diff --git a/hw/arm/fsl-imx7.c b/hw/arm/fsl-imx7.c
index 004bf499376..3374018cde0 100644
--- a/hw/arm/fsl-imx7.c
+++ b/hw/arm/fsl-imx7.c
@@ -166,7 +166,8 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 {
     MachineState *ms = MACHINE(qdev_get_machine());
     FslIMX7State *s = FSL_IMX7(dev);
-    Object *o;
+    DeviceState *mpcore = DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore);
+    DeviceState *gic;
     int i;
     qemu_irq irq;
     char name[NAME_SIZE];
@@ -182,7 +183,7 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
      * CPUs
      */
     for (i = 0; i < smp_cpus; i++) {
-        o = OBJECT(&s->cpu[i]);
+        Object *o = OBJECT(&s->cpu[i]);
 
         /* On uniprocessor, the CBAR is set to 0 */
         if (smp_cpus > 1) {
@@ -205,16 +206,15 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     /*
      * A7MPCORE
      */
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->a7mpcore), "num-cpu", smp_cpus,
-                            &error_abort);
-    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(&s->a7mpcore), "num-irq",
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(mpcore), "num-cpu", smp_cpus, &error_abort);
+    object_property_set_int(OBJECT(mpcore), "num-irq",
                             FSL_IMX7_MAX_IRQ + GIC_INTERNAL, &error_abort);
+    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(mpcore), &error_abort);
+    sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(mpcore), 0, FSL_IMX7_A7MPCORE_ADDR);
 
-    sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), &error_abort);
-    sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), 0, FSL_IMX7_A7MPCORE_ADDR);
-
+    gic = mpcore;
     for (i = 0; i < smp_cpus; i++) {
-        SysBusDevice *sbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore);
+        SysBusDevice *sbd = SYS_BUS_DEVICE(gic);
         DeviceState  *d   = DEVICE(qemu_get_cpu(i));
 
         irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(d, ARM_CPU_IRQ);
@@ -255,8 +255,7 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_realize(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->gpt[i]), &error_abort);
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->gpt[i]), 0, FSL_IMX7_GPTn_ADDR[i]);
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->gpt[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX7_GPTn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_GPTn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -298,12 +297,10 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
                         FSL_IMX7_GPIOn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->gpio[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX7_GPIOn_LOW_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_GPIOn_LOW_IRQ[i]));
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->gpio[i]), 1,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX7_GPIOn_HIGH_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_GPIOn_HIGH_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -355,8 +352,7 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->spi[i]), 0,
                         FSL_IMX7_SPIn_ADDR[i]);
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->spi[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX7_SPIn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_SPIn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -381,8 +377,7 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->i2c[i]), 0, FSL_IMX7_I2Cn_ADDR[i]);
 
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->i2c[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX7_I2Cn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_I2Cn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -416,7 +411,7 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->uart[i]), 0, FSL_IMX7_UARTn_ADDR[i]);
 
-        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_UARTn_IRQ[i]);
+        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_UARTn_IRQ[i]);
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->uart[i]), 0, irq);
     }
 
@@ -454,9 +449,9 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->eth[i]), 0, FSL_IMX7_ENETn_ADDR[i]);
 
-        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_ENET_IRQ(i, 0));
+        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_ENET_IRQ(i, 0));
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->eth[i]), 0, irq);
-        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_ENET_IRQ(i, 3));
+        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_ENET_IRQ(i, 3));
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->eth[i]), 1, irq);
     }
 
@@ -483,7 +478,7 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->usdhc[i]), 0,
                         FSL_IMX7_USDHCn_ADDR[i]);
 
-        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_USDHCn_IRQ[i]);
+        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_USDHCn_IRQ[i]);
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->usdhc[i]), 0, irq);
     }
 
@@ -522,8 +517,7 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->wdt[i]), 0, FSL_IMX7_WDOGn_ADDR[i]);
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->wdt[i]), 0,
-                           qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore),
-                                            FSL_IMX7_WDOGn_IRQ[i]));
+                           qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_WDOGn_IRQ[i]));
     }
 
     /*
@@ -606,11 +600,11 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
     irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_PCI_INTD_MSI_IRQ);
     qdev_connect_gpio_out(DEVICE(&s->pcie4_msi_irq), 0, irq);
 
-    irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_PCI_INTA_IRQ);
+    irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_PCI_INTA_IRQ);
     sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->pcie), 0, irq);
-    irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_PCI_INTB_IRQ);
+    irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_PCI_INTB_IRQ);
     sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->pcie), 1, irq);
-    irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_PCI_INTC_IRQ);
+    irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_PCI_INTC_IRQ);
     sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->pcie), 2, irq);
     irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->pcie4_msi_irq), 0);
     sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->pcie), 3, irq);
@@ -643,7 +637,7 @@ static void fsl_imx7_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
         sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->usb[i]), 0,
                         FSL_IMX7_USBn_ADDR[i]);
 
-        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(DEVICE(&s->a7mpcore), FSL_IMX7_USBn_IRQ[i]);
+        irq = qdev_get_gpio_in(gic, FSL_IMX7_USBn_IRQ[i]);
         sysbus_connect_irq(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(&s->usb[i]), 0, irq);
 
         snprintf(name, NAME_SIZE, "usbmisc%d", i);
