-    type_register_static_alias(&virtio_serial_info, "virtio-serial");
     type_register_static(&virtio_balloon_info);
-    type_register_static_alias(&virtio_balloon_info, "virtio-balloon");
 }
 
 device_init(virtio_pci_register_devices)
