diff --git a/hw/block/virtio-blk.c b/hw/block/virtio-blk.c
index c0bd247b37..b750bd8b53 100644
--- a/hw/block/virtio-blk.c
+++ b/hw/block/virtio-blk.c
@@ -983,10 +983,6 @@ static void virtio_blk_instance_init(Object *obj)
 {
     VirtIOBlock *s = VIRTIO_BLK(obj);
 
-    object_property_add_link(obj, "iothread", TYPE_IOTHREAD,
-                             (Object **)&s->conf.iothread,
-                             qdev_prop_allow_set_link_before_realize,
-                             OBJ_PROP_LINK_UNREF_ON_RELEASE, NULL);
     device_add_bootindex_property(obj, &s->conf.conf.bootindex,
                                   "bootindex", "/disk@0,0",
                                   DEVICE(obj), NULL);
@@ -1014,6 +1010,8 @@ static Property virtio_blk_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_BIT("request-merging", VirtIOBlock, conf.request_merging, 0,
                     true),
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT16("num-queues", VirtIOBlock, conf.num_queues, 1),
+    DEFINE_PROP_LINK("iothread", VirtIOBlock, conf.iothread, TYPE_IOTHREAD,
+                     IOThread *),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
 
diff --git a/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c b/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
index e18fd2600d..a0437d1517 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/virtio-ccw.c
@@ -867,8 +867,6 @@ static void virtio_ccw_blk_instance_init(Object *obj)
 
     virtio_instance_init_common(obj, &dev->vdev, sizeof(dev->vdev),
                                 TYPE_VIRTIO_BLK);
-    object_property_add_alias(obj, "iothread", OBJECT(&dev->vdev),"iothread",
-                              &error_abort);
     object_property_add_alias(obj, "bootindex", OBJECT(&dev->vdev),
                               "bootindex", &error_abort);
 }
diff --git a/hw/virtio/virtio-pci.c b/hw/virtio/virtio-pci.c
index 93480a7af1..94f72f3e1a 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/virtio-pci.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/virtio-pci.c
@@ -2000,8 +2000,6 @@ static void virtio_blk_pci_instance_init(Object *obj)
 
     virtio_instance_init_common(obj, &dev->vdev, sizeof(dev->vdev),
                                 TYPE_VIRTIO_BLK);
-    object_property_add_alias(obj, "iothread", OBJECT(&dev->vdev),"iothread",
-                              &error_abort);
     object_property_add_alias(obj, "bootindex", OBJECT(&dev->vdev),
                               "bootindex", &error_abort);
 }