diff --git a/tests/qtest/virtio-9p-test.c b/tests/qtest/virtio-9p-test.c
index ab59431d79..9c2738885e 100644
--- a/tests/qtest/virtio-9p-test.c
+++ b/tests/qtest/virtio-9p-test.c
@@ -589,10 +589,8 @@ static void fs_version(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
     do_version(obj);
 }
 
-static void fs_attach(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
+static void do_attach(QVirtio9P *v9p)
 {
-    QVirtio9P *v9p = obj;
-    alloc = t_alloc;
     P9Req *req;
 
     do_version(v9p);
@@ -601,6 +599,12 @@ static void fs_attach(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
     v9fs_rattach(req, NULL);
 }
 
+static void fs_attach(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
+{
+    alloc = t_alloc;
+    do_attach(obj);
+}
+
 static void fs_walk(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
 {
     QVirtio9P *v9p = obj;
@@ -615,7 +619,7 @@ static void fs_walk(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
         wnames[i] = g_strdup_printf(QTEST_V9FS_SYNTH_WALK_FILE, i);
     }
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
     req = v9fs_twalk(v9p, 0, 1, P9_MAXWELEM, wnames, 0);
     v9fs_req_wait_for_reply(req, NULL);
     v9fs_rwalk(req, &nwqid, &wqid);
@@ -684,7 +688,7 @@ static void fs_readdir(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
     struct V9fsDirent *entries = NULL;
     P9Req *req;
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
     req = v9fs_twalk(v9p, 0, 1, 1, wnames, 0);
     v9fs_req_wait_for_reply(req, NULL);
     v9fs_rwalk(req, &nqid, NULL);
@@ -741,7 +745,7 @@ static void fs_readdir_split(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc,
     int fid;
     uint64_t offset;
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
 
     fid = 1;
     offset = 0;
@@ -817,7 +821,7 @@ static void fs_walk_no_slash(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
     P9Req *req;
     uint32_t err;
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
     req = v9fs_twalk(v9p, 0, 1, 1, wnames, 0);
     v9fs_req_wait_for_reply(req, NULL);
     v9fs_rlerror(req, &err);
@@ -857,7 +861,7 @@ static void fs_lopen(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
     char *const wnames[] = { g_strdup(QTEST_V9FS_SYNTH_LOPEN_FILE) };
     P9Req *req;
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
     req = v9fs_twalk(v9p, 0, 1, 1, wnames, 0);
     v9fs_req_wait_for_reply(req, NULL);
     v9fs_rwalk(req, NULL, NULL);
@@ -879,7 +883,7 @@ static void fs_write(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
     uint32_t count;
     P9Req *req;
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
     req = v9fs_twalk(v9p, 0, 1, 1, wnames, 0);
     v9fs_req_wait_for_reply(req, NULL);
     v9fs_rwalk(req, NULL, NULL);
@@ -906,7 +910,7 @@ static void fs_flush_success(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
     uint32_t reply_len;
     uint8_t should_block;
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
     req = v9fs_twalk(v9p, 0, 1, 1, wnames, 0);
     v9fs_req_wait_for_reply(req, NULL);
     v9fs_rwalk(req, NULL, NULL);
@@ -943,7 +947,7 @@ static void fs_flush_ignored(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
     uint32_t count;
     uint8_t should_block;
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
     req = v9fs_twalk(v9p, 0, 1, 1, wnames, 0);
     v9fs_req_wait_for_reply(req, NULL);
     v9fs_rwalk(req, NULL, NULL);
@@ -1026,7 +1030,7 @@ static void fs_create_dir(void *obj, void *data, QGuestAllocator *t_alloc)
 
     g_assert(root_path != NULL);
 
-    fs_attach(v9p, NULL, t_alloc);
+    do_attach(v9p);
     fs_mkdir(v9p, data, t_alloc, "/", "01");
 
     /* check if created directory really exists now ... */