diff --git a/hw/block/virtio-blk.c b/hw/block/virtio-blk.c
index 4ff64870bc..b5cc3855cf 100644
--- a/hw/block/virtio-blk.c
+++ b/hw/block/virtio-blk.c
@@ -27,6 +27,22 @@
 #endif
 #include "hw/virtio/virtio-bus.h"
 
+static VirtIOBlockReq *virtio_blk_alloc_request(VirtIOBlock *s)
+{
+    VirtIOBlockReq *req = g_slice_new0(VirtIOBlockReq);
+    req->dev = s;
+    req->elem = g_slice_new0(VirtQueueElement);
+    return req;
+}
+
+static void virtio_blk_free_request(VirtIOBlockReq *req)
+{
+    if (req) {
+        g_slice_free(VirtQueueElement, req->elem);
+        g_slice_free(VirtIOBlockReq, req);
+    }
+}
+
 static void virtio_blk_req_complete(VirtIOBlockReq *req, int status)
 {
     VirtIOBlock *s = req->dev;
@@ -35,7 +51,7 @@ static void virtio_blk_req_complete(VirtIOBlockReq *req, int status)
     trace_virtio_blk_req_complete(req, status);
 
     stb_p(&req->in->status, status);
-    virtqueue_push(s->vq, &req->elem, req->qiov.size + sizeof(*req->in));
+    virtqueue_push(s->vq, req->elem, req->qiov.size + sizeof(*req->in));
     virtio_notify(vdev, s->vq);
 }
 
@@ -51,7 +67,7 @@ static int virtio_blk_handle_rw_error(VirtIOBlockReq *req, int error,
     } else if (action == BLOCK_ERROR_ACTION_REPORT) {
         virtio_blk_req_complete(req, VIRTIO_BLK_S_IOERR);
         bdrv_acct_done(s->bs, &req->acct);
-        g_free(req);
+        virtio_blk_free_request(req);
     }
 
     bdrv_error_action(s->bs, action, is_read, error);
@@ -72,7 +88,7 @@ static void virtio_blk_rw_complete(void *opaque, int ret)
 
     virtio_blk_req_complete(req, VIRTIO_BLK_S_OK);
     bdrv_acct_done(req->dev->bs, &req->acct);
-    g_free(req);
+    virtio_blk_free_request(req);
 }
 
 static void virtio_blk_flush_complete(void *opaque, int ret)
@@ -87,27 +103,16 @@ static void virtio_blk_flush_complete(void *opaque, int ret)
 
     virtio_blk_req_complete(req, VIRTIO_BLK_S_OK);
     bdrv_acct_done(req->dev->bs, &req->acct);
-    g_free(req);
-}
-
-static VirtIOBlockReq *virtio_blk_alloc_request(VirtIOBlock *s)
-{
-    VirtIOBlockReq *req = g_malloc(sizeof(*req));
-    req->dev = s;
-    req->qiov.size = 0;
-    req->next = NULL;
-    return req;
+    virtio_blk_free_request(req);
 }
 
 static VirtIOBlockReq *virtio_blk_get_request(VirtIOBlock *s)
 {
     VirtIOBlockReq *req = virtio_blk_alloc_request(s);
 
-    if (req != NULL) {
-        if (!virtqueue_pop(s->vq, &req->elem)) {
-            g_free(req);
-            return NULL;
-        }
+    if (!virtqueue_pop(s->vq, req->elem)) {
+        virtio_blk_free_request(req);
+        return NULL;
     }
 
     return req;
@@ -236,9 +241,9 @@ static void virtio_blk_handle_scsi(VirtIOBlockReq *req)
 {
     int status;
 
-    status = virtio_blk_handle_scsi_req(req->dev, &req->elem);
+    status = virtio_blk_handle_scsi_req(req->dev, req->elem);
     virtio_blk_req_complete(req, status);
-    g_free(req);
+    virtio_blk_free_request(req);
 }
 
 typedef struct MultiReqBuffer {
@@ -340,19 +345,19 @@ static void virtio_blk_handle_request(VirtIOBlockReq *req,
 {
     uint32_t type;
 
-    if (req->elem.out_num < 1 || req->elem.in_num < 1) {
+    if (req->elem->out_num < 1 || req->elem->in_num < 1) {
         error_report("virtio-blk missing headers");
         exit(1);
     }
 
-    if (req->elem.out_sg[0].iov_len < sizeof(*req->out) ||
-        req->elem.in_sg[req->elem.in_num - 1].iov_len < sizeof(*req->in)) {
+    if (req->elem->out_sg[0].iov_len < sizeof(*req->out) ||
+        req->elem->in_sg[req->elem->in_num - 1].iov_len < sizeof(*req->in)) {
         error_report("virtio-blk header not in correct element");
         exit(1);
     }
 
-    req->out = (void *)req->elem.out_sg[0].iov_base;
-    req->in = (void *)req->elem.in_sg[req->elem.in_num - 1].iov_base;
+    req->out = (void *)req->elem->out_sg[0].iov_base;
+    req->in = (void *)req->elem->in_sg[req->elem->in_num - 1].iov_base;
 
     type = ldl_p(&req->out->type);
 
@@ -367,23 +372,23 @@ static void virtio_blk_handle_request(VirtIOBlockReq *req,
          * NB: per existing s/n string convention the string is
          * terminated by '\0' only when shorter than buffer.
          */
-        strncpy(req->elem.in_sg[0].iov_base,
+        strncpy(req->elem->in_sg[0].iov_base,
                 s->blk.serial ? s->blk.serial : "",
-                MIN(req->elem.in_sg[0].iov_len, VIRTIO_BLK_ID_BYTES));
+                MIN(req->elem->in_sg[0].iov_len, VIRTIO_BLK_ID_BYTES));
         virtio_blk_req_complete(req, VIRTIO_BLK_S_OK);
-        g_free(req);
+        virtio_blk_free_request(req);
     } else if (type & VIRTIO_BLK_T_OUT) {
-        qemu_iovec_init_external(&req->qiov, &req->elem.out_sg[1],
-                                 req->elem.out_num - 1);
+        qemu_iovec_init_external(&req->qiov, &req->elem->out_sg[1],
+                                 req->elem->out_num - 1);
         virtio_blk_handle_write(req, mrb);
     } else if (type == VIRTIO_BLK_T_IN || type == VIRTIO_BLK_T_BARRIER) {
         /* VIRTIO_BLK_T_IN is 0, so we can't just & it. */
-        qemu_iovec_init_external(&req->qiov, &req->elem.in_sg[0],
-                                 req->elem.in_num - 1);
+        qemu_iovec_init_external(&req->qiov, &req->elem->in_sg[0],
+                                 req->elem->in_num - 1);
         virtio_blk_handle_read(req);
     } else {
         virtio_blk_req_complete(req, VIRTIO_BLK_S_UNSUPP);
-        g_free(req);
+        virtio_blk_free_request(req);
     }
 }
 
@@ -598,7 +603,8 @@ static void virtio_blk_save(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque)
     
     while (req) {
         qemu_put_sbyte(f, 1);
-        qemu_put_buffer(f, (unsigned char*)&req->elem, sizeof(req->elem));
+        qemu_put_buffer(f, (unsigned char *)req->elem,
+                        sizeof(VirtQueueElement));
         req = req->next;
     }
     qemu_put_sbyte(f, 0);
@@ -620,14 +626,15 @@ static int virtio_blk_load(QEMUFile *f, void *opaque, int version_id)
 
     while (qemu_get_sbyte(f)) {
         VirtIOBlockReq *req = virtio_blk_alloc_request(s);
-        qemu_get_buffer(f, (unsigned char*)&req->elem, sizeof(req->elem));
+        qemu_get_buffer(f, (unsigned char *)req->elem,
+                        sizeof(VirtQueueElement));
         req->next = s->rq;
         s->rq = req;
 
-        virtqueue_map_sg(req->elem.in_sg, req->elem.in_addr,
-            req->elem.in_num, 1);
-        virtqueue_map_sg(req->elem.out_sg, req->elem.out_addr,
-            req->elem.out_num, 0);
+        virtqueue_map_sg(req->elem->in_sg, req->elem->in_addr,
+            req->elem->in_num, 1);
+        virtqueue_map_sg(req->elem->out_sg, req->elem->out_addr,
+            req->elem->out_num, 0);
     }
 
     return 0;
diff --git a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-blk.h b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-blk.h
index d05d177ec5..b495e42d6d 100644
--- a/include/hw/virtio/virtio-blk.h
+++ b/include/hw/virtio/virtio-blk.h
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@ typedef struct VirtIOBlock {
 
 typedef struct VirtIOBlockReq {
     VirtIOBlock *dev;
-    VirtQueueElement elem;
+    VirtQueueElement *elem;
     struct virtio_blk_inhdr *in;
     struct virtio_blk_outhdr *out;
     QEMUIOVector qiov;