diff --git a/hw/i386/pc.c b/hw/i386/pc.c
index e8a54acc38..5fce60c856 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc.c
@@ -1474,6 +1474,25 @@ void pc_nic_init(PCMachineClass *pcmc, ISABus *isa_bus, PCIBus *pci_bus)
     rom_reset_order_override();
 }
 
+void pc_i8259_create(ISABus *isa_bus, qemu_irq *i8259_irqs)
+{
+    qemu_irq *i8259;
+
+    if (kvm_pic_in_kernel()) {
+        i8259 = kvm_i8259_init(isa_bus);
+    } else if (xen_enabled()) {
+        i8259 = xen_interrupt_controller_init();
+    } else {
+        i8259 = i8259_init(isa_bus, pc_allocate_cpu_irq());
+    }
+
+    for (size_t i = 0; i < ISA_NUM_IRQS; i++) {
+        i8259_irqs[i] = i8259[i];
+    }
+
+    g_free(i8259);
+}
+
 void ioapic_init_gsi(GSIState *gsi_state, const char *parent_name)
 {
     DeviceState *dev;
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
index 0cc951a0b5..648dc9ab2d 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_piix.c
@@ -82,7 +82,6 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
     ISABus *isa_bus;
     PCII440FXState *i440fx_state;
     int piix3_devfn = -1;
-    qemu_irq *i8259;
     qemu_irq smi_irq;
     GSIState *gsi_state;
     DriveInfo *hd[MAX_IDE_BUS * MAX_IDE_DEVS];
@@ -209,18 +208,8 @@ static void pc_init1(MachineState *machine,
     }
     isa_bus_irqs(isa_bus, x86ms->gsi);
 
-    if (kvm_pic_in_kernel()) {
-        i8259 = kvm_i8259_init(isa_bus);
-    } else if (xen_enabled()) {
-        i8259 = xen_interrupt_controller_init();
-    } else {
-        i8259 = i8259_init(isa_bus, pc_allocate_cpu_irq());
-    }
+    pc_i8259_create(isa_bus, gsi_state->i8259_irq);
 
-    for (i = 0; i < ISA_NUM_IRQS; i++) {
-        gsi_state->i8259_irq[i] = i8259[i];
-    }
-    g_free(i8259);
     if (pcmc->pci_enabled) {
         ioapic_init_gsi(gsi_state, "i440fx");
     }
diff --git a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
index 6cf12b792b..157d1daa60 100644
--- a/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
+++ b/hw/i386/pc_q35.c
@@ -130,7 +130,6 @@ static void pc_q35_init(MachineState *machine)
     MemoryRegion *ram_memory;
     GSIState *gsi_state;
     ISABus *isa_bus;
-    qemu_irq *i8259;
     int i;
     ICH9LPCState *ich9_lpc;
     PCIDevice *ahci;
@@ -257,18 +256,7 @@ static void pc_q35_init(MachineState *machine)
     pci_bus_set_route_irq_fn(host_bus, ich9_route_intx_pin_to_irq);
     isa_bus = ich9_lpc->isa_bus;
 
-    if (kvm_pic_in_kernel()) {
-        i8259 = kvm_i8259_init(isa_bus);
-    } else if (xen_enabled()) {
-        i8259 = xen_interrupt_controller_init();
-    } else {
-        i8259 = i8259_init(isa_bus, pc_allocate_cpu_irq());
-    }
-
-    for (i = 0; i < ISA_NUM_IRQS; i++) {
-        gsi_state->i8259_irq[i] = i8259[i];
-    }
-    g_free(i8259);
+    pc_i8259_create(isa_bus, gsi_state->i8259_irq);
 
     if (pcmc->pci_enabled) {
         ioapic_init_gsi(gsi_state, "q35");
diff --git a/include/hw/i386/pc.h b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
index 8c5dc39d84..5923318ea5 100644
--- a/include/hw/i386/pc.h
+++ b/include/hw/i386/pc.h
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ void pc_pci_device_init(PCIBus *pci_bus);
 
 typedef void (*cpu_set_smm_t)(int smm, void *arg);
 
+void pc_i8259_create(ISABus *isa_bus, qemu_irq *i8259_irqs);
 void ioapic_init_gsi(GSIState *gsi_state, const char *parent_name);
 
 ISADevice *pc_find_fdc0(void);