diff --git a/hw/ide/atapi.c b/hw/ide/atapi.c
index f7d2009c00..d13395ed2c 100644
--- a/hw/ide/atapi.c
+++ b/hw/ide/atapi.c
@@ -255,8 +255,7 @@ static void ide_atapi_cmd_reply(IDEState *s, int size, int max_size)
     if (s->atapi_dma) {
         bdrv_acct_start(s->bs, &s->acct, size, BDRV_ACCT_READ);
         s->status = READY_STAT | SEEK_STAT | DRQ_STAT;
-        s->bus->dma->ops->start_dma(s->bus->dma, s,
-                                   ide_atapi_cmd_read_dma_cb);
+        ide_start_dma(s, ide_atapi_cmd_read_dma_cb);
     } else {
         s->status = READY_STAT | SEEK_STAT;
         ide_atapi_cmd_reply_end(s);
@@ -375,8 +374,7 @@ static void ide_atapi_cmd_read_dma(IDEState *s, int lba, int nb_sectors,
 
     /* XXX: check if BUSY_STAT should be set */
     s->status = READY_STAT | SEEK_STAT | DRQ_STAT | BUSY_STAT;
-    s->bus->dma->ops->start_dma(s->bus->dma, s,
-                               ide_atapi_cmd_read_dma_cb);
+    ide_start_dma(s, ide_atapi_cmd_read_dma_cb);
 }
 
 static void ide_atapi_cmd_read(IDEState *s, int lba, int nb_sectors,
diff --git a/hw/ide/core.c b/hw/ide/core.c
index e5ddecb811..aa561ae4f8 100644
--- a/hw/ide/core.c
+++ b/hw/ide/core.c
@@ -745,7 +745,14 @@ static void ide_sector_start_dma(IDEState *s, enum ide_dma_cmd dma_cmd)
         break;
     }
 
-    s->bus->dma->ops->start_dma(s->bus->dma, s, ide_dma_cb);
+    ide_start_dma(s, ide_dma_cb);
+}
+
+void ide_start_dma(IDEState *s, BlockDriverCompletionFunc *cb)
+{
+    if (s->bus->dma->ops->start_dma) {
+        s->bus->dma->ops->start_dma(s->bus->dma, s, cb);
+    }
 }
 
 static void ide_sector_write_timer_cb(void *opaque)
@@ -2204,11 +2211,6 @@ static void ide_init1(IDEBus *bus, int unit)
                                            ide_sector_write_timer_cb, s);
 }
 
-static void ide_nop_start(IDEDMA *dma, IDEState *s,
-                          BlockDriverCompletionFunc *cb)
-{
-}
-
 static int ide_nop_int(IDEDMA *dma, int x)
 {
     return 0;
@@ -2219,7 +2221,6 @@ static void ide_nop_restart(void *opaque, int x, RunState y)
 }
 
 static const IDEDMAOps ide_dma_nop_ops = {
-    .start_dma      = ide_nop_start,
     .prepare_buf    = ide_nop_int,
     .rw_buf         = ide_nop_int,
     .set_unit       = ide_nop_int,
diff --git a/hw/ide/internal.h b/hw/ide/internal.h
index 64fbf2fb62..2fe1f0a316 100644
--- a/hw/ide/internal.h
+++ b/hw/ide/internal.h
@@ -532,6 +532,7 @@ void ide_bus_reset(IDEBus *bus);
 int64_t ide_get_sector(IDEState *s);
 void ide_set_sector(IDEState *s, int64_t sector_num);
 
+void ide_start_dma(IDEState *s, BlockDriverCompletionFunc *cb);
 void ide_dma_error(IDEState *s);
 
 void ide_atapi_cmd_ok(IDEState *s);