diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.c
index 15a3d00049..03ef75c70c 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.c
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ static uint32_t drc_isolate_physical(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
      * configured state, as suggested by the state diagram from PAPR+
      * 2.7, 13.4
      */
-    if (drc->awaiting_release) {
+    if (drc->unplug_requested) {
         uint32_t drc_index = spapr_drc_index(drc);
         if (drc->configured) {
             trace_spapr_drc_set_isolation_state_finalizing(drc_index);
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ static uint32_t drc_isolate_logical(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
      * actually being unplugged, fail the isolation request here.
      */
     if (spapr_drc_type(drc) == SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR_TYPE_LMB
-        && !drc->awaiting_release) {
+        && !drc->unplug_requested) {
         return RTAS_OUT_HW_ERROR;
     }
 
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@ static uint32_t drc_isolate_logical(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
      * configured state, as suggested by the state diagram from PAPR+
      * 2.7, 13.4
      */
-    if (drc->awaiting_release) {
+    if (drc->unplug_requested) {
         uint32_t drc_index = spapr_drc_index(drc);
         if (drc->configured) {
             trace_spapr_drc_set_isolation_state_finalizing(drc_index);
@@ -170,7 +170,7 @@ static uint32_t drc_set_usable(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
     if (!drc->dev) {
         return RTAS_OUT_NO_SUCH_INDICATOR;
     }
-    if (drc->awaiting_release) {
+    if (drc->unplug_requested) {
         /* Don't allow the guest to move a device away from UNUSABLE
          * state when we want to unplug it */
         return RTAS_OUT_NO_SUCH_INDICATOR;
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ static uint32_t drc_set_usable(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
 static uint32_t drc_set_unusable(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
 {
     drc->allocation_state = SPAPR_DR_ALLOCATION_STATE_UNUSABLE;
-    if (drc->awaiting_release) {
+    if (drc->unplug_requested) {
         uint32_t drc_index = spapr_drc_index(drc);
         trace_spapr_drc_set_allocation_state_finalizing(drc_index);
         spapr_drc_detach(drc);
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@ static void spapr_drc_release(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
 
     drck->release(drc->dev);
 
-    drc->awaiting_release = false;
+    drc->unplug_requested = false;
     g_free(drc->fdt);
     drc->fdt = NULL;
     drc->fdt_start_offset = 0;
@@ -375,7 +375,7 @@ void spapr_drc_detach(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
 {
     trace_spapr_drc_detach(spapr_drc_index(drc));
 
-    drc->awaiting_release = true;
+    drc->unplug_requested = true;
 
     if (drc->isolation_state != SPAPR_DR_ISOLATION_STATE_ISOLATED) {
         trace_spapr_drc_awaiting_isolated(spapr_drc_index(drc));
@@ -391,11 +391,6 @@ void spapr_drc_detach(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
     spapr_drc_release(drc);
 }
 
-static bool release_pending(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
-{
-    return drc->awaiting_release;
-}
-
 void spapr_drc_reset(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
 {
     trace_spapr_drc_reset(spapr_drc_index(drc));
@@ -406,7 +401,7 @@ void spapr_drc_reset(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
     /* immediately upon reset we can safely assume DRCs whose devices
      * are pending removal can be safely removed.
      */
-    if (drc->awaiting_release) {
+    if (drc->unplug_requested) {
         spapr_drc_release(drc);
     }
 
@@ -454,7 +449,7 @@ static bool spapr_drc_needed(void *opaque)
     case SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR_TYPE_LMB:
         rc = !((drc->isolation_state == SPAPR_DR_ISOLATION_STATE_UNISOLATED) &&
                (drc->allocation_state == SPAPR_DR_ALLOCATION_STATE_USABLE) &&
-               drc->configured && !drc->awaiting_release);
+               drc->configured);
         break;
     case SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR_TYPE_PHB:
     case SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR_TYPE_VIO:
@@ -474,7 +469,6 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_spapr_drc = {
         VMSTATE_UINT32(allocation_state, sPAPRDRConnector),
         VMSTATE_UINT32(dr_indicator, sPAPRDRConnector),
         VMSTATE_BOOL(configured, sPAPRDRConnector),
-        VMSTATE_BOOL(awaiting_release, sPAPRDRConnector),
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
     }
 };
@@ -565,11 +559,9 @@ static void spapr_dr_connector_instance_init(Object *obj)
 static void spapr_dr_connector_class_init(ObjectClass *k, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dk = DEVICE_CLASS(k);
-    sPAPRDRConnectorClass *drck = SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR_CLASS(k);
 
     dk->realize = realize;
     dk->unrealize = unrealize;
-    drck->release_pending = release_pending;
     /*
      * Reason: it crashes FIXME find and document the real reason
      */
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_pci.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_pci.c
index 092a2f5f3d..6ecdf29d28 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_pci.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_pci.c
@@ -1476,7 +1476,6 @@ static void spapr_pci_unplug_request(HotplugHandler *plug_handler,
 {
     sPAPRPHBState *phb = SPAPR_PCI_HOST_BRIDGE(DEVICE(plug_handler));
     PCIDevice *pdev = PCI_DEVICE(plugged_dev);
-    sPAPRDRConnectorClass *drck;
     sPAPRDRConnector *drc = spapr_phb_get_pci_drc(phb, pdev);
 
     if (!phb->dr_enabled) {
@@ -1488,8 +1487,7 @@ static void spapr_pci_unplug_request(HotplugHandler *plug_handler,
     g_assert(drc);
     g_assert(drc->dev == plugged_dev);
 
-    drck = SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR_GET_CLASS(drc);
-    if (!drck->release_pending(drc)) {
+    if (!spapr_drc_unplug_requested(drc)) {
         PCIBus *bus = PCI_BUS(qdev_get_parent_bus(DEVICE(pdev)));
         uint32_t slotnr = PCI_SLOT(pdev->devfn);
         sPAPRDRConnector *func_drc;
@@ -1505,7 +1503,7 @@ static void spapr_pci_unplug_request(HotplugHandler *plug_handler,
                 func_drck = SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR_GET_CLASS(func_drc);
                 state = func_drck->dr_entity_sense(func_drc);
                 if (state == SPAPR_DR_ENTITY_SENSE_PRESENT
-                    && !func_drck->release_pending(func_drc)) {
+                    && !spapr_drc_unplug_requested(func_drc)) {
                     error_setg(errp,
                                "PCI: slot %d, function %d still present. "
                                "Must unplug all non-0 functions first.",
diff --git a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.h b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.h
index fc8b721639..5fa502e465 100644
--- a/include/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.h
+++ b/include/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.h
@@ -199,10 +199,9 @@ typedef struct sPAPRDRConnector {
     bool configured;
     sPAPRConfigureConnectorState *ccs;
 
-    bool awaiting_release;
-
     /* device pointer, via link property */
     DeviceState *dev;
+    bool unplug_requested;
 } sPAPRDRConnector;
 
 typedef struct sPAPRDRConnectorClass {
@@ -218,9 +217,6 @@ typedef struct sPAPRDRConnectorClass {
     uint32_t (*isolate)(sPAPRDRConnector *drc);
     uint32_t (*unisolate)(sPAPRDRConnector *drc);
     void (*release)(DeviceState *dev);
-
-    /* QEMU interfaces for managing hotplug operations */
-    bool (*release_pending)(sPAPRDRConnector *drc);
 } sPAPRDRConnectorClass;
 
 static inline bool spapr_drc_hotplugged(DeviceState *dev)
@@ -244,4 +240,9 @@ void spapr_drc_attach(sPAPRDRConnector *drc, DeviceState *d, void *fdt,
                       int fdt_start_offset, Error **errp);
 void spapr_drc_detach(sPAPRDRConnector *drc);
 
+static inline bool spapr_drc_unplug_requested(sPAPRDRConnector *drc)
+{
+    return drc->unplug_requested;
+}
+
 #endif /* HW_SPAPR_DRC_H */