diff --git a/rust/hw/char/pl011/src/device.rs b/rust/hw/char/pl011/src/device.rs
index b9f8fb134b5..0ab825b1ca4 100644
--- a/rust/hw/char/pl011/src/device.rs
+++ b/rust/hw/char/pl011/src/device.rs
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@
     bindings::{self, *},
     c_str,
     definitions::ObjectImpl,
-    device_class::{DeviceImpl, TYPE_SYS_BUS_DEVICE},
+    device_class::DeviceImpl,
     impl_device_class,
     irq::InterruptSource,
+    prelude::*,
 };
 
 use crate::{
@@ -106,10 +107,13 @@ pub struct PL011State {
     device_id: DeviceId,
 }
 
-impl ObjectImpl for PL011State {
+unsafe impl ObjectType for PL011State {
     type Class = PL011Class;
     const TYPE_NAME: &'static CStr = crate::TYPE_PL011;
-    const PARENT_TYPE_NAME: Option<&'static CStr> = Some(TYPE_SYS_BUS_DEVICE);
+}
+
+impl ObjectImpl for PL011State {
+    const PARENT_TYPE_NAME: Option<&'static CStr> = Some(<SysBusDevice as ObjectType>::TYPE_NAME);
     const INSTANCE_INIT: Option<unsafe fn(&mut Self)> = Some(Self::init);
 }
 
@@ -640,10 +644,13 @@ unsafe fn init(&mut self) {
     }
 }
 
-impl ObjectImpl for PL011Luminary {
+unsafe impl ObjectType for PL011Luminary {
     type Class = PL011LuminaryClass;
     const TYPE_NAME: &'static CStr = crate::TYPE_PL011_LUMINARY;
-    const PARENT_TYPE_NAME: Option<&'static CStr> = Some(crate::TYPE_PL011);
+}
+
+impl ObjectImpl for PL011Luminary {
+    const PARENT_TYPE_NAME: Option<&'static CStr> = Some(<PL011State as ObjectType>::TYPE_NAME);
     const INSTANCE_INIT: Option<unsafe fn(&mut Self)> = Some(Self::init);
 }
 
diff --git a/rust/qemu-api/src/definitions.rs b/rust/qemu-api/src/definitions.rs
index f2970758986..b98a6926785 100644
--- a/rust/qemu-api/src/definitions.rs
+++ b/rust/qemu-api/src/definitions.rs
@@ -26,25 +26,40 @@
     T::INSTANCE_POST_INIT.unwrap()(unsafe { &mut *obj.cast::<T>() })
 }
 
-/// Trait a type must implement to be registered with QEMU.
+/// Trait exposed by all structs corresponding to QOM objects.
 ///
 /// # Safety
 ///
-/// - the struct must be `#[repr(C)]`
+/// For classes declared in C:
 ///
-/// - `Class` and `TYPE` must match the data in the `TypeInfo` (this is
-///   automatic if the class is defined via `ObjectImpl`).
+/// - `Class` and `TYPE` must match the data in the `TypeInfo`;
+///
+/// - the first field of the struct must be of the instance type corresponding
+///   to the superclass, as declared in the `TypeInfo`
+///
+/// - likewise, the first field of the `Class` struct must be of the class type
+///   corresponding to the superclass
+///
+/// For classes declared in Rust and implementing [`ObjectImpl`]:
+///
+/// - the struct must be `#[repr(C)]`;
 ///
 /// - the first field of the struct must be of the instance struct corresponding
-///   to the superclass declared as `PARENT_TYPE_NAME`
-pub trait ObjectImpl: ClassInitImpl + Sized {
+///   to the superclass, as declared in `ObjectImpl::PARENT_TYPE_NAME`
+///
+/// - likewise, the first field of the `Class` must be of the class struct
+///   corresponding to the superclass
+pub unsafe trait ObjectType: Sized {
     /// The QOM class object corresponding to this struct.  Not used yet.
     type Class;
 
     /// The name of the type, which can be passed to `object_new()` to
     /// generate an instance of this type.
     const TYPE_NAME: &'static CStr;
+}
 
+/// Trait a type must implement to be registered with QEMU.
+pub trait ObjectImpl: ObjectType + ClassInitImpl {
     /// The parent of the type.  This should match the first field of
     /// the struct that implements `ObjectImpl`:
     const PARENT_TYPE_NAME: Option<&'static CStr>;
diff --git a/rust/qemu-api/src/device_class.rs b/rust/qemu-api/src/device_class.rs
index f25904be4f6..03d03feee83 100644
--- a/rust/qemu-api/src/device_class.rs
+++ b/rust/qemu-api/src/device_class.rs
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 
 use crate::{
     bindings::{self, DeviceClass, DeviceState, Error, ObjectClass, Property, VMStateDescription},
+    prelude::*,
     zeroable::Zeroable,
 };
 
@@ -146,8 +147,8 @@ macro_rules! declare_properties {
     };
 }
 
-// workaround until we can use --generate-cstr in bindgen.
-pub const TYPE_DEVICE: &CStr =
-    unsafe { CStr::from_bytes_with_nul_unchecked(bindings::TYPE_DEVICE) };
-pub const TYPE_SYS_BUS_DEVICE: &CStr =
-    unsafe { CStr::from_bytes_with_nul_unchecked(bindings::TYPE_SYS_BUS_DEVICE) };
+unsafe impl ObjectType for bindings::DeviceState {
+    type Class = bindings::DeviceClass;
+    const TYPE_NAME: &'static CStr =
+        unsafe { CStr::from_bytes_with_nul_unchecked(bindings::TYPE_DEVICE) };
+}
diff --git a/rust/qemu-api/src/prelude.rs b/rust/qemu-api/src/prelude.rs
index a39e228babf..1b8677b2d9a 100644
--- a/rust/qemu-api/src/prelude.rs
+++ b/rust/qemu-api/src/prelude.rs
@@ -6,3 +6,5 @@
 
 pub use crate::cell::BqlCell;
 pub use crate::cell::BqlRefCell;
+
+pub use crate::definitions::ObjectType;
diff --git a/rust/qemu-api/src/sysbus.rs b/rust/qemu-api/src/sysbus.rs
index 4e192c75898..5ee068541cf 100644
--- a/rust/qemu-api/src/sysbus.rs
+++ b/rust/qemu-api/src/sysbus.rs
@@ -2,11 +2,17 @@
 // Author(s): Paolo Bonzini <pbonzini@redhat.com>
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: GPL-2.0-or-later
 
-use std::ptr::addr_of;
+use std::{ffi::CStr, ptr::addr_of};
 
 pub use bindings::{SysBusDevice, SysBusDeviceClass};
 
-use crate::{bindings, cell::bql_locked, irq::InterruptSource};
+use crate::{bindings, cell::bql_locked, irq::InterruptSource, prelude::*};
+
+unsafe impl ObjectType for SysBusDevice {
+    type Class = SysBusDeviceClass;
+    const TYPE_NAME: &'static CStr =
+        unsafe { CStr::from_bytes_with_nul_unchecked(bindings::TYPE_SYS_BUS_DEVICE) };
+}
 
 impl SysBusDevice {
     /// Return `self` cast to a mutable pointer, for use in calls to C code.
diff --git a/rust/qemu-api/tests/tests.rs b/rust/qemu-api/tests/tests.rs
index b8b12a40422..1d027dd6527 100644
--- a/rust/qemu-api/tests/tests.rs
+++ b/rust/qemu-api/tests/tests.rs
@@ -5,12 +5,8 @@
 use std::ffi::CStr;
 
 use qemu_api::{
-    bindings::*,
-    c_str, declare_properties, define_property,
-    definitions::ObjectImpl,
-    device_class::{self, DeviceImpl},
-    impl_device_class,
-    zeroable::Zeroable,
+    bindings::*, c_str, declare_properties, define_property, definitions::ObjectImpl,
+    device_class::DeviceImpl, impl_device_class, prelude::*, zeroable::Zeroable,
 };
 
 #[test]
@@ -46,10 +42,15 @@ pub struct DummyClass {
             ),
     }
 
-    impl ObjectImpl for DummyState {
+    unsafe impl ObjectType for DummyState {
         type Class = DummyClass;
         const TYPE_NAME: &'static CStr = c_str!("dummy");
-        const PARENT_TYPE_NAME: Option<&'static CStr> = Some(device_class::TYPE_DEVICE);
+    }
+
+    impl ObjectImpl for DummyState {
+        const PARENT_TYPE_NAME: Option<&'static CStr> =
+            Some(<DeviceState as ObjectType>::TYPE_NAME);
+        const ABSTRACT: bool = false;
     }
 
     impl DeviceImpl for DummyState {
