diff --git a/hw/vfio/as.c b/hw/vfio/as.c
index ec58914001..2c83b8e1fe 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/as.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/as.c
@@ -899,3 +899,33 @@ void vfio_put_address_space(VFIOAddressSpace *space)
         g_free(space);
     }
 }
+
+static const VFIOContainerOps *
+vfio_get_container_ops(VFIOIOMMUBackendType be)
+{
+    switch (be) {
+    case VFIO_IOMMU_BACKEND_TYPE_LEGACY:
+        return &legacy_container_ops;
+    default:
+        return NULL;
+    }
+}
+
+int vfio_attach_device(VFIODevice *vbasedev, AddressSpace *as, Error **errp)
+{
+    const VFIOContainerOps *ops;
+
+    ops = vfio_get_container_ops(VFIO_IOMMU_BACKEND_TYPE_LEGACY);
+    if (!ops) {
+        return -ENOENT;
+    }
+    return ops->attach_device(vbasedev, as, errp);
+}
+
+void vfio_detach_device(VFIODevice *vbasedev)
+{
+    if (!vbasedev->container) {
+        return;
+    }
+    vbasedev->container->ops->detach_device(vbasedev);
+}
diff --git a/hw/vfio/container.c b/hw/vfio/container.c
index fbde5b0d31..f303c08aa5 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/container.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/container.c
@@ -1244,7 +1244,8 @@ static int vfio_device_groupid(VFIODevice *vbasedev, Error **errp)
     return groupid;
 }
 
-int vfio_attach_device(VFIODevice *vbasedev, AddressSpace *as, Error **errp)
+static int
+legacy_attach_device(VFIODevice *vbasedev, AddressSpace *as, Error **errp)
 {
     int groupid = vfio_device_groupid(vbasedev, errp);
     VFIODevice *vbasedev_iter;
@@ -1273,14 +1274,16 @@ int vfio_attach_device(VFIODevice *vbasedev, AddressSpace *as, Error **errp)
         vfio_put_group(group);
         return -1;
     }
+    vbasedev->container = &group->container->bcontainer;
 
     return 0;
 }
 
-void vfio_detach_device(VFIODevice *vbasedev)
+static void legacy_detach_device(VFIODevice *vbasedev)
 {
     vfio_put_base_device(vbasedev);
     vfio_put_group(vbasedev->group);
+    vbasedev->container = NULL;
 }
 
 const VFIOContainerOps legacy_container_ops = {
@@ -1292,4 +1295,6 @@ const VFIOContainerOps legacy_container_ops = {
     .add_window = vfio_legacy_container_add_section_window,
     .del_window = vfio_legacy_container_del_section_window,
     .check_extension = vfio_legacy_container_check_extension,
+    .attach_device = legacy_attach_device,
+    .detach_device = legacy_detach_device,
 };
diff --git a/hw/vfio/pci.c b/hw/vfio/pci.c
index 9856d81819..07361a6fcd 100644
--- a/hw/vfio/pci.c
+++ b/hw/vfio/pci.c
@@ -3106,7 +3106,7 @@ static void vfio_realize(PCIDevice *pdev, Error **errp)
     }
 
     if (!pdev->failover_pair_id &&
-        vfio_container_check_extension(&vbasedev->group->container->bcontainer,
+        vfio_container_check_extension(vbasedev->container,
                                        VFIO_FEAT_LIVE_MIGRATION)) {
         ret = vfio_migration_probe(vbasedev, errp);
         if (ret) {
diff --git a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-common.h b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-common.h
index 669d761728..635397d391 100644
--- a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-common.h
+++ b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-common.h
@@ -84,9 +84,15 @@ typedef struct VFIOLegacyContainer {
 
 typedef struct VFIODeviceOps VFIODeviceOps;
 
+typedef enum VFIOIOMMUBackendType {
+    VFIO_IOMMU_BACKEND_TYPE_LEGACY = 0,
+    VFIO_IOMMU_BACKEND_TYPE_IOMMUFD = 1,
+} VFIOIOMMUBackendType;
+
 typedef struct VFIODevice {
     QLIST_ENTRY(VFIODevice) next;
     struct VFIOGroup *group;
+    VFIOContainer *container;
     char *sysfsdev;
     char *name;
     DeviceState *dev;
@@ -98,6 +104,7 @@ typedef struct VFIODevice {
     bool ram_block_discard_allowed;
     bool enable_migration;
     VFIODeviceOps *ops;
+    VFIOIOMMUBackendType be;
     unsigned int num_irqs;
     unsigned int num_regions;
     unsigned int flags;
diff --git a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
index fa5d7fcb85..71df8743fb 100644
--- a/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
+++ b/include/hw/vfio/vfio-container-base.h
@@ -66,6 +66,8 @@ typedef struct VFIOHostDMAWindow {
     QLIST_ENTRY(VFIOHostDMAWindow) hostwin_next;
 } VFIOHostDMAWindow;
 
+typedef struct VFIODevice VFIODevice;
+
 typedef struct VFIOContainerOps {
     /* required */
     bool (*check_extension)(VFIOContainer *container,
@@ -88,6 +90,8 @@ typedef struct VFIOContainerOps {
                       Error **errp);
     void (*del_window)(VFIOContainer *container,
                        MemoryRegionSection *section);
+    int (*attach_device)(VFIODevice *vbasedev, AddressSpace *as, Error **errp);
+    void (*detach_device)(VFIODevice *vbasedev);
 } VFIOContainerOps;
 
 /*
