diff --git a/hw/intc/spapr_xive.c b/hw/intc/spapr_xive.c
index 37ffb74ca5..1811653aac 100644
--- a/hw/intc/spapr_xive.c
+++ b/hw/intc/spapr_xive.c
@@ -640,6 +640,42 @@ static void spapr_xive_dt(SpaprInterruptController *intc, uint32_t nr_servers,
                      plat_res_int_priorities, sizeof(plat_res_int_priorities)));
 }
 
+static int spapr_xive_activate(SpaprInterruptController *intc, Error **errp)
+{
+    SpaprXive *xive = SPAPR_XIVE(intc);
+    CPUState *cs;
+
+    CPU_FOREACH(cs) {
+        PowerPCCPU *cpu = POWERPC_CPU(cs);
+
+        /* (TCG) Set the OS CAM line of the thread interrupt context. */
+        spapr_xive_set_tctx_os_cam(spapr_cpu_state(cpu)->tctx);
+    }
+
+    if (kvm_enabled()) {
+        int rc = spapr_irq_init_kvm(kvmppc_xive_connect, intc, errp);
+        if (rc < 0) {
+            return rc;
+        }
+    }
+
+    /* Activate the XIVE MMIOs */
+    spapr_xive_mmio_set_enabled(xive, true);
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static void spapr_xive_deactivate(SpaprInterruptController *intc)
+{
+    SpaprXive *xive = SPAPR_XIVE(intc);
+
+    spapr_xive_mmio_set_enabled(xive, false);
+
+    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+        kvmppc_xive_disconnect(intc);
+    }
+}
+
 static void spapr_xive_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
@@ -658,6 +694,8 @@ static void spapr_xive_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     xrc->write_nvt = spapr_xive_write_nvt;
     xrc->get_tctx = spapr_xive_get_tctx;
 
+    sicc->activate = spapr_xive_activate;
+    sicc->deactivate = spapr_xive_deactivate;
     sicc->cpu_intc_create = spapr_xive_cpu_intc_create;
     sicc->claim_irq = spapr_xive_claim_irq;
     sicc->free_irq = spapr_xive_free_irq;
diff --git a/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c b/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
index 4eabafc7e1..90b4d48877 100644
--- a/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
+++ b/hw/intc/xics_spapr.c
@@ -395,6 +395,21 @@ static void xics_spapr_print_info(SpaprInterruptController *intc, Monitor *mon)
     ics_pic_print_info(ics, mon);
 }
 
+static int xics_spapr_activate(SpaprInterruptController *intc, Error **errp)
+{
+    if (kvm_enabled()) {
+        return spapr_irq_init_kvm(xics_kvm_connect, intc, errp);
+    }
+    return 0;
+}
+
+static void xics_spapr_deactivate(SpaprInterruptController *intc)
+{
+    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
+        xics_kvm_disconnect(intc);
+    }
+}
+
 static void ics_spapr_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
@@ -403,6 +418,8 @@ static void ics_spapr_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 
     device_class_set_parent_realize(dc, ics_spapr_realize,
                                     &isc->parent_realize);
+    sicc->activate = xics_spapr_activate;
+    sicc->deactivate = xics_spapr_deactivate;
     sicc->cpu_intc_create = xics_spapr_cpu_intc_create;
     sicc->claim_irq = xics_spapr_claim_irq;
     sicc->free_irq = xics_spapr_free_irq;
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
index 7cd18e5b15..f70b331f44 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.c
@@ -65,9 +65,9 @@ void spapr_irq_msi_free(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int irq, uint32_t num)
     bitmap_clear(spapr->irq_map, irq - SPAPR_IRQ_MSI, num);
 }
 
-static int spapr_irq_init_kvm(int (*fn)(SpaprInterruptController *, Error **),
-                              SpaprInterruptController *intc,
-                              Error **errp)
+int spapr_irq_init_kvm(int (*fn)(SpaprInterruptController *, Error **),
+                       SpaprInterruptController *intc,
+                       Error **errp)
 {
     MachineState *machine = MACHINE(qdev_get_machine());
     Error *local_err = NULL;
@@ -112,11 +112,6 @@ static int spapr_irq_post_load_xics(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int version_id)
     return 0;
 }
 
-static void spapr_irq_reset_xics(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
-{
-    spapr_irq_init_kvm(xics_kvm_connect, SPAPR_INTC(spapr->ics), errp);
-}
-
 SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xics = {
     .nr_xirqs    = SPAPR_NR_XIRQS,
     .nr_msis     = SPAPR_NR_MSIS,
@@ -124,7 +119,6 @@ SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xics = {
     .xive        = false,
 
     .post_load   = spapr_irq_post_load_xics,
-    .reset       = spapr_irq_reset_xics,
 };
 
 /*
@@ -136,26 +130,6 @@ static int spapr_irq_post_load_xive(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int version_id)
     return spapr_xive_post_load(spapr->xive, version_id);
 }
 
-static void spapr_irq_reset_xive(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
-{
-    CPUState *cs;
-
-    CPU_FOREACH(cs) {
-        PowerPCCPU *cpu = POWERPC_CPU(cs);
-
-        /* (TCG) Set the OS CAM line of the thread interrupt context. */
-        spapr_xive_set_tctx_os_cam(spapr_cpu_state(cpu)->tctx);
-    }
-
-    if (spapr_irq_init_kvm(kvmppc_xive_connect,
-                           SPAPR_INTC(spapr->xive), errp) < 0) {
-        return;
-    }
-
-    /* Activate the XIVE MMIOs */
-    spapr_xive_mmio_set_enabled(spapr->xive, true);
-}
-
 SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xive = {
     .nr_xirqs    = SPAPR_NR_XIRQS,
     .nr_msis     = SPAPR_NR_MSIS,
@@ -163,7 +137,6 @@ SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xive = {
     .xive        = true,
 
     .post_load   = spapr_irq_post_load_xive,
-    .reset       = spapr_irq_reset_xive,
 };
 
 /*
@@ -187,37 +160,9 @@ static SpaprIrq *spapr_irq_current(SpaprMachineState *spapr)
 
 static int spapr_irq_post_load_dual(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int version_id)
 {
-    /*
-     * Force a reset of the XIVE backend after migration. The machine
-     * defaults to XICS at startup.
-     */
-    if (spapr_ovec_test(spapr->ov5_cas, OV5_XIVE_EXPLOIT)) {
-        if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
-            xics_kvm_disconnect(SPAPR_INTC(spapr->ics));
-        }
-        spapr_irq_xive.reset(spapr, &error_fatal);
-    }
-
     return spapr_irq_current(spapr)->post_load(spapr, version_id);
 }
 
-static void spapr_irq_reset_dual(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
-{
-    /*
-     * Deactivate the XIVE MMIOs. The XIVE backend will reenable them
-     * if selected.
-     */
-    spapr_xive_mmio_set_enabled(spapr->xive, false);
-
-    /* Destroy all KVM devices */
-    if (kvm_irqchip_in_kernel()) {
-        xics_kvm_disconnect(SPAPR_INTC(spapr->ics));
-        kvmppc_xive_disconnect(SPAPR_INTC(spapr->xive));
-    }
-
-    spapr_irq_current(spapr)->reset(spapr, errp);
-}
-
 /*
  * Define values in sync with the XIVE and XICS backend
  */
@@ -228,7 +173,6 @@ SpaprIrq spapr_irq_dual = {
     .xive        = true,
 
     .post_load   = spapr_irq_post_load_dual,
-    .reset       = spapr_irq_reset_dual,
 };
 
 
@@ -512,10 +456,6 @@ void spapr_irq_reset(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp)
     assert(!spapr->irq_map || bitmap_empty(spapr->irq_map, spapr->irq_map_nr));
 
     spapr_irq_update_active_intc(spapr);
-
-    if (spapr->irq->reset) {
-        spapr->irq->reset(spapr, errp);
-    }
 }
 
 int spapr_irq_get_phandle(SpaprMachineState *spapr, void *fdt, Error **errp)
@@ -651,7 +591,6 @@ SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xics_legacy = {
     .xive        = false,
 
     .post_load   = spapr_irq_post_load_xics,
-    .reset       = spapr_irq_reset_xics,
 };
 
 static void spapr_irq_register_types(void)
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.h
index 06179b271f..e02e44624b 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_irq.h
@@ -84,7 +84,6 @@ typedef struct SpaprIrq {
     bool        xive;
 
     int (*post_load)(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int version_id);
-    void (*reset)(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp);
 } SpaprIrq;
 
 extern SpaprIrq spapr_irq_xics;
@@ -99,6 +98,9 @@ qemu_irq spapr_qirq(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int irq);
 int spapr_irq_post_load(SpaprMachineState *spapr, int version_id);
 void spapr_irq_reset(SpaprMachineState *spapr, Error **errp);
 int spapr_irq_get_phandle(SpaprMachineState *spapr, void *fdt, Error **errp);
+int spapr_irq_init_kvm(int (*fn)(SpaprInterruptController *, Error **),
+                       SpaprInterruptController *intc,
+                       Error **errp);
 
 /*
  * XICS legacy routines