diff --git a/hw/char/serial-pci-multi.c b/hw/char/serial-pci-multi.c
index 0e1fdb75d2..e343a1235c 100644
--- a/hw/char/serial-pci-multi.c
+++ b/hw/char/serial-pci-multi.c
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ static void multi_serial_pci_exit(PCIDevice *dev)
 
     for (i = 0; i < pci->ports; i++) {
         s = pci->state + i;
-        serial_exit_core(s);
+        object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(s), false, "realized", NULL);
         memory_region_del_subregion(&pci->iobar, &s->io);
         g_free(pci->name[i]);
     }
diff --git a/hw/char/serial-pci.c b/hw/char/serial-pci.c
index 4b6a217365..b6a73c65a9 100644
--- a/hw/char/serial-pci.c
+++ b/hw/char/serial-pci.c
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ static void serial_pci_exit(PCIDevice *dev)
     PCISerialState *pci = DO_UPCAST(PCISerialState, dev, dev);
     SerialState *s = &pci->state;
 
-    serial_exit_core(s);
+    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(s), false, "realized", NULL);
     qemu_free_irq(s->irq);
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/char/serial.c b/hw/char/serial.c
index 8328cc62c3..ec388f3876 100644
--- a/hw/char/serial.c
+++ b/hw/char/serial.c
@@ -950,8 +950,10 @@ static void serial_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     serial_reset(s);
 }
 
-void serial_exit_core(SerialState *s)
+static void serial_unrealize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
+    SerialState *s = SERIAL(dev);
+
     qemu_chr_fe_deinit(&s->chr, false);
 
     timer_del(s->modem_status_poll);
@@ -1014,6 +1016,7 @@ static void serial_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void* data)
     /* internal device for serialio/serialmm, not user-creatable */
     dc->user_creatable = false;
     dc->realize = serial_realize;
+    dc->unrealize = serial_unrealize;
     dc->vmsd = &vmstate_serial;
     dc->props = serial_properties;
 }
diff --git a/include/hw/char/serial.h b/include/hw/char/serial.h
index 571aab97c8..548944b06a 100644
--- a/include/hw/char/serial.h
+++ b/include/hw/char/serial.h
@@ -83,7 +83,6 @@ typedef struct SerialState {
 extern const VMStateDescription vmstate_serial;
 extern const MemoryRegionOps serial_io_ops;
 
-void serial_exit_core(SerialState *s);
 void serial_set_frequency(SerialState *s, uint32_t frequency);
 
 #define TYPE_SERIAL "serial"