diff --git a/hw/arm/fsl-imx6ul.c b/hw/arm/fsl-imx6ul.c
index 79e4847953a..34c4aa15cd0 100644
--- a/hw/arm/fsl-imx6ul.c
+++ b/hw/arm/fsl-imx6ul.c
@@ -157,10 +157,12 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     MachineState *ms = MACHINE(qdev_get_machine());
     FslIMX6ULState *s = FSL_IMX6UL(dev);
+    DeviceState *mpcore = DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore);
     int i;
     char name[NAME_SIZE];
-    SysBusDevice *sbd;
-    DeviceState *d;
+    DeviceState *gic;
+    SysBusDevice *gicsbd;
+    DeviceState *cpu;
 
     if (ms->smp.cpus > 1) {
         error_setg(errp, "%s: Only a single CPU is supported (%d requested)",
@@ -173,19 +175,19 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     /*
      * A7MPCORE
      */
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->a7mpcore), "num-cpu", 1, &error_abort);
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->a7mpcore), "num-irq",
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(mpcore), "num-cpu", 1, &error_abort);
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(mpcore), "num-irq",
                             FSL_IMX6UL_MAX_IRQ + GIC_INTERNAL, &error_abort);
-    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), &error_abort);
-    sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), 0, FSL_IMX6UL_A7MPCORE_ADDR);
+    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(mpcore), &error_abort);
+    sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(mpcore), 0, FSL_IMX6UL_A7MPCORE_ADDR);
 
-    sbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore);
-    d = DEVICE(&s->cpu);
-
-    sysbus_connect_irq(sbd, 0, qdev_get_gpio_in(d, ARM_CPU_IRQ));
-    sysbus_connect_irq(sbd, 1, qdev_get_gpio_in(d, ARM_CPU_FIQ));
-    sysbus_connect_irq(sbd, 2, qdev_get_gpio_in(d, ARM_CPU_VIRQ));
-    sysbus_connect_irq(sbd, 3, qdev_get_gpio_in(d, ARM_CPU_VFIQ));
+    gic = mpcore;
+    gicsbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(gic);
+    cpu = DEVICE(&s->cpu);
+    sysbus_connect_irq(gicsbd, 0, qdev_get_gpio_in(cpu, ARM_CPU_IRQ));
+    sysbus_connect_irq(gicsbd, 1, qdev_get_gpio_in(cpu, ARM_CPU_FIQ));
+    sysbus_connect_irq(gicsbd, 2, qdev_get_gpio_in(cpu, ARM_CPU_VIRQ));
+    sysbus_connect_irq(gicsbd, 3, qdev_get_gpio_in(cpu, ARM_CPU_VFIQ));
 
     /*
      * A7MPCORE DAP
@@ -244,8 +246,7 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                         FSL_IMX6UL_GPTn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->gpt[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_GPTn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_GPTn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -269,8 +270,7 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                         FSL_IMX6UL_EPITn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->epit[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_EPITn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_EPITn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -307,12 +307,10 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                         FSL_IMX6UL_GPIOn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->gpio[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_GPIOn_LOW_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_GPIOn_LOW_IRQ[i]));
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->gpio[i]), 1,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_GPIOn_HIGH_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_GPIOn_HIGH_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -366,8 +364,7 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                         FSL_IMX6UL_SPIn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->spi[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_SPIn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_SPIn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -392,8 +389,7 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->i2c[i]), 0, FSL_IMX6UL_I2Cn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->i2c[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_I2Cn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_I2Cn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -430,8 +426,7 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                         FSL_IMX6UL_UARTn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->uart[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_UARTn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_UARTn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -480,12 +475,10 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                         FSL_IMX6UL_ENETn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->eth[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_ENETn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_ENETn_IRQ[i]));
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->eth[i]), 1,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_ENETn_TIMER_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_ENETn_TIMER_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -521,8 +514,7 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->usb[i]), 0,
                         FSL_IMX6UL_USB02_USBn_ADDR[i]);
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->usb[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_USBn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_USBn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -547,8 +539,7 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                         FSL_IMX6UL_USDHCn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->usdhc[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_USDHCn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_USDHCn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -580,8 +571,7 @@ static void fsl_imx6ul_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->wdt[i]), 0,
                         FSL_IMX6UL_WDOGn_ADDR[i]);
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->wdt[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX6UL_WDOGn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX6UL_WDOGn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
