diff --git a/hw/block/onenand.c b/hw/block/onenand.c
index fcc5a69b90..9c233c12e4 100644
--- a/hw/block/onenand.c
+++ b/hw/block/onenand.c
@@ -822,7 +822,7 @@ static void onenand_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     onenand_mem_setup(s);
     sysbus_init_irq(sbd, &s->intr);
     sysbus_init_mmio(sbd, &s->container);
-    vmstate_register(dev,
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(dev),
                      ((s->shift & 0x7f) << 24)
                      | ((s->id.man & 0xff) << 16)
                      | ((s->id.dev & 0xff) << 8)
diff --git a/hw/core/qdev.c b/hw/core/qdev.c
index 1a98812be2..501228ba08 100644
--- a/hw/core/qdev.c
+++ b/hw/core/qdev.c
@@ -889,7 +889,8 @@ static void device_set_realized(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
         dev->canonical_path = object_get_canonical_path(OBJECT(dev));
 
         if (qdev_get_vmsd(dev)) {
-            if (vmstate_register_with_alias_id(dev, -1, qdev_get_vmsd(dev), dev,
+            if (vmstate_register_with_alias_id(VMSTATE_IF(dev),
+                                               -1, qdev_get_vmsd(dev), dev,
                                                dev->instance_id_alias,
                                                dev->alias_required_for_version,
                                                &local_err) < 0) {
@@ -923,7 +924,7 @@ static void device_set_realized(Object *obj, bool value, Error **errp)
                                      local_err ? NULL : &local_err);
         }
         if (qdev_get_vmsd(dev)) {
-            vmstate_unregister(dev, qdev_get_vmsd(dev), dev);
+            vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(dev), qdev_get_vmsd(dev), dev);
         }
         if (dc->unrealize) {
             dc->unrealize(dev, local_err ? NULL : &local_err);
@@ -947,7 +948,7 @@ child_realize_fail:
     }
 
     if (qdev_get_vmsd(dev)) {
-        vmstate_unregister(dev, qdev_get_vmsd(dev), dev);
+        vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(dev), qdev_get_vmsd(dev), dev);
     }
 
 post_realize_fail:
diff --git a/hw/ide/cmd646.c b/hw/ide/cmd646.c
index 19984d2af9..3f9be968d1 100644
--- a/hw/ide/cmd646.c
+++ b/hw/ide/cmd646.c
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ static void pci_cmd646_ide_realize(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
     }
     g_free(irq);
 
-    vmstate_register(DEVICE(dev), 0, &vmstate_ide_pci, d);
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(dev), 0, &vmstate_ide_pci, d);
     qemu_register_reset(cmd646_reset, d);
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/ide/isa.c b/hw/ide/isa.c
index 7b6e283679..9c7f88b2d5 100644
--- a/hw/ide/isa.c
+++ b/hw/ide/isa.c
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ static void isa_ide_realizefn(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     ide_init_ioport(&s->bus, isadev, s->iobase, s->iobase2);
     isa_init_irq(isadev, &s->irq, s->isairq);
     ide_init2(&s->bus, s->irq);
-    vmstate_register(dev, 0, &vmstate_ide_isa, s);
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(dev), 0, &vmstate_ide_isa, s);
     ide_register_restart_cb(&s->bus);
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/ide/piix.c b/hw/ide/piix.c
index db313dd3b1..bc575b4d70 100644
--- a/hw/ide/piix.c
+++ b/hw/ide/piix.c
@@ -156,7 +156,7 @@ static void pci_piix_ide_realize(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
     bmdma_setup_bar(d);
     pci_register_bar(dev, 4, PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_SPACE_IO, &d->bmdma_bar);
 
-    vmstate_register(DEVICE(dev), 0, &vmstate_ide_pci, d);
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(dev), 0, &vmstate_ide_pci, d);
 
     pci_piix_init_ports(d);
 }
diff --git a/hw/ide/via.c b/hw/ide/via.c
index 053622bd82..096de8dba0 100644
--- a/hw/ide/via.c
+++ b/hw/ide/via.c
@@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ static void via_ide_realize(PCIDevice *dev, Error **errp)
     bmdma_setup_bar(d);
     pci_register_bar(dev, 4, PCI_BASE_ADDRESS_SPACE_IO, &d->bmdma_bar);
 
-    vmstate_register(DEVICE(dev), 0, &vmstate_ide_pci, d);
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(dev), 0, &vmstate_ide_pci, d);
 
     for (i = 0; i < 2; i++) {
         ide_bus_new(&d->bus[i], sizeof(d->bus[i]), DEVICE(d), i, 2);
diff --git a/hw/misc/max111x.c b/hw/misc/max111x.c
index a713149f16..211008ce02 100644
--- a/hw/misc/max111x.c
+++ b/hw/misc/max111x.c
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ static int max111x_init(SSISlave *d, int inputs)
     s->input[7] = 0x80;
     s->com = 0;
 
-    vmstate_register(dev, -1, &vmstate_max111x, s);
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(dev), -1, &vmstate_max111x, s);
     return 0;
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/net/eepro100.c b/hw/net/eepro100.c
index cc2dd8b1c9..cc71a7a036 100644
--- a/hw/net/eepro100.c
+++ b/hw/net/eepro100.c
@@ -1815,7 +1815,7 @@ static void pci_nic_uninit(PCIDevice *pci_dev)
 {
     EEPRO100State *s = DO_UPCAST(EEPRO100State, dev, pci_dev);
 
-    vmstate_unregister(&pci_dev->qdev, s->vmstate, s);
+    vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(&pci_dev->qdev), s->vmstate, s);
     g_free(s->vmstate);
     eeprom93xx_free(&pci_dev->qdev, s->eeprom);
     qemu_del_nic(s->nic);
@@ -1874,7 +1874,7 @@ static void e100_nic_realize(PCIDevice *pci_dev, Error **errp)
 
     s->vmstate = g_memdup(&vmstate_eepro100, sizeof(vmstate_eepro100));
     s->vmstate->name = qemu_get_queue(s->nic)->model;
-    vmstate_register(&pci_dev->qdev, -1, s->vmstate, s);
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(&pci_dev->qdev), -1, s->vmstate, s);
 }
 
 static void eepro100_instance_init(Object *obj)
diff --git a/hw/net/virtio-net.c b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
index db3d7c38e6..777d62d3c8 100644
--- a/hw/net/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
@@ -2853,7 +2853,8 @@ static void virtio_net_handle_migration_primary(VirtIONet *n,
 
     if (migration_in_setup(s) && !should_be_hidden) {
         if (failover_unplug_primary(n)) {
-            vmstate_unregister(n->primary_dev, qdev_get_vmsd(n->primary_dev),
+            vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(n->primary_dev),
+                    qdev_get_vmsd(n->primary_dev),
                     n->primary_dev);
             qapi_event_send_unplug_primary(n->primary_device_id);
             atomic_set(&n->primary_should_be_hidden, true);
diff --git a/hw/nvram/eeprom93xx.c b/hw/nvram/eeprom93xx.c
index 5b01b9b03f..07f09549ed 100644
--- a/hw/nvram/eeprom93xx.c
+++ b/hw/nvram/eeprom93xx.c
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ eeprom_t *eeprom93xx_new(DeviceState *dev, uint16_t nwords)
     /* Output DO is tristate, read results in 1. */
     eeprom->eedo = 1;
     logout("eeprom = 0x%p, nwords = %u\n", eeprom, nwords);
-    vmstate_register(dev, 0, &vmstate_eeprom, eeprom);
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(dev), 0, &vmstate_eeprom, eeprom);
     return eeprom;
 }
 
@@ -329,7 +329,7 @@ void eeprom93xx_free(DeviceState *dev, eeprom_t *eeprom)
 {
     /* Destroy EEPROM. */
     logout("eeprom = 0x%p\n", eeprom);
-    vmstate_unregister(dev, &vmstate_eeprom, eeprom);
+    vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(dev), &vmstate_eeprom, eeprom);
     g_free(eeprom);
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.c
index 62f1a42592..17aeac3801 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_drc.c
@@ -511,7 +511,7 @@ static void realize(DeviceState *d, Error **errp)
         error_propagate(errp, err);
         return;
     }
-    vmstate_register(DEVICE(drc), spapr_drc_index(drc), &vmstate_spapr_drc,
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(drc), spapr_drc_index(drc), &vmstate_spapr_drc,
                      drc);
     trace_spapr_drc_realize_complete(spapr_drc_index(drc));
 }
@@ -523,7 +523,7 @@ static void unrealize(DeviceState *d, Error **errp)
     gchar *name;
 
     trace_spapr_drc_unrealize(spapr_drc_index(drc));
-    vmstate_unregister(DEVICE(drc), &vmstate_spapr_drc, drc);
+    vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(drc), &vmstate_spapr_drc, drc);
     root_container = container_get(object_get_root(), DRC_CONTAINER_PATH);
     name = g_strdup_printf("%x", spapr_drc_index(drc));
     object_property_del(root_container, name, errp);
@@ -619,7 +619,8 @@ static void realize_physical(DeviceState *d, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    vmstate_register(DEVICE(drcp), spapr_drc_index(SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR(drcp)),
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(drcp),
+                     spapr_drc_index(SPAPR_DR_CONNECTOR(drcp)),
                      &vmstate_spapr_drc_physical, drcp);
     qemu_register_reset(drc_physical_reset, drcp);
 }
@@ -635,7 +636,7 @@ static void unrealize_physical(DeviceState *d, Error **errp)
         return;
     }
 
-    vmstate_unregister(DEVICE(drcp), &vmstate_spapr_drc_physical, drcp);
+    vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(drcp), &vmstate_spapr_drc_physical, drcp);
     qemu_unregister_reset(drc_physical_reset, drcp);
 }
 
diff --git a/hw/ppc/spapr_iommu.c b/hw/ppc/spapr_iommu.c
index 3d3bcc8649..5704fe6051 100644
--- a/hw/ppc/spapr_iommu.c
+++ b/hw/ppc/spapr_iommu.c
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ static void spapr_tce_table_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
     QLIST_INSERT_HEAD(&spapr_tce_tables, tcet, list);
 
-    vmstate_register(DEVICE(tcet), tcet->liobn, &vmstate_spapr_tce_table,
+    vmstate_register(VMSTATE_IF(tcet), tcet->liobn, &vmstate_spapr_tce_table,
                      tcet);
 }
 
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ static void spapr_tce_table_unrealize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     SpaprTceTable *tcet = SPAPR_TCE_TABLE(dev);
 
-    vmstate_unregister(DEVICE(tcet), &vmstate_spapr_tce_table, tcet);
+    vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(tcet), &vmstate_spapr_tce_table, tcet);
 
     QLIST_REMOVE(tcet, list);
 
diff --git a/hw/s390x/s390-skeys.c b/hw/s390x/s390-skeys.c
index bd37f39120..5da6e5292f 100644
--- a/hw/s390x/s390-skeys.c
+++ b/hw/s390x/s390-skeys.c
@@ -392,7 +392,7 @@ static inline void s390_skeys_set_migration_enabled(Object *obj, bool value,
         register_savevm_live(TYPE_S390_SKEYS, 0, 1,
                              &savevm_s390_storage_keys, ss);
     } else {
-        unregister_savevm(DEVICE(ss), TYPE_S390_SKEYS, ss);
+        unregister_savevm(VMSTATE_IF(ss), TYPE_S390_SKEYS, ss);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/include/migration/register.h b/include/migration/register.h
index 73149c9a01..00c38ebe9f 100644
--- a/include/migration/register.h
+++ b/include/migration/register.h
@@ -76,6 +76,6 @@ int register_savevm_live(const char *idstr,
                          const SaveVMHandlers *ops,
                          void *opaque);
 
-void unregister_savevm(DeviceState *dev, const char *idstr, void *opaque);
+void unregister_savevm(VMStateIf *obj, const char *idstr, void *opaque);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/include/migration/vmstate.h b/include/migration/vmstate.h
index f546f61c5e..4aef72c426 100644
--- a/include/migration/vmstate.h
+++ b/include/migration/vmstate.h
@@ -1158,22 +1158,22 @@ int vmstate_save_state_v(QEMUFile *f, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
 bool vmstate_save_needed(const VMStateDescription *vmsd, void *opaque);
 
 /* Returns: 0 on success, -1 on failure */
-int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(DeviceState *dev, int instance_id,
+int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(VMStateIf *obj, int instance_id,
                                    const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                                    void *base, int alias_id,
                                    int required_for_version,
                                    Error **errp);
 
 /* Returns: 0 on success, -1 on failure */
-static inline int vmstate_register(DeviceState *dev, int instance_id,
+static inline int vmstate_register(VMStateIf *obj, int instance_id,
                                    const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                                    void *opaque)
 {
-    return vmstate_register_with_alias_id(dev, instance_id, vmsd,
+    return vmstate_register_with_alias_id(obj, instance_id, vmsd,
                                           opaque, -1, 0, NULL);
 }
 
-void vmstate_unregister(DeviceState *dev, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
+void vmstate_unregister(VMStateIf *obj, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                         void *opaque);
 
 struct MemoryRegion;
diff --git a/migration/savevm.c b/migration/savevm.c
index a71b930b91..59efc1981d 100644
--- a/migration/savevm.c
+++ b/migration/savevm.c
@@ -760,17 +760,17 @@ int register_savevm_live(const char *idstr,
     return 0;
 }
 
-void unregister_savevm(DeviceState *dev, const char *idstr, void *opaque)
+void unregister_savevm(VMStateIf *obj, const char *idstr, void *opaque)
 {
     SaveStateEntry *se, *new_se;
     char id[256] = "";
 
-    if (dev) {
-        char *path = qdev_get_dev_path(dev);
-        if (path) {
-            pstrcpy(id, sizeof(id), path);
+    if (obj) {
+        char *oid = vmstate_if_get_id(obj);
+        if (oid) {
+            pstrcpy(id, sizeof(id), oid);
             pstrcat(id, sizeof(id), "/");
-            g_free(path);
+            g_free(oid);
         }
     }
     pstrcat(id, sizeof(id), idstr);
@@ -784,7 +784,7 @@ void unregister_savevm(DeviceState *dev, const char *idstr, void *opaque)
     }
 }
 
-int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(DeviceState *dev, int instance_id,
+int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(VMStateIf *obj, int instance_id,
                                    const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                                    void *opaque, int alias_id,
                                    int required_for_version,
@@ -802,8 +802,8 @@ int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(DeviceState *dev, int instance_id,
     se->vmsd = vmsd;
     se->alias_id = alias_id;
 
-    if (dev) {
-        char *id = qdev_get_dev_path(dev);
+    if (obj) {
+        char *id = vmstate_if_get_id(obj);
         if (id) {
             if (snprintf(se->idstr, sizeof(se->idstr), "%s/", id) >=
                 sizeof(se->idstr)) {
@@ -834,7 +834,7 @@ int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(DeviceState *dev, int instance_id,
     return 0;
 }
 
-void vmstate_unregister(DeviceState *dev, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
+void vmstate_unregister(VMStateIf *obj, const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                         void *opaque)
 {
     SaveStateEntry *se, *new_se;
diff --git a/stubs/vmstate.c b/stubs/vmstate.c
index e1e89b87f0..6951d9fdc5 100644
--- a/stubs/vmstate.c
+++ b/stubs/vmstate.c
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 const VMStateDescription vmstate_dummy = {};
 
-int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(DeviceState *dev,
+int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(VMStateIf *obj,
                                    int instance_id,
                                    const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                                    void *base, int alias_id,
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ int vmstate_register_with_alias_id(DeviceState *dev,
     return 0;
 }
 
-void vmstate_unregister(DeviceState *dev,
+void vmstate_unregister(VMStateIf *obj,
                         const VMStateDescription *vmsd,
                         void *opaque)
 {