diff --git a/hw/net/virtio-net.c b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
index 746ed3fb71..b37e9cd1d9 100644
--- a/hw/net/virtio-net.c
+++ b/hw/net/virtio-net.c
@@ -3093,17 +3093,17 @@ void virtio_net_set_netclient_name(VirtIONet *n, const char *name,
     n->netclient_type = g_strdup(type);
 }
 
-static bool failover_unplug_primary(VirtIONet *n)
+static bool failover_unplug_primary(VirtIONet *n, DeviceState *dev)
 {
     HotplugHandler *hotplug_ctrl;
     PCIDevice *pci_dev;
     Error *err = NULL;
 
-    hotplug_ctrl = qdev_get_hotplug_handler(n->primary_dev);
+    hotplug_ctrl = qdev_get_hotplug_handler(dev);
     if (hotplug_ctrl) {
-        pci_dev = PCI_DEVICE(n->primary_dev);
+        pci_dev = PCI_DEVICE(dev);
         pci_dev->partially_hotplugged = true;
-        hotplug_handler_unplug_request(hotplug_ctrl, n->primary_dev, &err);
+        hotplug_handler_unplug_request(hotplug_ctrl, dev, &err);
         if (err) {
             error_report_err(err);
             return false;
@@ -3114,30 +3114,31 @@ static bool failover_unplug_primary(VirtIONet *n)
     return true;
 }
 
-static bool failover_replug_primary(VirtIONet *n, Error **errp)
+static bool failover_replug_primary(VirtIONet *n, DeviceState *dev,
+                                    Error **errp)
 {
     Error *err = NULL;
     HotplugHandler *hotplug_ctrl;
-    PCIDevice *pdev = PCI_DEVICE(n->primary_dev);
+    PCIDevice *pdev = PCI_DEVICE(dev);
     BusState *primary_bus;
 
     if (!pdev->partially_hotplugged) {
         return true;
     }
-    primary_bus = n->primary_dev->parent_bus;
+    primary_bus = dev->parent_bus;
     if (!primary_bus) {
         error_setg(errp, "virtio_net: couldn't find primary bus");
         return false;
     }
-    qdev_set_parent_bus(n->primary_dev, primary_bus, &error_abort);
+    qdev_set_parent_bus(dev, primary_bus, &error_abort);
     qatomic_set(&n->failover_primary_hidden, false);
-    hotplug_ctrl = qdev_get_hotplug_handler(n->primary_dev);
+    hotplug_ctrl = qdev_get_hotplug_handler(dev);
     if (hotplug_ctrl) {
-        hotplug_handler_pre_plug(hotplug_ctrl, n->primary_dev, &err);
+        hotplug_handler_pre_plug(hotplug_ctrl, dev, &err);
         if (err) {
             goto out;
         }
-        hotplug_handler_plug(hotplug_ctrl, n->primary_dev, &err);
+        hotplug_handler_plug(hotplug_ctrl, dev, &err);
     }
 
 out:
@@ -3161,7 +3162,7 @@ static void virtio_net_handle_migration_primary(VirtIONet *n,
     }
 
     if (migration_in_setup(s) && !should_be_hidden) {
-        if (failover_unplug_primary(n)) {
+        if (failover_unplug_primary(n, n->primary_dev)) {
             vmstate_unregister(VMSTATE_IF(n->primary_dev),
                                qdev_get_vmsd(n->primary_dev),
                                n->primary_dev);
@@ -3172,7 +3173,7 @@ static void virtio_net_handle_migration_primary(VirtIONet *n,
         }
     } else if (migration_has_failed(s)) {
         /* We already unplugged the device let's plug it back */
-        if (!failover_replug_primary(n, &err)) {
+        if (!failover_replug_primary(n, n->primary_dev, &err)) {
             if (err) {
                 error_report_err(err);
             }