diff --git a/hw/intc/xics.c b/hw/intc/xics.c
index 372b8311fb8b..e70d3b8b1095 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xics.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xics.c
@@ -151,38 +151,6 @@ static void xics_common_reset(DeviceState *d)
     }
 }
 
-static void xics_prop_get_nr_irqs(Object *obj, Visitor *v, const char *name,
-                                  void *opaque, Error **errp)
-{
-    XICSState *xics = XICS_COMMON(obj);
-    int64_t value = xics->nr_irqs;
-
-    visit_type_int(v, name, &value, errp);
-}
-
-static void xics_prop_set_nr_irqs(Object *obj, Visitor *v, const char *name,
-                                  void *opaque, Error **errp)
-{
-    XICSState *xics = XICS_COMMON(obj);
-    XICSStateClass *info = XICS_COMMON_GET_CLASS(xics);
-    Error *error = NULL;
-    int64_t value;
-
-    visit_type_int(v, name, &value, &error);
-    if (error) {
-        error_propagate(errp, error);
-        return;
-    }
-    if (xics->nr_irqs) {
-        error_setg(errp, "Number of interrupts is already set to %u",
-                   xics->nr_irqs);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    assert(info->set_nr_irqs);
-    info->set_nr_irqs(xics, value, errp);
-}
-
 void xics_set_nr_servers(XICSState *xics, uint32_t nr_servers,
                          const char *typename, Error **errp)
 {
@@ -241,9 +209,6 @@ static void xics_common_initfn(Object *obj)
     XICSState *xics = XICS_COMMON(obj);
 
     QLIST_INIT(&xics->ics);
-    object_property_add(obj, "nr_irqs", "int",
-                        xics_prop_get_nr_irqs, xics_prop_set_nr_irqs,
-                        NULL, NULL, NULL);
     object_property_add(obj, "nr_servers", "int",
                         xics_prop_get_nr_servers, xics_prop_set_nr_servers,
                         NULL, NULL, NULL);
@@ -737,6 +702,16 @@ static void ics_simple_initfn(Object *obj)
 static void ics_simple_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     ICSState *ics = ICS_SIMPLE(dev);
+    Object *obj;
+    Error *err = NULL;
+
+    obj = object_property_get_link(OBJECT(dev), "xics", &err);
+    if (!obj) {
+        error_setg(errp, "%s: required link 'xics' not found: %s",
+                   __func__, error_get_pretty(err));
+        return;
+    }
+    ics->xics = XICS_COMMON(obj);
 
     if (!ics->nr_irqs) {
         error_setg(errp, "Number of interrupts needs to be greater 0");
@@ -746,12 +721,18 @@ static void ics_simple_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     ics->qirqs = qemu_allocate_irqs(ics_simple_set_irq, ics, ics->nr_irqs);
 }
 
+static Property ics_simple_properties[] = {
+    DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("nr-irqs", ICSState, nr_irqs, 0),
+    DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
+};
+
 static void ics_simple_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
     ICSStateClass *isc = ICS_BASE_CLASS(klass);
 
     dc->realize = ics_simple_realize;
+    dc->props = ics_simple_properties;
     dc->vmsd = &vmstate_ics_simple;
     dc->reset = ics_simple_reset;
     isc->post_load = ics_simple_post_load;
diff --git a/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c b/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
index 17694eaa8709..4a6c0522feb6 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xics_kvm.c
@@ -294,6 +294,16 @@ static void ics_kvm_reset(DeviceState *dev)
 static void ics_kvm_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     ICSState *ics = ICS_SIMPLE(dev);
+    Object *obj;
+    Error *err = NULL;
+
+    obj = object_property_get_link(OBJECT(dev), "xics", &err);
+    if (!obj) {
+        error_setg(errp, "%s: required link 'xics' not found: %s",
+                   __func__, error_get_pretty(err));
+        return;
+    }
+    ics->xics = XICS_COMMON(obj);
 
     if (!ics->nr_irqs) {
         error_setg(errp, "Number of interrupts needs to be greater 0");
@@ -358,18 +368,6 @@ static void xics_kvm_cpu_setup(XICSState *xics, PowerPCCPU *cpu)
     ss->cap_irq_xics_enabled = true;
 }
 
-static void xics_kvm_set_nr_irqs(XICSState *xics, uint32_t nr_irqs,
-                                 Error **errp)
-{
-    ICSState *ics = QLIST_FIRST(&xics->ics);
-
-    /* This needs to be deprecated ... */
-    xics->nr_irqs = nr_irqs;
-    if (ics) {
-        ics->nr_irqs = nr_irqs;
-    }
-}
-
 static void xics_kvm_set_nr_servers(XICSState *xics, uint32_t nr_servers,
                                     Error **errp)
 {
@@ -389,7 +387,6 @@ static void xics_kvm_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     KVMXICSState *xicskvm = XICS_SPAPR_KVM(dev);
     XICSState *xics = XICS_COMMON(dev);
-    ICSState *ics;
     int i, rc;
     Error *error = NULL;
     struct kvm_create_device xics_create_device = {
@@ -441,14 +438,6 @@ static void xics_kvm_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     xicskvm->kernel_xics_fd = xics_create_device.fd;
 
-    QLIST_FOREACH(ics, &xics->ics, list) {
-        object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(ics), true, "realized", &error);
-        if (error) {
-            error_propagate(errp, error);
-            goto fail;
-        }
-    }
-
     assert(xics->nr_servers);
     for (i = 0; i < xics->nr_servers; i++) {
         object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&xics->ss[i]), true, "realized",
@@ -472,17 +461,6 @@ fail:
     kvmppc_define_rtas_kernel_token(0, "ibm,int-off");
 }
 
-static void xics_kvm_initfn(Object *obj)
-{
-    XICSState *xics = XICS_COMMON(obj);
-    ICSState *ics;
-
-    ics = ICS_SIMPLE(object_new(TYPE_ICS_KVM));
-    object_property_add_child(obj, "ics", OBJECT(ics), NULL);
-    ics->xics = xics;
-    QLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&xics->ics, ics, list);
-}
-
 static void xics_kvm_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(oc);
@@ -490,7 +468,6 @@ static void xics_kvm_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 
     dc->realize = xics_kvm_realize;
     xsc->cpu_setup = xics_kvm_cpu_setup;
-    xsc->set_nr_irqs = xics_kvm_set_nr_irqs;
     xsc->set_nr_servers = xics_kvm_set_nr_servers;
 }
 
@@ -499,7 +476,6 @@ static const TypeInfo xics_spapr_kvm_info = {
     .parent        = TYPE_XICS_COMMON,
     .instance_size = sizeof(KVMXICSState),
     .class_init    = xics_kvm_class_init,
-    .instance_init = xics_kvm_initfn,
 };
 
 static void xics_kvm_register_types(void)
diff --git a/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c b/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
index 2e3f1c5e95b2..03e42a866603 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
@@ -239,18 +239,6 @@ static void rtas_int_on(PowerPCCPU *cpu, sPAPRMachineState *spapr,
     rtas_st(rets, 0, RTAS_OUT_SUCCESS);
 }
 
-static void xics_spapr_set_nr_irqs(XICSState *xics, uint32_t nr_irqs,
-                                   Error **errp)
-{
-    ICSState *ics = QLIST_FIRST(&xics->ics);
-
-    /* This needs to be deprecated ... */
-    xics->nr_irqs = nr_irqs;
-    if (ics) {
-        ics->nr_irqs = nr_irqs;
-    }
-}
-
 static void xics_spapr_set_nr_servers(XICSState *xics, uint32_t nr_servers,
                                       Error **errp)
 {
@@ -260,7 +248,6 @@ static void xics_spapr_set_nr_servers(XICSState *xics, uint32_t nr_servers,
 static void xics_spapr_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     XICSState *xics = XICS_SPAPR(dev);
-    ICSState *ics;
     Error *error = NULL;
     int i;
 
@@ -282,14 +269,6 @@ static void xics_spapr_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     spapr_register_hypercall(H_EOI, h_eoi);
     spapr_register_hypercall(H_IPOLL, h_ipoll);
 
-    QLIST_FOREACH(ics, &xics->ics, list) {
-        object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(ics), true, "realized", &error);
-        if (error) {
-            error_propagate(errp, error);
-            return;
-        }
-    }
-
     for (i = 0; i < xics->nr_servers; i++) {
         object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&xics->ss[i]), true, "realized",
                                  &error);
@@ -300,24 +279,12 @@ static void xics_spapr_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     }
 }
 
-static void xics_spapr_initfn(Object *obj)
-{
-    XICSState *xics = XICS_SPAPR(obj);
-    ICSState *ics;
-
-    ics = ICS_SIMPLE(object_new(TYPE_ICS_SIMPLE));
-    object_property_add_child(obj, "ics", OBJECT(ics), NULL);
-    ics->xics = xics;
-    QLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&xics->ics, ics, list);
-}
-
 static void xics_spapr_class_init(ObjectClass *oc, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(oc);
     XICSStateClass *xsc = XICS_SPAPR_CLASS(oc);
 
     dc->realize = xics_spapr_realize;
-    xsc->set_nr_irqs = xics_spapr_set_nr_irqs;
     xsc->set_nr_servers = xics_spapr_set_nr_servers;
 }
 
@@ -327,7 +294,6 @@ static const TypeInfo xics_spapr_info = {
     .instance_size = sizeof(XICSState),
     .class_size = sizeof(XICSStateClass),
     .class_init    = xics_spapr_class_init,
-    .instance_init = xics_spapr_initfn,
 };
 
 #define ICS_IRQ_FREE(ics, srcno)   \
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr.c b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
index fa6a2947c791..93a57258efc6 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr.c
@@ -95,23 +95,42 @@
 
 #define HTAB_SIZE(spapr)        (1ULL << ((spapr)->htab_shift))
 
-static XICSState *try_create_xics(const char *type, int nr_servers,
-                                  int nr_irqs, Error **errp)
-{
-    Error *err = NULL;
-    DeviceState *dev;
+static XICSState *try_create_xics(const char *type, const char *type_ics,
+                                  int nr_servers, int nr_irqs, Error **errp)
+{
+    Error *err = NULL, *local_err = NULL;
+    XICSState *xics;
+    ICSState *ics = NULL;
+
+    xics = XICS_COMMON(object_new(type));
+    qdev_set_parent_bus(DEVICE(xics), sysbus_get_default());
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(xics), nr_servers, "nr_servers", &err);
+    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(xics), true, "realized", &local_err);
+    error_propagate(&err, local_err);
+    if (err) {
+        goto error;
+    }
 
-    dev = DEVICE(object_new(type));
-    qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "nr_servers", nr_servers);
-    qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "nr_irqs", nr_irqs);
-    qdev_set_parent_bus(dev, sysbus_get_default());
-    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(dev), true, "realized", &err);
+    ics = ICS_SIMPLE(object_new(type_ics));
+    object_property_add_child(OBJECT(xics), "ics", OBJECT(ics), NULL);
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(ics), nr_irqs, "nr-irqs", &err);
+    object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(ics), "xics", OBJECT(xics), NULL);
+    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(ics), true, "realized", &local_err);
+    error_propagate(&err, local_err);
     if (err) {
-        error_propagate(errp, err);
-        object_unparent(OBJECT(dev));
-        return NULL;
+        goto error;
     }
-    return XICS_COMMON(dev);
+    QLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&xics->ics, ics, list);
+
+    return xics;
+
+error:
+    error_propagate(errp, err);
+    if (ics) {
+        object_unparent(OBJECT(ics));
+    }
+    object_unparent(OBJECT(xics));
+    return NULL;
 }
 
 static XICSState *xics_system_init(MachineState *machine,
@@ -123,8 +142,8 @@ static XICSState *xics_system_init(MachineState *machine,
         Error *err = NULL;
 
         if (machine_kernel_irqchip_allowed(machine)) {
-            xics = try_create_xics(TYPE_XICS_SPAPR_KVM, nr_servers, nr_irqs,
-                                   &err);
+            xics = try_create_xics(TYPE_XICS_SPAPR_KVM, TYPE_ICS_KVM,
+                                   nr_servers, nr_irqs, &err);
         }
         if (machine_kernel_irqchip_required(machine) && !xics) {
             error_reportf_err(err,
@@ -135,7 +154,8 @@ static XICSState *xics_system_init(MachineState *machine,
     }
 
     if (!xics) {
-        xics = try_create_xics(TYPE_XICS_SPAPR, nr_servers, nr_irqs, errp);
+        xics = try_create_xics(TYPE_XICS_SPAPR, TYPE_ICS_SIMPLE, nr_servers,
+                               nr_irqs, errp);
     }
 
     return xics;
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/xics.h b/include/hw/ppc/xics.h
index 1aefd3d52257..88621591d7d0 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/xics.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/xics.h
@@ -74,7 +74,6 @@ struct XICSStateClass {
     DeviceClass parent_class;
 
     void (*cpu_setup)(XICSState *icp, PowerPCCPU *cpu);
-    void (*set_nr_irqs)(XICSState *icp, uint32_t nr_irqs, Error **errp);
     void (*set_nr_servers)(XICSState *icp, uint32_t nr_servers, Error **errp);
 };
 
@@ -83,7 +82,6 @@ struct XICSState {
     DeviceState parent_obj;
     /*< public >*/
     uint32_t nr_servers;
-    uint32_t nr_irqs;
     ICPState *ss;
     QLIST_HEAD(, ICSState) ics;
 };
