diff --git a/hw/virtio/virtio.c b/hw/virtio/virtio.c
index 63a7b6d7ba..0603793e34 100644
--- a/hw/virtio/virtio.c
+++ b/hw/virtio/virtio.c
@@ -1143,8 +1143,8 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_virtio_virtqueues = {
     .minimum_version_id = 1,
     .needed = &virtio_virtqueue_needed,
     .fields = (VMStateField[]) {
-        VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_KNOWN(vq, struct VirtIODevice, VIRTIO_QUEUE_MAX,
-                      0, vmstate_virtqueue, VirtQueue),
+        VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_POINTER_KNOWN(vq, struct VirtIODevice,
+                      VIRTIO_QUEUE_MAX, 0, vmstate_virtqueue, VirtQueue),
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
     }
 };
@@ -1165,8 +1165,8 @@ static const VMStateDescription vmstate_virtio_ringsize = {
     .minimum_version_id = 1,
     .needed = &virtio_ringsize_needed,
     .fields = (VMStateField[]) {
-        VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_KNOWN(vq, struct VirtIODevice, VIRTIO_QUEUE_MAX,
-                      0, vmstate_ringsize, VirtQueue),
+        VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_POINTER_KNOWN(vq, struct VirtIODevice,
+                      VIRTIO_QUEUE_MAX, 0, vmstate_ringsize, VirtQueue),
         VMSTATE_END_OF_LIST()
     }
 };
diff --git a/include/migration/vmstate.h b/include/migration/vmstate.h
index a4b81bb5f6..7246f29afe 100644
--- a/include/migration/vmstate.h
+++ b/include/migration/vmstate.h
@@ -386,19 +386,6 @@ extern const VMStateInfo vmstate_info_bitmap;
     .offset       = vmstate_offset_array(_state, _field, _type, _num),\
 }
 
-/* a variable length array (i.e. _type *_field) but we know the
- * length
- */
-#define VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_KNOWN(_field, _state, _num, _version, _vmsd, _type) { \
-    .name       = (stringify(_field)),                               \
-    .num          = (_num),                                          \
-    .version_id = (_version),                                        \
-    .vmsd       = &(_vmsd),                                          \
-    .size       = sizeof(_type),                                     \
-    .flags      = VMS_STRUCT|VMS_ARRAY,                              \
-    .offset     = offsetof(_state, _field),                          \
-}
-
 #define VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_UINT8(_field, _state, _field_num, _version, _vmsd, _type) { \
     .name       = (stringify(_field)),                               \
     .num_offset = vmstate_offset_value(_state, _field_num, uint8_t), \
@@ -409,6 +396,19 @@ extern const VMStateInfo vmstate_info_bitmap;
     .offset     = offsetof(_state, _field),                          \
 }
 
+/* a variable length array (i.e. _type *_field) but we know the
+ * length
+ */
+#define VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_POINTER_KNOWN(_field, _state, _num, _version, _vmsd, _type) { \
+    .name       = (stringify(_field)),                               \
+    .num          = (_num),                                          \
+    .version_id = (_version),                                        \
+    .vmsd       = &(_vmsd),                                          \
+    .size       = sizeof(_type),                                     \
+    .flags      = VMS_STRUCT|VMS_ARRAY|VMS_POINTER,                  \
+    .offset     = offsetof(_state, _field),                          \
+}
+
 #define VMSTATE_STRUCT_VARRAY_POINTER_INT32(_field, _state, _field_num, _vmsd, _type) { \
     .name       = (stringify(_field)),                               \
     .version_id = 0,                                                 \