diff --git a/hw/riscv/boot.c b/hw/riscv/boot.c
index dc14d8cd14..b213a32157 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/boot.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/boot.c
@@ -249,9 +249,16 @@ void riscv_load_initrd(MachineState *machine, uint64_t kernel_entry)
     }
 }
 
-uint64_t riscv_load_fdt(hwaddr dram_base, uint64_t mem_size, void *fdt)
+/*
+ * The FDT should be put at the farthest point possible to
+ * avoid overwriting it with the kernel/initrd.
+ *
+ * The FDT is fdt_packed() during the calculation.
+ */
+uint32_t riscv_compute_fdt_addr(hwaddr dram_base, uint64_t mem_size,
+                                void *fdt)
 {
-    uint64_t temp, fdt_addr;
+    uint64_t temp;
     hwaddr dram_end = dram_base + mem_size;
     int ret = fdt_pack(fdt);
     int fdtsize;
@@ -272,11 +279,14 @@ uint64_t riscv_load_fdt(hwaddr dram_base, uint64_t mem_size, void *fdt)
      * end of dram or 3GB whichever is lesser.
      */
     temp = (dram_base < 3072 * MiB) ? MIN(dram_end, 3072 * MiB) : dram_end;
-    fdt_addr = QEMU_ALIGN_DOWN(temp - fdtsize, 2 * MiB);
 
-    ret = fdt_pack(fdt);
-    /* Should only fail if we've built a corrupted tree */
-    g_assert(ret == 0);
+    return QEMU_ALIGN_DOWN(temp - fdtsize, 2 * MiB);
+}
+
+void riscv_load_fdt(uint32_t fdt_addr, void *fdt)
+{
+    uint32_t fdtsize = fdt_totalsize(fdt);
+
     /* copy in the device tree */
     qemu_fdt_dumpdtb(fdt, fdtsize);
 
@@ -284,8 +294,6 @@ uint64_t riscv_load_fdt(hwaddr dram_base, uint64_t mem_size, void *fdt)
                           &address_space_memory);
     qemu_register_reset_nosnapshotload(qemu_fdt_randomize_seeds,
                         rom_ptr_for_as(&address_space_memory, fdt_addr, fdtsize));
-
-    return fdt_addr;
 }
 
 void riscv_rom_copy_firmware_info(MachineState *machine, hwaddr rom_base,
diff --git a/hw/riscv/microchip_pfsoc.c b/hw/riscv/microchip_pfsoc.c
index 82ae5e7023..dcdbc2cac3 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/microchip_pfsoc.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/microchip_pfsoc.c
@@ -641,8 +641,10 @@ static void microchip_icicle_kit_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
         }
 
         /* Compute the fdt load address in dram */
-        fdt_load_addr = riscv_load_fdt(memmap[MICROCHIP_PFSOC_DRAM_LO].base,
-                                       machine->ram_size, machine->fdt);
+        fdt_load_addr = riscv_compute_fdt_addr(memmap[MICROCHIP_PFSOC_DRAM_LO].base,
+                                              machine->ram_size, machine->fdt);
+        riscv_load_fdt(fdt_load_addr, machine->fdt);
+
         /* Load the reset vector */
         riscv_setup_rom_reset_vec(machine, &s->soc.u_cpus, firmware_load_addr,
                                   memmap[MICROCHIP_PFSOC_ENVM_DATA].base,
diff --git a/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c b/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
index 2fb6ee231f..626d4dc2f3 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/sifive_u.c
@@ -616,9 +616,10 @@ static void sifive_u_machine_init(MachineState *machine)
         kernel_entry = 0;
     }
 
-    /* Compute the fdt load address in dram */
-    fdt_load_addr = riscv_load_fdt(memmap[SIFIVE_U_DEV_DRAM].base,
-                                   machine->ram_size, machine->fdt);
+    fdt_load_addr = riscv_compute_fdt_addr(memmap[SIFIVE_U_DEV_DRAM].base,
+                                           machine->ram_size, machine->fdt);
+    riscv_load_fdt(fdt_load_addr, machine->fdt);
+
     if (!riscv_is_32bit(&s->soc.u_cpus)) {
         start_addr_hi32 = (uint64_t)start_addr >> 32;
     }
diff --git a/hw/riscv/spike.c b/hw/riscv/spike.c
index badc11ec43..88b9fdfc36 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/spike.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/spike.c
@@ -324,9 +324,9 @@ static void spike_board_init(MachineState *machine)
         kernel_entry = 0;
     }
 
-    /* Compute the fdt load address in dram */
-    fdt_load_addr = riscv_load_fdt(memmap[SPIKE_DRAM].base,
-                                   machine->ram_size, machine->fdt);
+    fdt_load_addr = riscv_compute_fdt_addr(memmap[SPIKE_DRAM].base,
+                                           machine->ram_size, machine->fdt);
+    riscv_load_fdt(fdt_load_addr, machine->fdt);
 
     /* load the reset vector */
     riscv_setup_rom_reset_vec(machine, &s->soc[0], memmap[SPIKE_DRAM].base,
diff --git a/hw/riscv/virt.c b/hw/riscv/virt.c
index e6d4f06e8d..839dfaa125 100644
--- a/hw/riscv/virt.c
+++ b/hw/riscv/virt.c
@@ -1307,9 +1307,10 @@ static void virt_machine_done(Notifier *notifier, void *data)
         start_addr = virt_memmap[VIRT_FLASH].base;
     }
 
-    /* Compute the fdt load address in dram */
-    fdt_load_addr = riscv_load_fdt(memmap[VIRT_DRAM].base,
-                                   machine->ram_size, machine->fdt);
+    fdt_load_addr = riscv_compute_fdt_addr(memmap[VIRT_DRAM].base,
+                                           machine->ram_size, machine->fdt);
+    riscv_load_fdt(fdt_load_addr, machine->fdt);
+
     /* load the reset vector */
     riscv_setup_rom_reset_vec(machine, &s->soc[0], start_addr,
                               virt_memmap[VIRT_MROM].base,
diff --git a/include/hw/riscv/boot.h b/include/hw/riscv/boot.h
index f94653a09b..9aea7b9c46 100644
--- a/include/hw/riscv/boot.h
+++ b/include/hw/riscv/boot.h
@@ -47,7 +47,8 @@ target_ulong riscv_load_kernel(MachineState *machine,
                                target_ulong firmware_end_addr,
                                symbol_fn_t sym_cb);
 void riscv_load_initrd(MachineState *machine, uint64_t kernel_entry);
-uint64_t riscv_load_fdt(hwaddr dram_start, uint64_t dram_size, void *fdt);
+uint32_t riscv_compute_fdt_addr(hwaddr dram_start, uint64_t dram_size, void *fdt);
+void riscv_load_fdt(uint32_t fdt_addr, void *fdt);
 void riscv_setup_rom_reset_vec(MachineState *machine, RISCVHartArrayState *harts,
                                hwaddr saddr,
                                hwaddr rom_base, hwaddr rom_size,
