diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index a80f809b83..880e95de26 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -611,14 +611,6 @@ void pc_cmos_init(PCMachineState *pcms,
     mc146818rtc_set_cmos_data(s, 0x5c, val >> 8);
     mc146818rtc_set_cmos_data(s, 0x5d, val >> 16);
 
-    object_property_add_link(OBJECT(pcms), "rtc_state",
-                             TYPE_ISA_DEVICE,
-                             (Object **)&x86ms->rtc,
-                             object_property_allow_set_link,
-                             OBJ_PROP_LINK_STRONG);
-    object_property_set_link(OBJECT(pcms), "rtc_state", OBJECT(s),
-                             &error_abort);
-
     set_boot_dev(s, MACHINE(pcms)->boot_config.order, &error_fatal);
 
     val = 0;
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
index 49d5d48db9..ce6aad758d 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
@@ -112,7 +112,6 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
     Object *piix4_pm = NULL;
     qemu_irq smi_irq;
     GSIState *gsi_state;
-    ISADevice *rtc_state;
     MemoryRegion *ram_memory;
     MemoryRegion *pci_memory = NULL;
     MemoryRegion *rom_memory = system_memory;
@@ -276,8 +275,8 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
         }
 
         isa_bus = ISA_BUS(qdev_get_child_bus(DEVICE(pci_dev), "isa.0"));
-        rtc_state = ISA_DEVICE(object_resolve_path_component(OBJECT(pci_dev),
-                                                             "rtc"));
+        x86ms->rtc = ISA_DEVICE(object_resolve_path_component(OBJECT(pci_dev),
+                                                              "rtc"));
         piix4_pm = object_resolve_path_component(OBJECT(pci_dev), "pm");
         dev = DEVICE(object_resolve_path_component(OBJECT(pci_dev), "ide"));
         pci_ide_create_devs(PCI_DEVICE(dev));
@@ -288,9 +287,9 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
                               &error_abort);
         isa_bus_register_input_irqs(isa_bus, x86ms->gsi);
 
-        rtc_state = isa_new(TYPE_MC146818_RTC);
-        qdev_prop_set_int32(DEVICE(rtc_state), "base_year", 2000);
-        isa_realize_and_unref(rtc_state, isa_bus, &error_fatal);
+        x86ms->rtc = isa_new(TYPE_MC146818_RTC);
+        qdev_prop_set_int32(DEVICE(x86ms->rtc), "base_year", 2000);
+        isa_realize_and_unref(x86ms->rtc, isa_bus, &error_fatal);
 
         i8257_dma_init(OBJECT(machine), isa_bus, 0);
         pcms->hpet_enabled = false;
@@ -316,7 +315,7 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
     }
 
     /* init basic PC hardware */
-    pc_basic_device_init(pcms, isa_bus, x86ms->gsi, rtc_state, true,
+    pc_basic_device_init(pcms, isa_bus, x86ms->gsi, x86ms->rtc, true,
                          0x4);
 
     pc_nic_init(pcmc, isa_bus, pcms->pcibus);
@@ -343,7 +342,7 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
     }
 #endif
 
-    pc_cmos_init(pcms, rtc_state);
+    pc_cmos_init(pcms, x86ms->rtc);
 
     if (piix4_pm) {
         smi_irq = qemu_allocate_irq(pc_acpi_smi_interrupt, first_cpu, 0);
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
index 2fa4efb52f..e0b3f55a02 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
@@ -124,7 +124,6 @@ static void pc_q35_init(MachineState *machine)
     Object *phb;
     PCIDevice *lpc;
     DeviceState *lpc_dev;
-    ISADevice *rtc_state;
     MemoryRegion *system_memory = get_system_memory();
     MemoryRegion *system_io = get_system_io();
     MemoryRegion *pci_memory = g_new(MemoryRegion, 1);
@@ -231,7 +230,7 @@ static void pc_q35_init(MachineState *machine)
     }
     pci_realize_and_unref(lpc, pcms->pcibus, &error_fatal);
 
-    rtc_state = ISA_DEVICE(object_resolve_path_component(OBJECT(lpc), "rtc"));
+    x86ms->rtc = ISA_DEVICE(object_resolve_path_component(OBJECT(lpc), "rtc"));
 
     object_property_add_link(OBJECT(machine), PC_MACHINE_ACPI_DEVICE_PROP,
                              TYPE_HOTPLUG_HANDLER,
@@ -273,7 +272,7 @@ static void pc_q35_init(MachineState *machine)
     }
 
     /* init basic PC hardware */
-    pc_basic_device_init(pcms, isa_bus, x86ms->gsi, rtc_state, !mc->no_floppy,
+    pc_basic_device_init(pcms, isa_bus, x86ms->gsi, x86ms->rtc, !mc->no_floppy,
                          0xff0104);
 
     if (pcms->sata_enabled) {
@@ -311,7 +310,7 @@ static void pc_q35_init(MachineState *machine)
         smbus_eeprom_init(pcms->smbus, 8, NULL, 0);
     }
 
-    pc_cmos_init(pcms, rtc_state);
+    pc_cmos_init(pcms, x86ms->rtc);
 
     /* the rest devices to which pci devfn is automatically assigned */
     pc_vga_init(isa_bus, pcms->pcibus);
