diff --git a/hw/ppc/pnv.c b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
index ce24a4ee99..3fa24a2d60 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/pnv.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/pnv.c
@@ -907,8 +907,6 @@ static void pnv_chip_power8_instance_init(Object *obj)
 
     object_initialize_child(obj, "homer",  &chip8->homer, sizeof(chip8->homer),
                             TYPE_PNV8_HOMER, &error_abort, NULL);
-    object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&chip8->homer), "chip", obj,
-                                   &error_abort);
 }
 
 static void pnv_chip_icp_realize(Pnv8Chip *chip8, Error **errp)
@@ -1012,6 +1010,8 @@ static void pnv_chip_power8_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                                 &chip8->occ.sram_regs);
 
     /* HOMER */
+    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&chip8->homer), OBJECT(chip), "chip",
+                             &error_abort);
     object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&chip8->homer), true, "realized",
                              &local_err);
     if (local_err) {
@@ -1105,8 +1105,6 @@ static void pnv_chip_power9_instance_init(Object *obj)
 
     object_initialize_child(obj, "homer",  &chip9->homer, sizeof(chip9->homer),
                             TYPE_PNV9_HOMER, &error_abort, NULL);
-    object_property_add_const_link(OBJECT(&chip9->homer), "chip", obj,
-                                   &error_abort);
 }
 
 static void pnv_chip_quad_realize(Pnv9Chip *chip9, Error **errp)
@@ -1223,6 +1221,8 @@ static void pnv_chip_power9_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                                 &chip9->occ.sram_regs);
 
     /* HOMER */
+    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(&chip9->homer), OBJECT(chip), "chip",
+                             &error_abort);
     object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(&chip9->homer), true, "realized",
                              &local_err);
     if (local_err) {
diff --git a/hw/ppc/pnv_homer.c b/hw/ppc/pnv_homer.c
index cc881a3b32..994a378108 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/pnv_homer.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/pnv_homer.c
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include "exec/memory.h"
 #include "sysemu/cpus.h"
 #include "hw/qdev-core.h"
+#include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "hw/ppc/pnv.h"
 #include "hw/ppc/pnv_homer.h"
 
@@ -229,28 +230,27 @@ static void pnv_homer_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     PnvHomer *homer = PNV_HOMER(dev);
     PnvHomerClass *hmrc = PNV_HOMER_GET_CLASS(homer);
-    Object *obj;
-    Error *local_err = NULL;
 
-    obj = object_property_get_link(OBJECT(dev), "chip", &local_err);
-    if (!obj) {
-        error_propagate(errp, local_err);
-        error_prepend(errp, "required link 'chip' not found: ");
-        return;
-    }
-    homer->chip = PNV_CHIP(obj);
+    assert(homer->chip);
+
     /* homer region */
     memory_region_init_io(&homer->regs, OBJECT(dev),
                           hmrc->homer_ops, homer, "homer-main-memory",
                           hmrc->homer_size);
 }
 
+static Property pnv_homer_properties[] = {
+    DEFINE_PROP_LINK("chip", PnvHomer, chip, TYPE_PNV_CHIP, PnvChip *),
+    DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
+};
+
 static void pnv_homer_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
 {
     DeviceClass *dc = DEVICE_CLASS(klass);
 
     dc->realize = pnv_homer_realize;
     dc->desc = "PowerNV HOMER Memory";
+    dc->props = pnv_homer_properties;
 }
 
 static const TypeInfo pnv_homer_type_info = {