diff --git a/hw/net/etraxfs_eth.c b/hw/net/etraxfs_eth.c
index 4cfbf1135a..f30d963487 100644
--- a/hw/net/etraxfs_eth.c
+++ b/hw/net/etraxfs_eth.c
@@ -338,14 +338,8 @@ typedef struct ETRAXFSEthState
     uint8_t macaddr[2][6];
     uint32_t regs[FS_ETH_MAX_REGS];
 
-    union {
-        void *vdma_out;
-        struct etraxfs_dma_client *dma_out;
-    };
-    union {
-        void *vdma_in;
-        struct etraxfs_dma_client *dma_in;
-    };
+    struct etraxfs_dma_client *dma_out;
+    struct etraxfs_dma_client *dma_in;
 
     /* MDIO bus.  */
     struct qemu_mdio mdio_bus;
@@ -635,8 +629,6 @@ static void etraxfs_eth_realize(DeviceState *dev, Error **errp)
 
 static Property etraxfs_eth_properties[] = {
     DEFINE_PROP_UINT32("phyaddr", ETRAXFSEthState, phyaddr, 1),
-    DEFINE_PROP_PTR("dma_out", ETRAXFSEthState, vdma_out),
-    DEFINE_PROP_PTR("dma_in", ETRAXFSEthState, vdma_in),
     DEFINE_NIC_PROPERTIES(ETRAXFSEthState, conf),
     DEFINE_PROP_END_OF_LIST(),
 };
@@ -648,10 +640,40 @@ static void etraxfs_eth_class_init(ObjectClass *klass, void *data)
     dc->realize = etraxfs_eth_realize;
     dc->reset = etraxfs_eth_reset;
     dc->props = etraxfs_eth_properties;
-    /* Reason: pointer properties "dma_out", "dma_in" */
+    /* Reason: dma_out, dma_in are not user settable */
     dc->user_creatable = false;
 }
 
+
+/* Instantiate an ETRAXFS Ethernet MAC.  */
+DeviceState *
+etraxfs_eth_init(NICInfo *nd, hwaddr base, int phyaddr,
+                 struct etraxfs_dma_client *dma_out,
+                 struct etraxfs_dma_client *dma_in)
+{
+    DeviceState *dev;
+    qemu_check_nic_model(nd, "fseth");
+
+    dev = qdev_create(NULL, "etraxfs-eth");
+    qdev_set_nic_properties(dev, nd);
+    qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "phyaddr", phyaddr);
+
+    /*
+     * TODO: QOM design, define a QOM interface for "I am an etraxfs
+     * DMA client" (which replaces the current 'struct
+     * etraxfs_dma_client' ad-hoc interface), implement it on the
+     * ethernet device, and then have QOM link properties on the DMA
+     * controller device so that you can pass the interface
+     * implementations to it.
+     */
+    ETRAX_FS_ETH(dev)->dma_out = dma_out;
+    ETRAX_FS_ETH(dev)->dma_in = dma_in;
+    qdev_init_nofail(dev);
+    sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev), 0, base);
+
+    return dev;
+}
+
 static const TypeInfo etraxfs_eth_info = {
     .name          = TYPE_ETRAX_FS_ETH,
     .parent        = TYPE_SYS_BUS_DEVICE,
diff --git a/include/hw/cris/etraxfs.h b/include/hw/cris/etraxfs.h
index aa146a2cd8..403e7f95e6 100644
--- a/include/hw/cris/etraxfs.h
+++ b/include/hw/cris/etraxfs.h
@@ -30,23 +30,9 @@
 #include "hw/qdev-properties.h"
 #include "hw/sysbus.h"
 
-/* Instantiate an ETRAXFS Ethernet MAC.  */
-static inline DeviceState *
-etraxfs_eth_init(NICInfo *nd, hwaddr base, int phyaddr,
-                 void *dma_out, void *dma_in)
-{
-    DeviceState *dev;
-    qemu_check_nic_model(nd, "fseth");
-
-    dev = qdev_create(NULL, "etraxfs-eth");
-    qdev_set_nic_properties(dev, nd);
-    qdev_prop_set_uint32(dev, "phyaddr", phyaddr);
-    qdev_prop_set_ptr(dev, "dma_out", dma_out);
-    qdev_prop_set_ptr(dev, "dma_in", dma_in);
-    qdev_init_nofail(dev);
-    sysbus_mmio_map(SYS_BUS_DEVICE(dev), 0, base);
-    return dev;
-}
+DeviceState *etraxfs_eth_init(NICInfo *nd, hwaddr base, int phyaddr,
+                              struct etraxfs_dma_client *dma_out,
+                              struct etraxfs_dma_client *dma_in);
 
 static inline DeviceState *etraxfs_ser_create(hwaddr addr,
                                               qemu_irq irq,