diff --git a/tests/libqos/virtio.c b/tests/libqos/virtio.c
index 0dad5c19ac..c1ff0206d5 100644
--- a/tests/libqos/virtio.c
+++ b/tests/libqos/virtio.c
@@ -365,3 +365,10 @@ const char *qvirtio_get_dev_type(void)
         return "pci";
     }
 }
+
+void qvirtio_start_device(QVirtioDevice *vdev)
+{
+    qvirtio_reset(vdev);
+    qvirtio_set_acknowledge(vdev);
+    qvirtio_set_driver(vdev);
+}
diff --git a/tests/libqos/virtio.h b/tests/libqos/virtio.h
index 69b5b13840..2c68668de0 100644
--- a/tests/libqos/virtio.h
+++ b/tests/libqos/virtio.h
@@ -146,5 +146,6 @@ bool qvirtqueue_get_buf(QVirtQueue *vq, uint32_t *desc_idx, uint32_t *len);
 void qvirtqueue_set_used_event(QVirtQueue *vq, uint16_t idx);
 
 const char *qvirtio_get_dev_type(void);
+void qvirtio_start_device(QVirtioDevice *vdev);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/tests/vhost-user-test.c b/tests/vhost-user-test.c
index 4cd0a97f13..770e1e6484 100644
--- a/tests/vhost-user-test.c
+++ b/tests/vhost-user-test.c
@@ -204,9 +204,7 @@ static void init_virtio_dev(QTestState *qts, TestServer *s, uint32_t features_ma
     g_assert_nonnull(s->dev);
 
     qvirtio_pci_device_enable(s->dev);
-    qvirtio_reset(&s->dev->vdev);
-    qvirtio_set_acknowledge(&s->dev->vdev);
-    qvirtio_set_driver(&s->dev->vdev);
+    qvirtio_start_device(&s->dev->vdev);
 
     s->alloc = pc_alloc_init(qts);
 
diff --git a/tests/virtio-9p-test.c b/tests/virtio-9p-test.c
index a2b31085f6..d275c74106 100644
--- a/tests/virtio-9p-test.c
+++ b/tests/virtio-9p-test.c
@@ -65,9 +65,7 @@ static QVirtIO9P *qvirtio_9p_pci_start(void)
     v9p->dev = (QVirtioDevice *) dev;
 
     qvirtio_pci_device_enable(dev);
-    qvirtio_reset(v9p->dev);
-    qvirtio_set_acknowledge(v9p->dev);
-    qvirtio_set_driver(v9p->dev);
+    qvirtio_start_device(v9p->dev);
 
     v9p->vq = qvirtqueue_setup(v9p->dev, v9p->qs->alloc, 0);
 
diff --git a/tests/virtio-blk-test.c b/tests/virtio-blk-test.c
index 8d2fc9c710..0680bd040e 100644
--- a/tests/virtio-blk-test.c
+++ b/tests/virtio-blk-test.c
@@ -122,10 +122,7 @@ static QVirtioPCIDevice *virtio_blk_pci_init(QPCIBus *bus, int slot)
     g_assert_cmphex(dev->pdev->devfn, ==, ((slot << 3) | PCI_FN));
 
     qvirtio_pci_device_enable(dev);
-    qvirtio_reset(&dev->vdev);
-    qvirtio_set_acknowledge(&dev->vdev);
-    qvirtio_set_driver(&dev->vdev);
-
+    qvirtio_start_device(&dev->vdev);
     return dev;
 }
 
@@ -833,9 +830,7 @@ static void mmio_basic(void)
     g_assert(dev != NULL);
     g_assert_cmphex(dev->vdev.device_type, ==, VIRTIO_ID_BLOCK);
 
-    qvirtio_reset(&dev->vdev);
-    qvirtio_set_acknowledge(&dev->vdev);
-    qvirtio_set_driver(&dev->vdev);
+    qvirtio_start_device(&dev->vdev);
 
     alloc = generic_alloc_init(MMIO_RAM_ADDR, MMIO_RAM_SIZE, MMIO_PAGE_SIZE);
     vq = qvirtqueue_setup(&dev->vdev, alloc, 0);
diff --git a/tests/virtio-net-test.c b/tests/virtio-net-test.c
index e9783e6707..d4a32a4c44 100644
--- a/tests/virtio-net-test.c
+++ b/tests/virtio-net-test.c
@@ -44,9 +44,7 @@ static QVirtioPCIDevice *virtio_net_pci_init(QPCIBus *bus, int slot)
     g_assert_cmphex(dev->vdev.device_type, ==, VIRTIO_ID_NET);
 
     qvirtio_pci_device_enable(dev);
-    qvirtio_reset(&dev->vdev);
-    qvirtio_set_acknowledge(&dev->vdev);
-    qvirtio_set_driver(&dev->vdev);
+    qvirtio_start_device(&dev->vdev);
 
     return dev;
 }
diff --git a/tests/virtio-scsi-test.c b/tests/virtio-scsi-test.c
index 0d4f25d369..961925cec1 100644
--- a/tests/virtio-scsi-test.c
+++ b/tests/virtio-scsi-test.c
@@ -159,9 +159,7 @@ static QVirtIOSCSI *qvirtio_scsi_pci_init(int slot)
     g_assert_cmphex(vs->dev->device_type, ==, VIRTIO_ID_SCSI);
 
     qvirtio_pci_device_enable(dev);
-    qvirtio_reset(vs->dev);
-    qvirtio_set_acknowledge(vs->dev);
-    qvirtio_set_driver(vs->dev);
+    qvirtio_start_device(vs->dev);
 
     vs->num_queues = qvirtio_config_readl(vs->dev, 0);