diff --git a/hw/core/sysbus.c b/hw/core/sysbus.c
index e8d08d349b..68b837ac85 100644
--- a/hw/core/sysbus.c
+++ b/hw/core/sysbus.c
@@ -217,7 +217,7 @@ void sysbus_init_ioports(SysBusDevice *dev, uint32_t ioport, uint32_t size)
  * from being set to NULL to break the normal init/realize
  * of some devices.
  */
-static void sysbus_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
+static void sysbus_device_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
 }
 
@@ -250,6 +250,16 @@ DeviceState *sysbus_create_varargs(const char *name,
     return dev;
 }
 
+bool sysbus_realize(SysBusDevice *dev, Error **errp)
+{
+    return qdev_realize(DEVICE(dev), sysbus_get_default(), errp);
+}
+
+bool sysbus_realize_and_unref(SysBusDevice *dev, Error **errp)
+{
+    return qdev_realize_and_unref(DEVICE(dev), sysbus_get_default(), errp);
+}
+
 static void sysbus_dev_print(Monitor *mon, DeviceState *dev, int indent)
 {
     SysBusDevice *s = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev);
@@ -301,7 +311,7 @@ MemoryRegion *sysbus_address_space(SysBusDevice *dev)
 static void sysbus_device_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *k = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
-    k->realize = sysbus_realize;
+    k->realize = sysbus_device_realize;
     k->bus_type = TYPE_SYSTEM_BUS;
     /*
      * device_add plugs devices into a suitable bus.  For "real" buses,
diff --git a/include/hw/sysbus.h b/include/hw/sysbus.h
index c4a1c0adfa..606095ba35 100644
--- a/include/hw/sysbus.h
+++ b/include/hw/sysbus.h
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ void sysbus_add_io(SysBusDevice *dev, hwaddr addr,
                    MemoryRegion *mem);
 MemoryRegion *sysbus_address_space(SysBusDevice *dev);
 
+bool sysbus_realize(SysBusDevice *dev, Error **errp);
+bool sysbus_realize_and_unref(SysBusDevice *dev, Error **errp);
+
 /**
  * sysbus_init_child_obj:
  * @parent: The parent object
@@ -121,5 +124,4 @@ static inline DeviceState *sysbus_create_simple(const char *name,
     return sysbus_create_varargs(name, addr, irq, NULL);
 }
 
-
 #endif /* HW_SYSBUS_H */