diff --git a/hw/ipmi/ipmi_bmc_extern.c b/hw/ipmi/ipmi_bmc_extern.c
index e232d35ba2..2117dad35a 100644
--- a/hw/ipmi/ipmi_bmc_extern.c
+++ b/hw/ipmi/ipmi_bmc_extern.c
@@ -453,19 +453,6 @@ static void ipmi_bmc_extern_handle_reset(IPMIBmc *b)
     continue_send(ibe);
 }
 
-static void ipmi_bmc_extern_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
-{
-    IPMIBmcExtern *ibe = IPMI_BMC_EXTERN(dev);
-
-    if (!qemu_chr_fe_backend_connected(&ibe->chr)) {
-        error_setg(errp, "IPMI external bmc requires chardev attribute");
-        return;
-    }
-
-    qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&ibe->chr, can_receive, receive,
-                             chr_event, NULL, ibe, NULL, true);
-}
-
 static int ipmi_bmc_extern_post_migrate(void *opaque, int version_id)
 {
     IPMIBmcExtern *ibe = opaque;
@@ -499,12 +486,26 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_ipmi_bmc_extern = {
     }
 };
 
+static void ipmi_bmc_extern_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
+{
+    IPMIBmcExtern *ibe = IPMI_BMC_EXTERN(dev);
+
+    if (!qemu_chr_fe_backend_connected(&ibe->chr)) {
+        error_setg(errp, "IPMI external bmc requires chardev attribute");
+        return;
+    }
+
+    qemu_chr_fe_set_handlers(&ibe->chr, can_receive, receive,
+                             chr_event, NULL, ibe, NULL, true);
+
+    vmstate_register(NULL, 0, &vmstate_ipmi_bmc_extern, ibe);
+}
+
 static void ipmi_bmc_extern_init(Object *obj)
 {
     IPMIBmcExtern *ibe = IPMI_BMC_EXTERN(obj);
 
     ibe->extern_timer = timer_new_ns(QEMU_CLOCK_VIRTUAL, extern_timeout, ibe);
-    vmstate_register(NULL, 0, &vmstate_ipmi_bmc_extern, ibe);
 }
 
 static void ipmi_bmc_extern_finalize(Object *obj)
diff --git a/hw/ipmi/isa_ipmi_bt.c b/hw/ipmi/isa_ipmi_bt.c
index a83e7243d6..aec064d3cd 100644
--- a/hw/ipmi/isa_ipmi_bt.c
+++ b/hw/ipmi/isa_ipmi_bt.c
@@ -68,6 +68,21 @@ static void isa_ipmi_bt_lower_irq(IPMIBT *ib)
     qemu_irq_lower(iib->irq);
 }
 
+static const VMStateDescription vmstate_ISAIPMIBTDevice = {
+    .name = TYPE_IPMI_INTERFACE_PREFIX "isa-bt",
+    .version_id = 2,
+    .minimum_version_id = 2,
+    /*
+     * Version 1 had messed up the array transfer, it's not even usable
+     * because it used VMSTATE_VBUFFER_UINT32, but it did not transfer
+     * the buffer length, so random things would happen.
+     */
+    .fields      = (VMStateField[]) {
+        VMSTATE_STRUCT(bt, ISAIPMIBTDevice, 1, vmstate_IPMIBT, IPMIBT),
+        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    }
+};
+
 static void isa_ipmi_bt_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     Error *err = NULL;
@@ -102,30 +117,15 @@ static void isa_ipmi_bt_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     qdev_set_legacy_instance_id(dev, iib->bt.io_base, iib->bt.io_length);
 
     isa_register_ioport(isadev, &iib->bt.io, iib->bt.io_base);
-}
 
-static const VMStateDescription vmstate_ISAIPMIBTDevice = {
-    .name = TYPE_IPMI_INTERFACE_PREFIX "isa-bt",
-    .version_id = 2,
-    .minimum_version_id = 2,
-    /*
-     * Version 1 had messed up the array transfer, it's not even usable
-     * because it used VMSTATE_VBUFFER_UINT32, but it did not transfer
-     * the buffer length, so random things would happen.
-     */
-    .fields      = (VMStateField[]) {
-        VMSTATE_STRUCT(bt, ISAIPMIBTDevice, 1, vmstate_IPMIBT, IPMIBT),
-        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
-    }
-};
+    vmstate_register(NULL, 0, &vmstate_ISAIPMIBTDevice, dev);
+}
 
 static void isa_ipmi_bt_init(Object *obj)
 {
     ISAIPMIBTDevice *iib = ISA_IPMI_BT(obj);
 
     ipmi_bmc_find_and_link(obj, (Object **) &iib->bt.bmc);
-
-    vmstate_register(NULL, 0, &vmstate_ISAIPMIBTDevice, iib);
 }
 
 static void *isa_ipmi_bt_get_backend_data(IPMIInterface *ii)
diff --git a/hw/ipmi/isa_ipmi_kcs.c b/hw/ipmi/isa_ipmi_kcs.c
index b2ed70b9da..b5dcb64616 100644
--- a/hw/ipmi/isa_ipmi_kcs.c
+++ b/hw/ipmi/isa_ipmi_kcs.c
@@ -67,6 +67,24 @@ static void isa_ipmi_kcs_lower_irq(IPMIKCS *ik)
     qemu_irq_lower(iik->irq);
 }
 
+static bool vmstate_kcs_before_version2(void *opaque, int version)
+{
+    return version <= 1;
+}
+
+static const VMStateDescription vmstate_ISAIPMIKCSDevice = {
+    .name = TYPE_IPMI_INTERFACE,
+    .version_id = 2,
+    .minimum_version_id = 1,
+    .fields      = (VMStateField[]) {
+        VMSTATE_VSTRUCT_TEST(kcs, ISAIPMIKCSDevice, vmstate_kcs_before_version2,
+                             0, vmstate_IPMIKCS, IPMIKCS, 1),
+        VMSTATE_VSTRUCT_V(kcs, ISAIPMIKCSDevice, 2, vmstate_IPMIKCS,
+                          IPMIKCS, 2),
+        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
+    }
+};
+
 static void ipmi_isa_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     Error *err = NULL;
@@ -101,38 +119,20 @@ static void ipmi_isa_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     qdev_set_legacy_instance_id(dev, iik->kcs.io_base, iik->kcs.io_length);
 
     isa_register_ioport(isadev, &iik->kcs.io, iik->kcs.io_base);
-}
 
-static bool vmstate_kcs_before_version2(void *opaque, int version)
-{
-    return version <= 1;
+    /*
+     * Version 1 had an incorrect name, it clashed with the BT
+     * IPMI device, so receive it, but transmit a different
+     * version.
+     */
+    vmstate_register(NULL, 0, &vmstate_ISAIPMIKCSDevice, iik);
 }
 
-static const VMStateDescription vmstate_ISAIPMIKCSDevice = {
-    .name = TYPE_IPMI_INTERFACE,
-    .version_id = 2,
-    .minimum_version_id = 1,
-    .fields      = (VMStateField[]) {
-        VMSTATE_VSTRUCT_TEST(kcs, ISAIPMIKCSDevice, vmstate_kcs_before_version2,
-                             0, vmstate_IPMIKCS, IPMIKCS, 1),
-        VMSTATE_VSTRUCT_V(kcs, ISAIPMIKCSDevice, 2, vmstate_IPMIKCS,
-                          IPMIKCS, 2),
-        VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
-    }
-};
-
 static void isa_ipmi_kcs_init(Object *obj)
 {
     ISAIPMIKCSDevice *iik = ISA_IPMI_KCS(obj);
 
     ipmi_bmc_find_and_link(obj, (Object **) &iik->kcs.bmc);
-
-    /*
-     * Version 1 had an incorrect name, it clashed with the BT
-     * IPMI device, so receive it, but transmit a different
-     * version.
-     */
-    vmstate_register(NULL, 0, &vmstate_ISAIPMIKCSDevice, iik);
 }
 
 static void *isa_ipmi_kcs_get_backend_data(IPMIInterface *ii)
