diff --git a/hw/core/qdev.c b/hw/core/qdev.c
index f6f92473b8..e14164526f 100644
--- a/hw/core/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/core/qdev.c
@@ -345,6 +345,22 @@ void qdev_init_nofail(DeviceState *dev)
     object_unref(OBJECT(dev));
 }
 
+void qdev_cleanup_nofail(DeviceState *dev)
+{
+    Error *err = NULL;
+
+    assert(dev->realized);
+
+    object_ref(OBJECT(dev));
+    object_property_set_bool(OBJECT(dev), false, "realized", &err);
+    if (err) {
+        error_reportf_err(err, "Clean up of device %s failed: ",
+                          object_get_typename(OBJECT(dev)));
+        exit(1);
+    }
+    object_unref(OBJECT(dev));
+}
+
 void qdev_machine_creation_done(void)
 {
     /*
diff --git a/hw/dma/i82374.c b/hw/dma/i82374.c
index 83c87d92e0..718cd632fd 100644
--- a/hw/dma/i82374.c
+++ b/hw/dma/i82374.c
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 #include "qemu/osdep.h"
 #include "hw/isa/isa.h"
 #include "hw/dma/i8257.h"
+#include "qapi/error.h"
 
 #define TYPE_I82374 "i82374"
 #define I82374(obj) OBJECT_CHECK(I82374State, (obj), TYPE_I82374)
@@ -124,7 +125,7 @@ static void i82374_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     portio_list_add(&s->port_list, isa_address_space_io(&s->parent_obj),
                     s->iobase);
 
-    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus_from_device(ISA_DEVICE(dev)), true);
+    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus_from_device(ISA_DEVICE(dev)), true, errp);
     memset(s->commands, 0, sizeof(s->commands));
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/dma/i8257.c b/hw/dma/i8257.c
index 52675e97c9..84978f9459 100644
--- a/hw/dma/i8257.c
+++ b/hw/dma/i8257.c
@@ -622,26 +622,29 @@ static void i8257_register_types(void)
 
 type_init(i8257_register_types)
 
-void i8257_dma_init(ISABus *bus, bool high_page_enable)
+void i8257_dma_init(ISABus *bus, bool high_page_enable, Error **error_fatal)
 {
     ISADevice *isa1, *isa2;
-    DeviceState *d;
+    DeviceState *d1, *d2;
 
     isa1 = isa_create(bus, TYPE_I8257);
-    d = DEVICE(isa1);
-    qdev_prop_set_int32(d, "base", 0x00);
-    qdev_prop_set_int32(d, "page-base", 0x80);
-    qdev_prop_set_int32(d, "pageh-base", high_page_enable ? 0x480 : -1);
-    qdev_prop_set_int32(d, "dshift", 0);
-    qdev_init_nofail(d);
+    d1 = DEVICE(isa1);
+    qdev_prop_set_int32(d1, "base", 0x00);
+    qdev_prop_set_int32(d1, "page-base", 0x80);
+    qdev_prop_set_int32(d1, "pageh-base", high_page_enable ? 0x480 : -1);
+    qdev_prop_set_int32(d1, "dshift", 0);
+    qdev_init_nofail(d1);
 
     isa2 = isa_create(bus, TYPE_I8257);
-    d = DEVICE(isa2);
-    qdev_prop_set_int32(d, "base", 0xc0);
-    qdev_prop_set_int32(d, "page-base", 0x88);
-    qdev_prop_set_int32(d, "pageh-base", high_page_enable ? 0x488 : -1);
-    qdev_prop_set_int32(d, "dshift", 1);
-    qdev_init_nofail(d);
-
-    isa_bus_dma(bus, ISADMA(isa1), ISADMA(isa2));
+    d2 = DEVICE(isa2);
+    qdev_prop_set_int32(d2, "base", 0xc0);
+    qdev_prop_set_int32(d2, "page-base", 0x88);
+    qdev_prop_set_int32(d2, "pageh-base", high_page_enable ? 0x488 : -1);
+    qdev_prop_set_int32(d2, "dshift", 1);
+    qdev_init_nofail(d2);
+
+    if (isa_bus_dma(bus, ISADMA(isa1), ISADMA(isa2), error_fatal) < 0) {
+        qdev_cleanup_nofail(d1);
+        qdev_cleanup_nofail(d2);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index d36bac8c89..31777a7ed5 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -1624,7 +1624,7 @@ void pc_basic_device_init(ISABus *isa_bus, qemu_irq *gsi,
         pcspk_init(isa_bus, pit);
     }
 
-    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0);
+    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0, &error_fatal);
 
     /* Super I/O */
     pc_superio_init(isa_bus, create_fdctrl, no_vmport);
diff --git a/hw/isa/isa-bus.c b/hw/isa/isa-bus.c
index 63fa77effc..f0f9a1f8e0 100644
--- a/hw/isa/isa-bus.c
+++ b/hw/isa/isa-bus.c
@@ -104,12 +104,16 @@ void isa_connect_gpio_out(ISADevice *isadev, int gpioirq, int isairq)
     qdev_connect_gpio_out(DEVICE(isadev), gpioirq, irq);
 }
 
-void isa_bus_dma(ISABus *bus, IsaDma *dma8, IsaDma *dma16)
+int isa_bus_dma(ISABus *bus, IsaDma *dma8, IsaDma *dma16, Error **error_fatal)
 {
     assert(bus && dma8 && dma16);
-    assert(!bus->dma[0] && !bus->dma[1]);
+    if (bus->dma[0] || bus->dma[1]) {
+        error_setg(error_fatal, "DMA already initialized on ISA bus");
+        return -EBUSY;
+    }
     bus->dma[0] = dma8;
     bus->dma[1] = dma16;
+    return 0;
 }
 
 IsaDma *isa_get_dma(ISABus *bus, int nchan)
diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_fulong2e.c b/hw/mips/mips_fulong2e.c
index 02fb2fdcc4..e98d994f3a 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_fulong2e.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_fulong2e.c
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ static void vt82c686b_southbridge_init(PCIBus *pci_bus, int slot, qemu_irq intc,
     isa_bus_irqs(isa_bus, i8259);
     /* init other devices */
     i8254_pit_init(isa_bus, 0x40, 0, NULL);
-    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0);
+    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0, &error_fatal);
     /* Super I/O */
     isa_create_simple(isa_bus, TYPE_VT82C686B_SUPERIO);
 
diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_jazz.c b/hw/mips/mips_jazz.c
index 7223085547..a1c071e311 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_jazz.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_jazz.c
@@ -222,7 +222,7 @@ static void mips_jazz_init(MachineState *machine,
     /* ISA devices */
     i8259 = i8259_init(isa_bus, env->irq[4]);
     isa_bus_irqs(isa_bus, i8259);
-    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0);
+    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0, &error_fatal);
     pit = i8254_pit_init(isa_bus, 0x40, 0, NULL);
     pcspk_init(isa_bus, pit);
 
diff --git a/hw/mips/mips_malta.c b/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
index f6513a4fd5..7bb9b6071d 100644
--- a/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
+++ b/hw/mips/mips_malta.c
@@ -1198,7 +1198,7 @@ void mips_malta_init(MachineState *machine)
     smbus = piix4_pm_init(pci_bus, piix4_devfn + 3, 0x1100,
                           isa_get_irq(NULL, 9), NULL, 0, NULL);
     pit = i8254_pit_init(isa_bus, 0x40, 0, NULL);
-    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0);
+    i8257_dma_init(isa_bus, 0, &error_fatal);
     mc146818_rtc_init(isa_bus, 2000, NULL);
 
     /* generate SPD EEPROM data */
diff --git a/include/hw/dma/i8257.h b/include/hw/dma/i8257.h
index 2cab50bb6c..d3f89393fe 100644
--- a/include/hw/dma/i8257.h
+++ b/include/hw/dma/i8257.h
@@ -44,6 +44,6 @@ typedef struct I8257State {
     PortioList portio_pageh;
 } I8257State;
 
-void i8257_dma_init(ISABus *bus, bool high_page_enable);
+void i8257_dma_init(ISABus *bus, bool high_page_enable, Error **error_fatal);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/hw/isa/isa.h b/include/hw/isa/isa.h
index b9dbab24b4..eb89654d24 100644
--- a/include/hw/isa/isa.h
+++ b/include/hw/isa/isa.h
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ void isa_bus_irqs(ISABus *bus, qemu_irq *irqs);
 qemu_irq isa_get_irq(ISADevice *dev, int isairq);
 void isa_init_irq(ISADevice *dev, qemu_irq *p, int isairq);
 void isa_connect_gpio_out(ISADevice *isadev, int gpioirq, int isairq);
-void isa_bus_dma(ISABus *bus, IsaDma *dma8, IsaDma *dma16);
+int isa_bus_dma(ISABus *bus, IsaDma *dma8, IsaDma *dma16, Error ** error_fatal);
 IsaDma *isa_get_dma(ISABus *bus, int nchan);
 MemoryRegion *isa_address_space(ISADevice *dev);
 MemoryRegion *isa_address_space_io(ISADevice *dev);
diff --git a/include/hw/qdev-core.h b/include/hw/qdev-core.h
index 9453588160..238ad2f6f3 100644
--- a/include/hw/qdev-core.h
+++ b/include/hw/qdev-core.h
@@ -283,6 +283,7 @@ typedef struct GlobalProperty {
 DeviceState *qdev_create(BusState *bus, const char *name);
 DeviceState *qdev_try_create(BusState *bus, const char *name);
 void qdev_init_nofail(DeviceState *dev);
+void qdev_cleanup_nofail(DeviceState *dev);
 void qdev_set_legacy_instance_id(DeviceState *dev, int alias_id,
                                  int required_for_version);
 HotplugHandler *qdev_get_machine_hotplug_handler(DeviceState *dev);
