diff --git a/tests/vhost-user-test.c b/tests/vhost-user-test.c
index a74c934cc0..b6dde753f8 100644
--- a/tests/vhost-user-test.c
+++ b/tests/vhost-user-test.c
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ typedef struct VhostUserMsg {
         struct vhost_vring_state state;
         struct vhost_vring_addr addr;
         VhostUserMemory memory;
-    };
+    } payload;
 } QEMU_PACKED VhostUserMsg;
 
 static VhostUserMsg m __attribute__ ((unused));
@@ -242,23 +242,23 @@ static void chr_read(void *opaque, const uint8_t *buf, int size)
     case VHOST_USER_GET_FEATURES:
         /* send back features to qemu */
         msg.flags |= VHOST_USER_REPLY_MASK;
-        msg.size = sizeof(m.u64);
-        msg.u64 = 0x1ULL << VHOST_F_LOG_ALL |
+        msg.size = sizeof(m.payload.u64);
+        msg.payload.u64 = 0x1ULL << VHOST_F_LOG_ALL |
             0x1ULL << VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES;
         p = (uint8_t *) &msg;
         qemu_chr_fe_write_all(chr, p, VHOST_USER_HDR_SIZE + msg.size);
         break;
 
     case VHOST_USER_SET_FEATURES:
-	g_assert_cmpint(msg.u64 & (0x1ULL << VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES),
+	g_assert_cmpint(msg.payload.u64 & (0x1ULL << VHOST_USER_F_PROTOCOL_FEATURES),
 			!=, 0ULL);
         break;
 
     case VHOST_USER_GET_PROTOCOL_FEATURES:
         /* send back features to qemu */
         msg.flags |= VHOST_USER_REPLY_MASK;
-        msg.size = sizeof(m.u64);
-        msg.u64 = 1 << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_LOG_SHMFD;
+        msg.size = sizeof(m.payload.u64);
+        msg.payload.u64 = 1 << VHOST_USER_PROTOCOL_F_LOG_SHMFD;
         p = (uint8_t *) &msg;
         qemu_chr_fe_write_all(chr, p, VHOST_USER_HDR_SIZE + msg.size);
         break;
@@ -266,15 +266,15 @@ static void chr_read(void *opaque, const uint8_t *buf, int size)
     case VHOST_USER_GET_VRING_BASE:
         /* send back vring base to qemu */
         msg.flags |= VHOST_USER_REPLY_MASK;
-        msg.size = sizeof(m.state);
-        msg.state.num = 0;
+        msg.size = sizeof(m.payload.state);
+        msg.payload.state.num = 0;
         p = (uint8_t *) &msg;
         qemu_chr_fe_write_all(chr, p, VHOST_USER_HDR_SIZE + msg.size);
         break;
 
     case VHOST_USER_SET_MEM_TABLE:
         /* received the mem table */
-        memcpy(&s->memory, &msg.memory, sizeof(msg.memory));
+        memcpy(&s->memory, &msg.payload.memory, sizeof(msg.payload.memory));
         s->fds_num = qemu_chr_fe_get_msgfds(chr, s->fds, G_N_ELEMENTS(s->fds));
 
         /* signal the test that it can continue */